What Happened on July 22

13 stories from 838 to 2002, written as the news broke.

The Yesterday Times front page for July 22: Soviet Dogs First to Fly in Space, Return Safely — The Yesterday Times front page for July 22.

On July 22, space dogs, colonial independence, a medieval rout, Vietnamese unification, a targeted strike, and a pirate manga's debut converge across centuries.

July 22 in History

Space Desk

1951 — Soviet Dogs First to Fly in Space, Return Safely

Two dogs, Dezik and Tsygan, launched on July 22 from Kapustin Yar, reached 110 kilometers (68 miles) and returned safely by parachute.

KAPUSTIN YAR, July 22 — Two dogs, Dezik and Tsygan, became the first living higher organisms to survive a spaceflight when their rocket returned them safely to earth today. The dogs, launched from this Soviet proving ground, reached a maximum altitude of 110 kilometers (68 miles) before their capsule descended by parachute. Both animals were recovered unharmed. The flight marks a major step in the Soviet program to study the effects of high-altitude travel on living creatures. Dezik and Tsygan, whose names mean 'Cossack' and 'Gypsy,' were monitored during the brief journey, which carried them beyond the atmosphere's useful limits. The success follows a series of Soviet rocket tests in recent months. Observers here noted that the recovery of the dogs intact opens the way for further experiments with animal passengers. The Soviet Academy of Sciences has not yet released details of the animals' condition, but reports from the recovery team indicate they were in good health.

Dezik and Tsygan were the first dogs to make a suborbital flight and were successfully recovered on 22 July 1951.
Both dogs were recovered unharmed after travelling to a maximum altitude of 110 km (68 mi).
These two dogs were the first living higher organisms successfully recovered from a spaceflight.

Colonial Office

1963 — Sarawak Granted Self-Government by Britain

Britain ends 117 years of direct rule as Governor hands administration to Sarawakians ahead of September 16 entry into Malaysia.

KUCHING, July 22 — Britain today granted self-government to Sarawak, ending 117 years of direct British rule. Governor Alexander Waddell lowered the Union Jack and raised the Sarawak flag as he handed administration to Sarawakian citizens. In a ceremony at the Astana, the outgoing Governor proclaimed Stephen Kalong Ningkan as the first Chief Minister and appointed new members of the Supreme Council. The transfer comes in preparation for Sarawak's expected entry into the Federation of Malaysia.

Sarawak was granted self-rule on 22 July 1963, on the expectation that it would jointly form the Federation of Malaysia on 16 September the same year.
On 22 July 1963, Governor Alexander Waddell handed administration to Sarawakian citizens, lowering the Union Jack and raising the Sarawak flag.
On the same day, the outgoing Governor proclaimed Stephen Kalong Ningkan as the first Chief Minister of Sarawak and appointed new Supreme Council members.
Sarawak became a British Crown Colony in 1946 after Charles Vyner Brooke ceded it to Britain, leading to protests and the assassination of Governor Duncan Stewart.
Sarawak is the largest of Malaysia's 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia, and a population of 2.453 million as of the 2020 census.

Chronicles of War

1298 — Edward Defeats Wallace at Falkirk

Edward I's longbowmen cut down Wallace's outnumbered Scots near Falkirk, ending the battle in England's favor.

King Edward I leads English forces to victory over William Wallace at Falkirk — Edmund Blair Leighton

FALKIRK, July 22 — Amid the smoke and din of battle, King Edward I of England led his host against William Wallace's Scots near this town, and the day went to the English. The King's longbowmen loosed scores of arrows over great distances, cutting down Wallace's spearmen and cavalry before they could close. The Scots, far fewer in number, were slaughtered.

Edward I invaded Scotland on 3 July 1298 and attacked Wallace's much smaller Scottish force near Falkirk on 22 July.
English longbowmen slaughtered Wallace's spearmen and cavalry by firing scores of arrows over great distances.
Many Scots were killed at the Battle of Falkirk, though no precise number of dead is given.
Despite his victory, King Edward I soon returned to England and failed to subdue Scotland completely.
The defeat ruined Wallace's military reputation, and he resigned as Guardian in December 1298.

Eastern Realms

1802 — Gia Long Unifies Vietnam, Takes Hanoi

Emperor Gia Long’s capture of Hanoi completes unification, extending his realm from China’s borders to the Gulf of Siam.

SAIGON, July 22 — After a quarter-century of continuous fighting, Emperor Gia Long today completed the unification of Vietnam with the capture of Hanoi. His realm now stretches from the borders of China to the Gulf of Siam and the Cà Mau peninsula, a landmass larger than any previous Vietnamese state. The conquest ends centuries of feudal warfare.

Hanoi was captured on 22 July 1802, completing Gia Long's unification of Vietnam.
After a quarter-century of continuous fighting, Gia Long unified the formerly fractious territories of Vietnam.
Vietnam had never before occupied a larger landmass than under Gia Long's rule.
Gia Long became the first Vietnamese ruler to reign from China to the Gulf of Siam and Cà Mau peninsula.
In August 1802, Gia Long executed surviving Tây Sơn leaders and generals who had slain his family in the 1770s.

Foreign Desk

2002 — Israeli Strike Kills Hamas Military Chief Shehade in Gaza

A 2002 Israeli airstrike kills Hamas military leader Salah Shehade, his family, and neighbors, drawing international criticism and threats of retaliation.

Mourners carry the body of Hamas leader Salah Shehade following an Israeli airstrike — Muhammad Sabah et al.

GAZA CITY, July 22 — In the summer of 2002, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict reached a new level of lethality as the Israel Defense Forces bombed the home of Salah Shehade, leader of Hamas's military wing. The strike killed Shehade, his family, and neighboring civilians. Mourners carried his body through the streets. The attack drew international criticism and threats of retaliation, deepening the cycle of violence that has defined the region for decades.

The Israel Defense Forces bombed the home of Salah Shehade, the leader of the military arm of Hamas, killing him, his family and neighboring civilians.

Manga & Comics

1997 — Oda's 'One Piece' Sets Sail in Shonen Jump

After three rejections, serialization was approved following a two-hour debate.

One Piece manga volumes on display in a bookstore, marking the series' enduring legacy — Marek Ślusarczyk (Tupungato)

TOKYO, July 22 — Eiichiro Oda, a former assistant to Nobuhiro Watsuki, has launched his pirate saga "One Piece" in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump. The series follows Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat crew hunting for the treasure "One Piece." Despite being rejected three times, serialization was approved after editor-in-chief Kazuhiko Torishima debated for two hours, swayed by Oda's editor's earnestness.

One Piece was written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda.
The manga debuted in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump in July 1997.
The series follows Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat crew searching for the treasure 'One Piece'.
One Piece was rejected by Weekly Shōnen Jump three times before serialization was approved.
Editor-in-chief Kazuhiko Torishima debated for two hours before approving serialization due to Oda's editor's earnestness.

War Correspondence

1864 — Hood's Assault Repulsed at Atlanta; McPherson Slain

Confederate attack fails, but Union's McPherson is killed and the city remains in Confederate hands.

Confederate forces launch an unsuccessful assault against Union lines — Nathaniel Currier and James Merritt Ives

ATLANTA, July 22 — The Confederate attack on Union lines here failed, with General John B. Hood's forces repulsed by troops under William T. Sherman. The battle claimed a high-ranking Union officer: Major General James B. McPherson, the second-highest-ranking Union officer killed in the war, fell during the fight. Confederate Major General William H. T. Walker was shot from his horse by a sharpshooter while scouting. The city remains in Confederate hands, but its fall is expected before September.

Union forces commanded by William T. Sherman overwhelmed and defeated Confederate forces defending Atlanta under John B. Hood.
Union Major General James B. McPherson was killed during the battle, the second-highest-ranking Union officer killed in action during the war.
Confederate Major General William H. T. Walker was shot from his horse by a Union sharpshooter while scouting the front.
The battle occurred midway through the Atlanta campaign, and the city did not fall until September 2, 1864.
The capture of Atlanta was extensively covered by Northern newspapers, significantly boosting Northern morale.

Aeronautical Notes

1817 — Sadler's Balloon Crosses Irish Sea, Landing Near Holyhead

Sadler, ascending at 1:20 pm from Dublin, landed a mile south of Holyhead at about 7:00 pm.

DUBLIN, July 22 — Windham William Sadler this day accomplished the first successful aerial crossing of the Irish Sea by balloon, a feat his father had failed to achieve. Ascending alone from Portobello barracks at 1:20 pm, before an estimated 100,000 spectators, he glimpsed both shores and the Isle of Man mid-crossing. He landed a mile south of Holyhead at about 7:00 pm, then visited the harbour works and descended in a diving bell.

Windham Sadler made the first successful aerial crossing of the Irish Sea in 1817, a feat his father had unsuccessfully attempted.
Sadler ascended alone from Portobello barracks in Dublin at 1:20 pm on 22 July 1817.
An estimated 100,000 spectators witnessed the balloon's ascent from Dublin.
At mid-crossing, Sadler saw the shores of both Wales and Ireland and the entirety of the Isle of Man.
Sadler landed 1 mile south of Holyhead around 7:00 pm on the same day.

Foreign Desk

1976 — Japan Pays Final Reparation To Philippines

Final installment on July 22 completes reparation program that began in the 1950s.

MANILA, July 22 — The final Japanese reparation payment for war crimes committed during imperial Japan's conquest of the Philippines in World War II was completed today. The last installment closes the compensation program that began in the 1950s. Japanese officials confirmed the payment, ending the obligations that followed the brutal occupation of the islands. The reparations were intended to atone for the suffering inflicted on Filipinos during the war. Philippine officials acknowledged the completion, noting the long process had reached its end. The final payment marks the conclusion of a chapter in relations between the two nations.

Japan completed its last reparation payment to the Philippines on July 22, 1976.
The reparations were for war crimes committed during imperial Japan's conquest of the Philippines in World War II.

Imperial Chronicle

838 — Abbasids Rout Byzantines at Anzen

The emperor’s army panicked after he abandoned his post, and Afshin’s horse-archers halted the advance.

CONSTANTINOPLE, July 22 — The defeat at Anzen has shattered the Byzantine army and left the road to Amorion undefended. The emperor's forces, led by Theophilos, were routed by the Abbasid Caliphate near present-day Dazman, Turkey. The emperor abandoned his post to lead an attack, and his army panicked, believing him slain. Afshin's Turkish horse-archers counterattacked, halting the Byzantine advance.

The Abbasids launched a massive expedition with two separate armies in retaliation for Byzantine emperor Theophilos's successes the previous year.
The Byzantine army broke and fled when Theophilos left his post to lead an attack, causing panic that he had been killed.
Afshin's Turkish horse-archers counterattacked, halting the Byzantine advance and allowing Arab forces to regroup.
Theophilos and his guard were surrounded on a hill but escaped after a sudden rain loosened the Turkish bowstrings.
The defeat opened the way for the sack of Amorion a few weeks later, one of the most serious blows Byzantium suffered in the Arab–Byzantine wars.

War Front

1944 — Soviet-Set Polish Committee Proclaimed

Rival government to London exile rule declared in Chełm.

The war has taken a new political turn in Poland. The Soviet-backed Polish Committee of National Liberation was proclaimed today in Chełm, a rival to the London government-in-exile. The committee will govern territory recaptured from Germany. Its creation signals Soviet intent to install a communist-friendly administration in post-war Poland.

The Polish Committee of National Liberation was proclaimed on July 22, 1944, in Chełm, Poland.
The committee was established under Soviet auspices as a rival government to the Polish government-in-exile in London.
The proclamation marked the Soviet Union's intent to install a communist-friendly administration in post-war Poland.

Picture Desk

1975 — Forman Wins World Photo Prize

Stanley Forman wins World Press Photo of the Year for his Pulitzer-winning image of a woman and her goddaughter falling from a broken fire escape.

BOSTON, July 22 — Stanley Forman, whose Pulitzer-winning photo 'Fire Escape Collapse' captured a woman and her goddaughter falling from a broken fire escape, has won the World Press Photo of the Year.

Stanley Forman won the World Press Photo of the Year in 1975 for the 'Fire Escape Collapse' image.
The photograph captured Diana Bryant and her goddaughter Tiare Jones falling from a collapsed fire escape.
Tiare Jones survived because her godmother Diana Bryant's body cushioned her fall.
The image received the 1976 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography, awarded to Forman.

Automotive News

1894 — Steam Car First at Rouen, but Prize Denied

De Dion's steam carriage covers 122 kilometres fastest, but rules deny the prize.

PARIS, July 22 — The Marquis de Dion drove his steam carriage from Paris to Rouen, 122 kilometres, faster than any rival in the world's first motor race, yet he will not receive the prize.

The world's first motor race was organized by the Parisian newspaper Le Petit Journal on 22 July 1894.
The race covered 122 kilometres (76 miles) from Paris to Rouen.
Marquis de Dion won the race in his steam-powered car but was not awarded the prize.
De Dion's steam car was disqualified because it required a stoker, which judges deemed outside requirements.

Born on July 22

1849 — Emma Lazarus, poet of Statue of Liberty sonnet, born, Emma Lazarus, American poet and educator (died 1887)
1890 — Rose Kennedy, Kennedy family matriarch, born, Rose Kennedy, American philanthropist and Kennedy family matriarch (died 1995)
1946 — Paul Schrader, Taxi Driver screenwriter, born, Paul Schrader, American director and screenwriter
1947 — Albert Brooks, actor and comedian, born, Albert Brooks, American actor, comedian, director, and screenwriter
1967 — Rhys Ifans, Welsh actor, born, Rhys Ifans, Welsh actor
1987 — Charlotte Kalla, Swedish Olympic skier, born, Charlotte Kalla, Swedish skier
1995 — Ezekiel Elliott, NFL running back, born, Ezekiel Elliott, American football player