Battle of Lundy’s Lane,
July 25, 1814
Under fading twilight near Niagara Falls, U.S. troops clashed fiercely with British and Canadian forces in one of the bloodiest engagements of the War of 1812. Though neither side claimed clear victory, Americans demonstrated newfound grit and battlefield discipline.
At Lundy’s Lane, Winfield Scott and Jacob Brown were each torn by enemy fire.
Scott’s shoulder and side were ripped as his brigade crumbled under cannon fire. Brown, wounded in thigh and flank, still directed the charge that seized British guns. Their injuries were more than scars; they were signatures of a night that redefined American command and symbolized the maturation of the U.S. Army’s resolve to stand firm on northern soil.
Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain
View of Mount Rainier, looking north from Pinnacle Peak, July 25, 1897
via Wikimedia Commons, public domain
Painted in 1881, Homespun quietly reflects the artistic abilities of Thomas Eakins, born July 25, 1844, in Philadelphia. Today, on his birthday, we remember Eakins’ commitment to portraying American life with sincerity.
Like the woman at the wheel—focused, unhurried, and surrounded by the textures of honest labor—Eakins spun American life into art with precision and empathy. This watercolor evokes his belief that beauty lay not in idealization, but in lived experience: a philosophy woven through every stroke.
via Wikimedia Commons, public domain
Time is of the essence as the crew of the USS Long Island works quickly to attach cables to stabilize and secure a Marine squadron Buffalo fighter plane after it made a crash landing on the flight deck and nearly goes overboard.
July 25, 1942
via Wikimedia Commons, public domain
July 25, 1755 – British authorities in Eastern Canada begin the policy of forcefully deporting French Acadian settlers. Thus began the scattering of the Acadians to British colonies and to France. The latter group journeyed to Louisiana, where the rich, diverse Cajun culture took root and thrived.
Born July 25, 1894, Walter Brennan’s 49-year career included work in films, TV, radio, and music, with three roles resulting in Academy Awards. He’s shown here as Amos on “The Real McCoy’s.” Brennan’s distinctive voice was the result of mustard gas exposure while serving in France during World War 1.
Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain
“We want great men, who when fortune frowns will not be discouraged. God will I trust in time give us these men.”
— Henry Knox
Born July 25, 1750, in Boston, Massachusetts, Henry Knox rose from humble beginnings to become George Washington’s chief of artillery and one of the most trusted generals of the Revolutionary War. A self-taught strategist who once ran a bookstore on Cornhill Street, Knox engineered the daring winter transport of cannons from Fort Ticonderoga—an act that helped drive the British from Boston in 1776. Later, as the first Secretary of War under the U.S. Constitution, he helped shape the nation’s military foundations and advocated for a strong federal government.
His words, written in the crucible of revolution, still echo as a call to courage in the face of adversity.
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Railroad mortar at Petersburg, Va., July 25, 1864
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On today’s date July 25, 1866 (over a year after the conclusion of the American Civil War) Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant was promoted to “General of the Army of the United States” when U.S. Congress authorized the rank.
“Electioneering at the South” a wood engraving that appeared in Harper’s Weekly on July 25, 1868.
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On July 25, 1902, James J. Jeffries delivered one of his most dominant victories—knocking out Bob Fitzsimmons in the 8th round during his undefeated reign as world heavyweight champion (1899–1905). A symbol of brute strength, Jeffries defended his title seven times before retiring with his legacy intact.
In this 1910 photograph, the stakes have shifted. Surrounded by spectators, rope in hand, Jeffries prepares for his fateful comeback against Jack Johnson—the Fight of the Century
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Wyoming Territory was established on July 25, 1868.
Scene of the Union Pacific Railroad depot at Green River, Wyoming c. 1871
An illustration showing the landing of nearly 3,000 American troops at Guanica, Puerto Rico on July 25, 1898.
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American actor, Jack Gilford, who played a number of roles on Broadway and had appearances on TV programs such as The Golden Girls, Taxi, Soap, The Love Boat and All In The Family, was born on July 25, 1908 in New York City.
He also starred in Cocoon and Cocoon: The Return in the 1980s.
Image: Jack Gilford standing (center with hat) inside a subway car in the 1967 film, The Incident.
via Alamy
Viking I took this “Face on Mars” photograph in the Cydonia Region of Mars on July 25, 1976.
Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain
Born July 25, 1806, in Weymouth, Massachusetts, Maria Weston Chapman turned conviction into vocation—an abolitionist who believed that words, wielded without compromise, could chisel justice from a nation’s conscience.
She rallied Boston’s elite to anti-slavery bazaars, edited fiery tracts and gift books, and stood alongside William Lloyd Garrison with steely resolve. Whether raising funds in Paris salons or publishing dissent from within the movement, Chapman refused silence—and helped make freedom fashionable among the principled.
Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain
Estelle Getty, born July 25, 1923, was actually younger than Bea Arthur, who played her daughter Dorothy on The Golden Girls. To transform into the sharp-tongued Sophia Petrillo, Getty endured hours of aging makeup and wigs—despite being just 62 when the show began.
Image by Alan Light – CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons, no known restrictions
Adam Sandler was 29 when Happy Gilmore first hit theaters in early 1996.
Today—29 years, one cult classic, and a thousand swing jokes later—Happy Gilmore 2 drops on Netflix. He’s back… just trying to “tap it in.”
Image via Alamy
