On This Day - What Happened On July 22 | Britannica

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1977 Deng Xiaoping reinstated After falling from favour during the Cultural Revolution (1966–76), Deng Xiaoping returned to power on this day in 1977 after the Chinese Communist Party reinstated all his former high posts, including that of vice-premier. Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about China AP Images

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Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel German astronomer bornJuly 22, 1784MindendiedMarch 17, 1846 (aged 61)PrussiaThe Bettmann Archive 1992 Selena Gomez American actress and singer 1955 Willem Dafoe American actor 1947 Albert Brooks American actor, comedian, writer, and director 1932 Oscar de la Renta Dominican-American fashion designer 1923 Bob Dole United States senator See All Biographies On This Day

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2013 Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge, the first child of Prince William, duke of Cambridge, and Catherine, duchess of Cambridge, was born in London. Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about English royalty© John Stillwell—WPA Pool/Getty Images 2011 Terrorist attacks on Oslo and the island of Utøya in Norway resulted in the deaths of 77 people; Anders Behring Breivik later confessed to the attacks.News Pictures/Shutterstock.com 1992 Colombian drug trafficker Pablo Escobar escaped from police custody as he faced transfer from La Catedral, a luxurious prison that he had built, to a more secure facility; he remained a fugitive until December 1993, when he was killed during a shootout with law enforcement. Read eight interesting facts about Pablo EscobarAP Images 1959 The sci-fi film Plan 9 from Outer Space—starring Bela Lugosi and directed by Ed Wood, considered by some as the most inept director in film history—was widely released in American theatres; described as the “worst movie ever made,” it became a cult classic. Test your knowledge of cinema© Keith Corrigan/Alamy 1946 A violent Jewish right-wing underground movement in Palestine, the Irgun Zvai Leumi, blew up a wing of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, killing 91 soldiers and civilians. 1943 Led by U.S. General George S. Patton, Allied forces took Palermo, on the northwest corner of Sicily, giving them a strategic foothold from which to invade mainland Italy during World War II. How much do you know about World War II? National Archives, Washington, D.C. 1933 American aviator Wiley Post completed the first solo flight around the world; he covered 15,596 miles (25,099 km) in 7 days, 18 hours, 49 minutes. Take our quiz about early aviationCourtesy of the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 1923 American baseball player Walter Johnson became the first pitcher in the MLB to strike out 3,000 batters; his career record of 3,508 strikeouts stood until 1983. Test your knowledge of baseballUPI/Bettmann Archive 1923 Bob Dole—U.S. senator (1968–96), Republican congressional leader, and his party's candidate for the presidency in 1996—was born in Russell, Kansas. Take our quiz about the history of American politicsAP 1812 The duke of Wellington defeated “40,000 Frenchmen in 40 minutes” at Salamanca, Spain, during the Peninsular War. Take our history of war quizThe Granger Collection, New York 1456 Hungarian forces led by János Hunyadi, including an untrained army of peasants, won one of the most remarkable victories in the history of Turkish wars, resisting the Ottoman sultan Mehmed II's siege of Belgrade. How much do you know about the Ottoman Empire?Courtesy of the trustees of the British Museum; photograph, J.R. Freeman & Co., Ltd. SIGN UP FOR History's Biggest Headlines Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors. SIGN UP Thanks for signing up for Today in History. Your first newsletter will arrive soon! SIGN UP By clicking "Sign Up" you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.