July 4 events in history

414 Emperor Theodosius II, age 13, yields power to his older sister Aelia Pulcheria, who reigned as regent and proclaimed herself empress (Augusta) of the Eastern Roman Empire
993 Ulrich of Augsburg is canonized as a saint
1054 A supernova is seen by Chinese, Arab and possibly Amerindian observers near the star Zeta Tauri. For several months it remains bright enough to be seen during the day. Its remnants form the Crab Nebula
1187 The Crusades: Battle of Hattin: Saladin defeats Guy of Lusignan, King of Jerusalem
1253 Battle of West-Capelle: John I of Avesnes defeats Guy of Dampierre
1456 Ottoman wars in Europe: The Siege of Nándorfeqhérvár (Belgrade) begins
1610 The Battle of Klushino is fought between forces of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and Russia during the Polish-Muscovite War
1776 American Revolution: The United States Declaration of Independence is adopted by the Second Continental Congress. The United States declared its independence in 1776
1778 American Revolutionary War: American forces under George Clark capture Kaskaskia during the Illinois campaign
1802 At West Point, New York, the United States Military Academy opens
1803 The Louisiana Purchase is announced to the American people
1817 In Rome, New York, construction on the Erie Canal begins
1827 Slavery is abolished in New York State
1838 The Iowa Territory is organized
1863 American Civil War: The Army of Northern Virginia withdrew from the battlefield after losing the Battle of Gettysburg, signalling an end to the Southern invasion of the North
1865 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is published
1878 Thoroughbred horses Ten Broeck and Mollie McCarty run a match race, recalled in the song Molly and Tenbrooks
1881 In Alabama, the Tuskegee Institute opens
1886 The people of France offer the Statue of Liberty to the people of the United States
1886 The first scheduled Canadian transcontinental train arrives in Port Moody, British Columbia
1892 Western Samoa changes the International Date Line, so that year it had 367 days, with two occurrences of Monday, July 4
1894 The short-lived Republic of Hawaii is proclaimed by Sanford B. Dole
1903 Philippine–American War officially is concluded
1903 Dorothy Levitt is reported as the first English woman to compete in a 'motor race'
1913 President Woodrow Wilson addresses American Civil War veterans at the Great Reunion of 1913
1918 Ottoman sultan Mehmed VI ascended to the throne
1918 World War I: The Battle of Hamel, a successful attack by the Australian Corps against German positions near the town of Le Hamel on the Western Front
1918 Bolsheviks killed Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and his family (Julian calendar date)
1926 Knoebels Amusement Resort is opened in Elysburg, Pennsylvania
1927 The Lockheed Vega first flew
1934 Leo Szilard patented the chain-reaction design for the atomic bomb