July 20, 1969 – A global audience watched on television as Apollo 11 Astronaut Neil Armstrong took his first step onto the moon – “That’s one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind.”
July 21, 1925 – The so-called “Trial of the Century” drew national attention as a jury in Dayton, Tennessee, convicted John Thomas Scopes for teaching evolution in violation of Tennessee law. The case pitted famed Chicago defense lawyer Clarence Darrow against one-time presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan.
July 23, 1934 – Bank robber John Dillinger (Public Enemy #1) is shot and killed by FBI agents while leaving the Biograph Movie Theater in Chicago.
July 24, 1911 – American archeologist Hiram Bingham gets his first look at the ruins of Machu Picchu, the ancient Inca settlement in Peru that is now one of the world’s top tourist destinations.