July 13th

Iraq's interim governing council was inaugurated.

'Live Aid' concerts held at both Wembley Stadium (London) and John F. Kennedy Stadium (Philadelphia) raises over $70 million for African famine relief.

A 25-hour blackout hit New York City, engendering widespread rioting and looting.

The Battle of Kursk, the largest tank battle in history—involving some 6,000 tanks, 2,000,000 troops, and 4,000 aircraft—ended in German defeat.

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts is founded. The now-international doughnut company was founded by Kentuckian Vernon Rudolph.

The first World Cup soccer competition began in Montevideo, Uruguay.

P. T. Barnum's American Museum, which had featured Tom Thumb and the original Siamese twins Chang and Eng, was destroyed by fire.

The draft riots, protesting unfair conscription in the Civil War, began in New York City.

Source of Mississippi River discovered by American geographer Henry Schoolcraft.

National military police of Italy created. The Carabinieri was established by the Royal Patents as a policing force with jurisdiction over the military and civilians.

French revolutionary Jean Paul Marat was stabbed to death in his bath by royalist sympathizer Charlotte Corday.

Captain James Cook begins 2nd voyage aboard the Resolution to the South Seas to search for Terra Australis (Southern continent).