JULY

July 2: 1823 - Bahia Independence Day: the end of Portuguese rule in Brazil, with the final defeat of the Portuguese crown loyalists in the province of Bahia

1964 - The Civil Rights Act is signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson

July 4: 1776 - The United States Declaration of Independence is signed.1946 - The Philippines became a self-governing nation after 48 years of U.S. sovereignty

1959 - A 49th star is added to the American flag to represent the new state of Alaska

1960 - A 50th star is added to the American flag to represent the new state of Hawaii.July 5: Independence Day for Venezuela

July 5-15: Los Sanfermines, or the San Fermin Festival or the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain

July 6, 1942: Anne Frank and her family take refuge in a secret sealed-off area of an Amsterdam warehouse to escape being sent to Nazi concentration camps.July 9: Independence Day for Argentina

1868 - Tennessee and South Carolina are 1st to ratify the 14th Amendment to the US constitution, guaranteeing civil rights

2002 - The African Union is established in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The first chairman is Thabo Mbeki, President of South Africa

July 10, 1973 -  Bahamian Independence Day. This public holiday marks independence from the United Kingdom in 1973 and is the National Day of The Bahamas

July 16, 1809: La Paz, Bolivia declares its independence from the Spanish Crown and forms the Junta Tuitiva. The first independent government in Spanish America, led by Pedro Domingo Murillo

July 19: Revolution Day (Nicaragua). Anniversary of the day the National Liberation army declared victory over the Somoza dictatorshipJuly 20: Independence Day for Colombia

July 24: Birth of Simon Bolivar and national holiday. Known as The Liberator, El Libertador, he led the rebellion against Spanish rule that established the independence of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia

July 24, 1911: American explorer Hiram Bingham discovers Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas

July 25: St. James or Santiago Apostol (Spain). Celebration of the patron saint of Spain1952 - Puerto Rico became a self-governing commonwealth of the United States

July 26, 1990: Anniversary of the Signing of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a law enacted by the U.S. Congress “to establish a clear and comprehensive prohibition of discrimination on the basis of disability." It was signed into law by President George H. W. Bush and later amended with changes effective January 1, 2009

July 28: Independence Day for Peru

1917: Silent Parade organized by James Weldon Johnson of 10,000 African-Americans who march on 5th Ave in NYC to protest against lynching

AUGUST

August 1, 1834: Slavery abolished throughout the British Empire - Slavery Abolition Act 1833 comes into effect. Emancipation Day is observed in many former European colonies in the Caribbean and areas of the United States to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people of African descent

August 2, 1790: 1st US census conducted, the population was 3,939,214 including 697,624 slaves

August 3, 1492: Christopher Columbus sets sail on his first voyage with three ships, Santa María, Pinta and Niña from Palos de la Frontera, Spain for the "Indies"

August 1-6: Feast of the Savior of the World or El Salvador del Mundo, patron saint of El Salvador. San Salvadoreans celebrate with street fairs and a “bajada”, a procession honoring the saint

August 6:

1825 - Independence Day for Bolivia

1962 - Independence Day for Jamaica from the United Kingdom

1965 - US President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act prohibiting voting discrimination against minorities

August 7, 1819: Battle of Boyacá (Colombia) - A public holiday celebrating the anniversary of the defeat of the Spanish in 1819 in the province of Boyacá

August 10, 1846: US Act of Congress passes establishing the Smithsonian Institution, now world's largest museum and research complex

August 10, 1809: Independence Day for Ecuador

August 15: Bon Festival (Feast of Lanterns) - The Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the departed spirits of one's ancestors has evolved into a family reunion holiday, during which people return to ancestral family places to visit and clean their ancestors' graves. Celebrated for over 500 years, the event lasts for three days.

August 15: Celebrated by Catholics in Spanish-speaking countries. Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary commemorates the departure of Mary, the mother of Jesus, from this life, and the assumption of her body into heaven. It is the principal feast of the Blessed Virgin

August 17: San Martín Day - Anniversary of the death of General José Francisco de San Martín, liberator of Argentina

August 21, 1959: Hawaii became the 50th state of the United States of America. It is also the last state to be admitted to the union. Hawaii has the largest percentage of Asian Americans of any U.S. state

August 25:

1718 - Hundreds of French colonists arrive in Louisiana; New Orleans founded

1828 - Independence Day for Uruguay

August 26, 1971: Women's Equality Day - Introduced by Rep. Bella Abzug (former member of the U.S. House of Representatives, lawyer, writer, news commentator, and feminist) and established in 1971, this day commemorates the passage of the 19th Amendment, the Woman Suffrage Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which in 1920 gave women in the United States full voting rights

August 28, 1963: Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his "I have a dream speech" addressing civil rights march at Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C.

August 29, 1825: Portugal recognizes the Independence of Brazil