Today is Friday, July 3, the 184th day of 2009. There are 181 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History

On July 3, 1863, the three-day Civil War Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania ended in a major victory for the North as Confederate troops retreated.

On this date

In 1775, Gen. George Washington took command of the Continental Army at Cambridge, Mass.

In 1890, Idaho became the 43rd state of the Union.

In 1898, the U.S. Navy defeated a Spanish fleet outside Santiago Bay in Cuba during the Spanish-American War.

In 1944, during World War II, Soviet forces recaptured Minsk.

In 1962, Algeria became independent after 132 years of French rule.

In 1971, singer Jim Morrison of The Doors died in Paris at age 27.

In 1979, Dan White, convicted of voluntary manslaughter in the shooting deaths of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, was sentenced to seven years and eight months in prison. (He ended up serving five years.)

In 1988, the USS Vincennes shot down an Iran Air jetliner over the Persian Gulf, killing all 290 people aboard.

In 1989, a divided Supreme Court upheld abortion restrictions in the state of Missouri.

Ten years ago

President Bill Clinton, acting to head off potential problems with the safety of imported food, said in his weekly radio address he was ordering inspectors at American ports to brand all unsafe and rejected food products, “Refused U.S.”

Five years ago

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan won a promise from Sudan’s government to send troops to stop militia violence in the Darfur region. Maria Sharapova won her first Grand Slam title by beating Serena Williams 6-1, 6-4 at Wimbledon.

One year ago

The Pentagon announced it had extended the tour of 2,200 Marines in Afghanistan, after insisting for months the unit would come home on time. Venus and Serena Williams won in straight sets to set up their third all-sister Wimbledon final and seventh Grand Slam championship matchup. Larry Harmon, who turned Bozo the Clown into a show business staple, died in Los Angeles at age 83.

Today’s Birthdays

Jazz musician Pete Fountain is 79. Actor Kurtwood Smith is 66. Actor Michael Cole (“The Mod Squad”) is 64. Country singer Johnny Lee is 63. Writer Dave Barry is 62. Actress Betty Buckley is 62. Talk show host Montel Williams is 53. Country singer Aaron Tippin is 51. Actor Tom Cruise is 47. Actress Hunter Tylo is 47. Actress Yeardley Smith is 45. Actress-singer Audra McDonald is 39. Actor Patrick Wilson is 36. Country singer Trent Tomlinson is 34. Singer Shane Lynch (Boyzone) is 33. Country singer-songwriter Sarah Buxton is 29. Actor Grant Rosenmeyer is 18.

Thought for Today

“A timid person is frightened before a danger; a coward during the time; and a courageous person afterward.”

— Jean Paul Richter, German author (1763-1825)