Today in History: Countries, Music, and Sports: Revolutionized!

I'm so sorry that my Today In History's are coming out so late lately! The following post will be published on time! (Which would be around the morning to the late noon). On this day, there were many events and tidbits that have impacted history whether it be a major or minor event. Sit back, and be prepared for an extensive and leisurely read through today in history!

The United States of America declared its independence from Great Britain on July 4th, 1776, though the news did not reach London, England, until this day in 1776. By this time of the year, the U.S. was already working on building its newly formed union.

A wonderful view of the Louvre and the
Louvre Palace in the background

When visiting Paris, France, there are many things to see, many things to do. One day could be spent strolling around one of the "Big Four" Fashion Capitals of the World. Another day could be spent on a romantic stroll around the Arc de Triumph, Notre Dame de Paris, and ending the day in the beautiful Eiffel Tower for dinner. Another famous attraction, the Louvre museum, is also another choice of tourist in Paris. On this day in 1793, this world-renowned public museum opened its doors. The Louvre contains one of the world's most famous painting, the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci. This year of 2013 marks the 220th year of the famed Louvre, where some of the most important artwork in the history of the earth can be viewed in a matter of hours.

An map of the United States in 1822

On this day of August 10th, we can go back to the humid lands of present-day Missouri, USA, 1821. What happened there? Well, the 24th state in the Union was formed. Not only was Missouri the 24th state in the United States, but also the first to be located entirely west of the Mississippi River.  Louisiana, the 18th state to enter the Union, was the only other state to have territory west of the Mississippi River, but was also located partially to the east of the river. Missouri was located north of the Arkansas Territory, which partially became the state of Arkansas in 1836. The state of Missouri was part of the Missouri Territory. Missouri is named after a Native American group that became U.S. possession in 1803 as a result of the Louisiana Purchase. The State of Missouri became an important factor even before its establishment, as it was used in the Missouri Compromise to separate slave and free states. Missouri also became an important state during the Civil War, as the state was split with residents who supplied to both the Union and the Confederate forces.

When walking into the guitar section of a music store, there will always be two main categories of guitars available: the acoustic guitar and the electric guitar. The first ever electric guitar patent was approved and awarded to the Electro String Corporation on this day in 1937. This instrument, known as the Rickenbacker Frying Pan, was an instrument that revolutionized not only a single genre of music, but many genres including jazz, country, and rock n' roll.

Pete Rose batting for
the Cincinnati Reds

Pete Rose currently holds Major League Baseball records in career hits, singles, gamed played, and at bats. This day in 1981 marks one of Rose's hits milestone when he surpasses Hall of Famer, Stan Musial's record for most his by a National League player. Pete Rose is currently banned from baseball due to his gambling on the game when he was a player and manager. Many consider Rose to be one of the greatest players in MLB history to not be inducted in the Hall of Fame.

A promotional poster for
the original Red Dawn (1984)

The final note on this day in history is an important one in movie history. As a kid, PG-13 movies seemed like the "restricted" movies to me. I always wondered why PG-13 movies were even created. On July 1st, 1984, the "PG-13" category became a part of the movie film ratings. This day in 1984 marked the release of the original Red Dawn, which was the first PG-13 movie ever. Red Dawn is a sci fi drama about a group of teenagers in mid-western America who group together to defend their town and country from invading Soviets. The original Red Dawn starred Patrick Swayze, C. Thomas Howell, and Lea Thompson.   Red Dawn was remade in 2012, also having a PG-13 rating, which starred Chris Hemsworth, Josh Peck, and Joh Hutcherson.