Major Historical Events - 1775 – George Washington officially took command of the Continental Army at Cambridge, Massachusetts. - 1863 – The Battle of Gettysburg ended, marking a turning point in the American Civil War with a Union victory. - 1890 – Idaho became the 43rd state of the United States. - 1952 – The S.S. United States set a transatlantic speed record on its maiden voyage. - 1988 – The USS Vincennes mistakenly shot down Iran Air Flight 655, killing all 290 people aboard. - 2013 – Egypt’s first elected president, Mohamed Morsi, was removed in a military