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Setting Off a Revolution
 July 14, 1789 - In the early morning hours, French citizens stormed the Bastille in Paris setting off the French Revolution. The Bastille was a medieval fortress and prison representing royal authority. At the time of the attack the prison only contained seven inmates, but the symbolism of its fall was what gave courage to the citizens to revolt against the monarchy. Today July 14 is a French holiday known as F�te de la F�d�ration (literally Federation Holiday), though it is usually referred to as Bastille Day in English. |
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Triumph & Tragedy
J uly 14, 1865 - Edward Whymper, an English explorer and illustrator, made the first ascent of the Matterhorn, the most distinctive peak of the Alps. Whymper had made several unsuccessful attempts from the Italian side of the mountain before deciding to attempt the eastern face. The route they took along the H�rnli ridge is now the normal route taken by mountaineers. Tragically four members of Whymper's party fell to their deaths while descending the mountain. The rope that was tying the entire party together snapped before dragging the remaining three off the mountain as well.
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Fashion Killer
 July 15, 1997 - Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace was murdered outside his home in Miami, Florida, by serial killer Andrew Phillip Cunanan. Versace had just returned from his regular morning stroll to a coffee shop where he would read Italian-language newspapers. Versace was Cunanan's fifth and final victim in a shooting spree that began three months earlier in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Eight days after killing Versace, Cunanan committed suicide. His motives for killing the fashion designer, as well as his other victims was never known. After his death Versace's sister, Donatella, became the head of design at his fashion house. His niece, Allegra, inherited a 50 percent ownership in the company (valued at $500 million) when she turned 18 in 2004.
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" Do nothing in haste, look well to each step, and from the beginning think what may be the end."
-- Edward Whymper
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Heath is Watching
 Top Shot on The History Channel
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