Today in HistoryToday is Wednesday, July 4, the 185th day of 2007. There are 180 days left in the year.

ON THIS DATE<$>

In 1807, soldier-statesman Giuseppe Garibaldi, who played a key role in Italy’s unification during the 19th century, was born in Nice.

In 1976, Israeli commandos raided Entebbe airport in Uganda, rescuing almost all of the passengers and crew of an Air France jetliner seized by pro-Palestinian hijackers.

In 1997, NASA’s Pathfinder spacecraft landed on Mars, inaugurating a new era in the search for life on the Red Planet.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

“All progress has resulted from people who took unpopular positions.” — Adlai E. Stevenson, American diplomat and politician (1900-1965).