This Day In History, July 23rd

1536: Henry VIII’s Illegitimate Son Dies

Henry Fitzroy, the illegitimate son of England’s King Henry VIII, dies at the age of 17 at St. James Palace in London. Fitzroy, whose mother Elizabeth Blount was a lady-in-waiting to Queen Catherine of Aragon, was openly acknowledged by his father. The king was desperate for a son and may have even legitimized Fitzroy as his heir if Fitzroy hadn’t died so young.

1903: Ford Sells Its First Car

Sicnag/FlickrA Ford Model A at the Gilmore Museum in Michigan.

The Ford Motor Company sells its first car, a Ford Model A. By then, the company had spent almost all of its $28,000 investment but managed to turn a profit by October.

1967: The Detroit Riots Begin

The Detriot Riots begin in Detroit, Michigan. Triggered by an early morning police raid and exacerbated by racial tensions and the worsening economy, the riots endured for five days. By the time the U.S. Army and the National Guard quelled the riots, some 43 people had been killed while 1,400 buildings burned or looted.

2011: Amy Winehouse Dies

Flickr/Fionn KidneyAmy Winehouse seemed destined for greatness but struggled with substance abuse.

Amy Winehouse dies of alcohol poisoning in London, England, at the age of 27. The singer had astounded the world with her voice and emotional lyrics, and her sophomore album Back to Black won five Grammys. But Winehouse struggled with substance abuse and sadly joined the “27 Club” at the peak of her career.

2012: Sally Ride Dies

Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, dies. Ride joined NASA in 1978, and by 1983, she became the first female American astronaut in space while participating in the Space Shuttle Challenger mission. After her time at NASA, Ride became a professor at top universities in the United States, teaching physics. In her spare time, she led outreach programs for NASA and continued spreading her love for space to the American public.