* On July 2, 1992, the one-millionth Chevrolet Corvette rolled off the assembly line in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Though it met the wildly unexpected fate of being swallowed by a sinkhole there in 2014, the car was rescued and restored to its former glory.
* On July 3, 1952, the ocean liner SS United States departed from New York on her maiden voyage to Le Havre, France, eventually breaking the speed record for an eastbound Atlantic crossing. On her return trip, she earned further distinction by breaking the westbound record as well.
* On July 4, 1971, a baby western lowland gorilla made her earthly debut at the San Francisco Zoo. Originally christened Hanabiko (“fireworks child” in Japanese), she was soon known as “Koko.” Animal psychologist Francine “Penny” Patterson taught her sign language and the primate became celebrated for her personality and intelligence, as well as her pet cat she named All Ball, appearing in numerous articles and documentaries until she died at age 46 in 2018.
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