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◆ On this day

July 4

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4 sourced moments from July 4 in history: The Crab Nebula is the remnant of a supernova seen in 1054; The Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence (1776); Sojourner, the first Mars rover, drove only 330 feet (1997), plus 1 more.

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4 things happened on July 4

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2012 Science · Physics

The Higgs boson was found in 2012 — and confirmed in 2013

CERN unveiled a new particle on 4 July 2012, but physicists waited until March 2013 to call it a Higgs boson — and it doesn't explain most of your mass.

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1997 Space · Space Exploration

Sojourner, the first Mars rover, drove only 330 feet

NASA's 23-pound Sojourner was built to last a week on Mars in 1997; it worked for months but drove just 330 feet in all.

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1776 History · Modern

The Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence

On July 4, 1776, thirteen British colonies declared themselves free states — and gave the world a creed about equality and consent.

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1054 Space · Stars & Galaxies

The Crab Nebula is the remnant of a supernova seen in 1054

Chinese astronomers logged a daylight 'guest star' in 1054; it took nine centuries and Edwin Hubble to tie it to the Crab Nebula.

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