London, United Kingdom. Several major international events have taken place on July 10 over the years, spanning World War Two, politics, activism, disaster, and the arts. The dates include military operations, leadership changes, high-profile public appearances, and record auction sales.
World War Two events
In 1940, the Battle of Britain began during World War Two when at least 70 German bombers attacked docks in south Wales.
In 1943, Allied forces launched the invasion of Sicily during World War Two.
Political and public developments
In 1991, Boris Yeltsin was sworn in as the first elected president of Russia.
In 1995, actor Hugh Grant made his first public appearance after his arrest for lewd conduct.
Also in 1995, Burmese dissident leader Aung San Suu Kyi was released from house arrest after nearly six years in detention.
Activism and disaster
In 1985, one Greenpeace crew member died when the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior was blown up and sunk by French secret agents in Auckland harbour in New Zealand.
In 2000, at least 202 people were killed in the Philippines when a mountain of garbage collapsed on a Manila shantytown called Promised Land.
Art market records
In 2001, a drawing by Leonardo da Vinci sold at Christie’s auction house for a world record price for the artist’s work of 8.1 million pounds, equivalent to $11.4 million.
In 2002, a long-lost painting by Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens, The Massacre of the Innocents, set a world record as the most expensive painting ever sold at auction in pounds sterling, fetching 49.5 million pounds, or $77 million.
