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July 25
5 moments across history
Air France Flight 4590 Crashes
On July 25, 2000, Air France Flight 4590, a Concorde bound for New York, crashed after takeoff from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, killing 109 aboard and four people on the ground. Investigators found that metal debris on the runway ruptured a tire, whose fragments damaged a fuel tank and triggered a catastrophic fire; it was Concorde’s only fatal accident. The disaster grounded the Concorde fleet and contributed to its 2003 retirement, marking a decisive setback for commercial supersonic passenger travel.
Air France Flight 4590 Crashes
First IVF Baby Born
First IVF Baby Born
Year: 1978
On July 25, 1978, Louise Brown, the first human conceived through in vitro fertilization (IVF), was born in Oldham, England. Her birth proved that fertilization outside the body followed by embryo transfer could result in a healthy live birth, transforming infertility treatment. The milestone followed decades of reproductive research and helped usher in the era of assisted reproductive technology used worldwide today.
Andrea Doria Collides with Stockholm
Andrea Doria Collides with Stockholm
Year: 1956
On July 25, 1956, the Italian liner Andrea Doria collided with Sweden’s Stockholm in dense fog near Nantucket and sank the next morning. The disaster killed 51 people, but the rescue of more than 1,600 others became one of maritime history’s largest peacetime sea rescues. The collision, despite both ships having radar, exposed navigational risks during the final heyday of transatlantic ocean liners before jet travel became dominant.
Mussolini Removed from Power
Mussolini Removed from Power
Year: 1943
On July 25, 1943, King Victor Emmanuel III dismissed Benito Mussolini as prime minister and had him arrested after the Fascist Grand Council withdrew its support. His removal ended more than two decades of Fascist rule and enabled the new government of Pietro Badoglio to pursue an armistice with the Allies. The crisis followed Allied landings in Sicily and Axis military defeats; Germany later occupied much of Italy, rescued Mussolini, and installed him as head of a puppet state.
First Airplane Flight Across the English Channel
First Airplane Flight Across the English Channel
Year: 1909
On July 25, 1909, French aviator Louis Blériot flew his Blériot XI monoplane from near Calais to Dover, making the first successful airplane crossing of the English Channel. The flight proved that aircraft could traverse significant bodies of water and brought Blériot international acclaim while demonstrating aviation’s practical potential. Achieved less than six years after the Wright brothers’ first powered flight, the crossing marked a major milestone in the rapid development of early aviation.