July 22
July 22 is the 204th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 162 days remain until the year's end. It falls in summer (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Cancer.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On July 22 the Sun's declination is approximately +20.0°. At this latitude the Sun is north of the celestial equator, giving the Northern Hemisphere longer days than nights.
For specific rise/set times at your location, see the U.S. Naval Observatory, or the NASA APOD archive for any imagery published on a July 22.
Position in the year
Holidays & observances
- Christian feast day: Abd-al-Masih
- Christian feast day: Markella
- Christian feast day: Mary Magdalene
- Christian feast day: Nohra (Maronite Church)
- Christian feast day: Anna Wang
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
2019 — Chandrayaan-2, the second lunar exploration mission developed by Indian Space Research Organisation after Chandrayaan-1 is launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in a GSLV Mark III M1. It consists of a lunar orbiter, and also included the Vikram lander, and the Pragyan lunar rover. ↗(7 years ago)more
Chandrayaan-2 is the second lunar exploration mission developed by ISRO after Chandrayaan-1. It consists of a lunar orbiter, the Vikram lunar lander, and the Pragyan rover, all of which were developed in India. The main scientific objective is to map and study the variations in lunar surface composition, as well as the location and abundance of lunar water.
2013 — Dingxi earthquakes: A series of earthquakes in Dingxi, China, kills at least 89 people and injures more than 500 others. ↗(13 years ago)more
On 22 July 2013, a series of earthquakes occurred in Dingxi, Gansu. The first quake struck at 07:45 China Standard Time with an epicenter located at the border of Min County and Zhang County. The magnitude of the initial earthquake was placed at Ms 6.6 by the China Earthquake Data Center with a focal depth of 20.0 kilometres (12 mi).
2012 — Syrian civil war: The People's Protection Units (YPG) captured the cities of Serê Kaniyê and Dirbêsiyê, during clashes with pro-government forces in Al-Hasakah. ↗(14 years ago)more
The Syrian Civil War was an armed conflict that began with the Syrian revolution in March 2011, when popular discontent with the Ba'athist regime ruled by Bashar al-Assad triggered large-scale protests and pro-democracy rallies across Syria, as part of the wider Arab Spring.
2011 — Norway attacks: A bomb explodes, targeted at government buildings in central Oslo, followed by a massacre at a youth camp on the island of Utøya. ↗(15 years ago)more
On 22 July 2011, far-right extremist Anders Behring Breivik committed two domestic terrorist attacks in Norway against the government, the civilian population, and a Workers' Youth League (AUF) summer camp, in which a total of 77 people were killed.
2005 — Jean Charles de Menezes is killed by police as the hunt begins for the London Bombers responsible for the 7 July 2005 London bombings and the 21 July 2005 London bombings. ↗(21 years ago)more
Jean Charles da Silva de Menezes was a Brazilian man fatally shot by the Metropolitan Police Service at Stockwell Station of the London Underground, after being mistakenly identified as one of the fugitives from the previous day's failed bombing attempts. These attempts occurred two weeks after the 7 July 2005 London bombings, in which 52 people were killed.
2003 — Iraq War: Members of 101st Airborne of the United States, aided by Special Forces, attack a compound in Iraq, killing Saddam Hussein's sons Uday and Qusay, along with Mustapha Hussein, Qusay's 14-year-old son, and a bodyguard. ↗(23 years ago)more
The Iraq War, also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a protracted armed conflict in Iraq from 2003 to 2011. It began with the invasion by a United States–led coalition, which resulted in the overthrow of the Ba'athist government of Saddam Hussein.
1997 — The second Blue Water Bridge opens between Port Huron, Michigan and Sarnia, Ontario. ↗(29 years ago)more
The Blue Water Bridge is a twin-span international bridge across the St. Clair River that links Port Huron, Michigan, United States, and Point Edward, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Water Bridge connects Highway 402 in Ontario with both Interstate 69 (I-69) and Interstate 94 (I-94) in Michigan.
1993 — Great Flood of 1993: Levees near Kaskaskia, Illinois rupture, forcing the entire town to evacuate by barges operated by the Army Corps of Engineers. ↗(33 years ago)more
The Great Flood of 1993 was a flood that occurred in the Midwestern United States, along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers and their tributaries, from April to October 1993.
1992 — Near Medellín, Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar escapes from his luxury prison fearing extradition to the United States. ↗(34 years ago)more
Medellín, officially the Special District of Science, Technology and Innovation of Medellín, is the second-largest city in Colombia after Bogotá, and the capital of the department of Antioquia. It is located in the Aburrá Valley, a central region of the Andes Mountains, in northwestern South America. The city's population was 2,427,129 at the 2018 census.
1990 — Greg LeMond, an American road racing cyclist, wins his third Tour de France after leading the majority of the race. It was LeMond's second consecutive Tour de France victory. ↗(36 years ago)more
Gregory James LeMond is an American former road racing cyclist. He won the Tour de France three times, and the Road Race World Championship twice, becoming the only American male to win the former.
1983 — Martial law in Poland is officially revoked. ↗(43 years ago)more
Martial law in Poland existed between 13 December 1981 and 22 July 1983. The government of the Polish People's Republic drastically restricted everyday life by introducing martial law and a military junta in an attempt to counter political opposition, in particular the Solidarity movement.
1981 — The first game of the 1981 South Africa rugby union tour of New Zealand and the United States is held in Gisborne, New Zealand. ↗(45 years ago)more
The 1981 South African rugby tour polarised opinions and inspired widespread protests across New Zealand. The controversy also extended to the United States, where the South African rugby team continued their tour after departing New Zealand.
Notable births
2013 — Prince George of Wales ↗(13 years ago)more
Prince George of Wales is a member of the British royal family. He is the eldest child of William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, and the eldest grandchild of King Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales. He is second in the line of succession to the British throne behind his father.
- 2006 — Javon Walton, American actor and boxer ↗(20 years ago)
more
Javon Anthony Walton, also known by his ring name Wanna, is an American actor and professional boxer, who is best known for his portrayal of Ashtray in the HBO series Euphoria. After his work in Euphoria, he began working on the television series Utopia, The Umbrella Academy, and the film Samaritan.
2003 — Solveig Vik, Norwegian politician ↗(23 years ago)more
Solveig Gundersen Vik is a Norwegian politician and deputy member of the Storting. A member of the Labour Party, she has represented Rogaland since October 2025.
- 2002 — Konstanse Marie Alvær, Norwegian politician ↗(24 years ago)
more
Konstanse Marie Alvær is a Norwegian politician and deputy member of the Storting. A member of the Labour Party, she has represented Telemark since October 2025.
2002 — Prince Felix of Denmark ↗(24 years ago)more
Count Felix of Monpezat is a member of the Danish royal family. He is the younger son of Prince Joachim and his first wife, Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg. He is a grandson of Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik, and a nephew of King Frederik X. Felix is currently seventh in the line of succession to the Danish throne.
2000 — Garrett Wilson, American football player ↗(26 years ago)more
Garrett Wilson is an American professional football wide receiver for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes and was selected 10th overall by the Jets in the 2022 NFL draft. Wilson was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Notable deaths
2025 — John Fallon, Scottish footballer (born 1940) ↗(1 years ago)more
John Fallon was a Scottish professional football goalkeeper and member of the Celtic squad that won the European Cup in 1967, which came to be known as the Lisbon Lions.
2025 — George Kooymans, Dutch musician (born 1948) ↗(1 years ago)more
George Jan Kooymans was a Dutch guitarist and vocalist. He was best known as the founder of the Dutch rock group Golden Earring. Kooymans wrote "Twilight Zone", the group's only top 10 entry on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Top Album Tracks chart.
2025 — Ozzy Osbourne, English musician and media personality (born 1948) ↗(1 years ago)more
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne was an English singer, songwriter, and media personality. Dubbed the "Prince of Darkness", he is widely credited as a pioneer of heavy metal music. He co-founded the band Black Sabbath in 1968, and rose to prominence in the 1970s as their lead vocalist.
2025 — Chuck Mangione, American musician (born 1940) ↗(1 years ago)more
Charles Frank Mangione was an American flugelhorn player, trumpeter, actor, and composer. He came to prominence as a member of Art Blakey's band in the 1960s, and later co-led the Jazz Brothers with his brother, Gap, achieving international success in 1978 with his jazz-pop single "Feels So Good". He released more than 30 albums, beginning in the 1960s.
2025 — Shelly Zegart, American quilt collector, historian, and advocate (born 1941) ↗(1 years ago)more
Rochelle Zegart was an American quilt collector, historian, and advocate. She was involved in the establishment of several quilting organizations and is best known for her work promoting quilting as an art form and archiving quilting history.
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (204) | 2^2 × 3 × 17 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (162) | 2 × 3^4 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 22072026 · no palindrome in next 200 years |
| Sun declination | +20.03° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 32 days |