Today is Saturday, July 5, the 186th day of 2003. There are 179 days left in the year. On this date

Today is Saturday, July 5, the 186th day of 2003. There are 179 days left in the year. On this date in 1946, the bikini makes its debut during an outdoor fashion show at the Molitor Pool in Paris.
In 1801, American naval hero David G. Farragut is born in Knoxville, Tenn. In 1811, Venezuela becomes the first South American country to declare independence from Spain. In 1865, William Booth founds the Salvation Army in London. In 1940, during World War II, Britain and the Vichy government in France break diplomatic relations. In 1947, Larry Doby signs a contract with the Cleveland Indians, becoming the first black player in the American League. In 1948, Britain's National Health Service Act goes into effect, providing government-financed medical and dental care. In 1950, Pvt. Kenneth Shadrick of Skin Fork, W. Va., becomes the first U.S. serviceman to die in the Korean War. In 1975, Arthur Ashe becomes the first black man to win a Wimbledon singles title as he defeats Jimmy Connors.
July 5, 1978: Bazetta Township trustees decide to appoint a full-time chief for the township police department, fulfilling a promise made by trustees when a 1-mill police levy was approved in 1976. Pharis Scherer, the part-time chief, takes issue with the decision and says he will resign.
A story in the Wall Street Journal questions whether ICX Aviation Corp. has the wherewithal to build a plant at the Youngstown Municipal Airport to produce commercial jet planes based on the Soviet YAK-40 model. The story reports Mayor J. Phillip Richley's enthusiastic reception of ICX as "the best economic news this Valley has heard in 10 or 15 years."
Traffic accidents during the Fourth of July weekend claim 673 lives nationwide, including 19 in Ohio and 20 in Pennsylvania. California led all states with 68.
July 5, 1963: Youngstown area residents enjoyed a safe and sane Fourth of July, with no serious traffic accidents in the district, no fireworks injuries and no fireworks arrests Independence Day.
John Spencer Smith, 68, prominent Sharon, Pa., druggist, is fatally injured when his automobile hits the side of the Mercer Ave. bridge over the Shenango River in Sharpsville.
Two 22-year-old Girard men, Richard M. Williams, and Daniel W. Marks, escape drowning when their car veers off Route 18 and plunges into Meander Reservoir. The windshield popped out on impact and they were able to swim to safety as the car sank in 20 feet of water.
Alvin Payton Jr., 16, of Willowick, is rescued from the locked trunk of a car that plunged into 8 feet of water in a Geauga County lake. He was in the trunk to avoid a 75 cent admittance fee to the lake.
July 5, 1953: Mahoning County is 87th in the United States in population and has 2,306 farms, a report by the U.S. Bureau of the Census shows. The average value of land and buildings on the farms is $11,153.
The Youngstown Wolves Club, a new civic organization made up of business and professional men, receives its charter in ceremonies at the Mahoning Country Club. Carl Salpietra is president of the new club.
Sunny Fourth of July weather brings out record holiday crowds to picnics, amusement parks and golf courses. The intermittent popping of illegal fireworks could be heard throughout the day and three children were treated for injuries from firecrackers.
July 5, 1928: Observance of the Fourth of July in the Youngstown district takes a heavy toll. A man and boy drown in separate incidents, a motorist is killed in a crash, one man dies of a heart attack and a maniac dies when he sets fire to his jail cell. Twenty-two persons are injured in various accidents with automobiles, guns and fireworks.
Daredevil Jean Albert Lussier of Springfield, Mass, survives a plunge over Niagara Falls. Lussier made the trip in a 10-foot ball made of fabric and rubber with two steel frames and 32 air chambers. The feat was witnessed by 100,000 cheering spectators.