YEARS AGO FOR JULY 5

Today is Friday, July 5, the 186th day of 2019. There are 179 days left in the year.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

On this date in:

1811: Venezuela becomes the first South American country to declare independence from Spain.

1865: The Secret Service Division of the U.S. Treasury Department is founded to suppress counterfeit currency.

1935: President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the National Labor Relations Act.

1947: Larry Doby debuts with the Cleveland Indians, becoming the first black player in the American League three months after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in the National League.

1954: Elvis Presley’s first commercial recording session takes place at Sun Records in Memphis, Tenn.; he records “That’s All Right.”

1971: President Richard Nixon certifies the 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which lowers the minimum voting age from 21 to 18.

1989: “The Seinfeld Chronicles,” the pilot to the situation comedy “Seinfeld,” airs on NBC-TV.

2011: A jury in Orlando, Fla., finds Casey Anthony, 25, originally of Warren, Ohio, not guilty of murder, manslaughter and child abuse in the 2008 disappearance and death of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee.

2009: A bankruptcy judge rules that General Motors Corp. can sell the bulk of its assets to a new company, clearing the way for the automaker to emerge from bankruptcy protection.

VINDICATOR FILES

1994: The General Services Administration is looking at three possible sites for Youngstown’s $21 million federal courthouse.

A 17-year-old gunman is charged with firing a shot into a group of teenagers, hitting Mildred Johnson, a 14-year-old Rayen School student, in the stomach.

Atty. Loretta Shutrump of Youngstown is in serious condition in Allegheny General Hospital with injuries suffered when she fell about 25 feet from Old Mill Drive, a trail in Mill Creek Park, while walking her dog.

1979: The U.S. Economic Development Administration modifies its terms for a federally guaranteed loan, giving a boost to Commuter Aircraft Corp.’s plan to build a plant at Youngstown Municipal Airport to manufacture a 44-passenger turboprop airliner.

Seventh District Court of Appeals Judge Joseph Donofrio gives Youngstown Council President Michael McCullion a month to show cause why he should not sign legislation that would permit construction of a downtown high rise for the elderly.

Gary Bettenhausen sets a lap record of 18.965 seconds at Sharon Speedway, but Sheldon Kinser, a three-time Indianapolis 500 racer, wins the USAC sprint feature race.

1969: Storms sweep through the area causing damage and contributing to three deaths. Karen Miller of Poland was killed by a tree limb, Rehn Mitchell of Austintown was killed when his car struck a tree, and Karen Marciel of Ravenna was killed when her car hit a fallen tree.

Bishop Beverly Dandridge Tucker, 87, former head of the Episcopal Diocese of Cleveland, dies of a heart attack. Bishop John Harris Burt, the present bishop and former rector of St. John’s Church in Youngstown, will officiate at the funeral.

James Spahn, 19, of Niles is in satisfactory condition in the hospital after losing his left hand when he grabbed an explosive that someone threw into his car and it exploded.

1944: Pvt. Earl W. Moss of Youngstown, a paratrooper, has been missing in action since the D-Day invasion in France.

Robert J. Vrabel, 11, of Youngstown was treated for burns after a firecracker he picked up exploded in his right hand. It was the only fireworks-related injury reported to police on the Fourth.

Professional entertainment to meet a variety of tastes characterized the Army Show “Flying Varieties” present in Stambaugh Auditorium before a combined audience of about 5,000. The bond fund was swelled by $250,000.