...1913... The mercury hit 134 degrees at Greenland Ranch in Death Valley CA, the hottest reading of record for the North American continent. Sandstorm conditions accompanied the heat. The high the previous day was 129 degrees, following a morning low of 93 degrees.

...1926... A lightning bolt struck an ammunition magazine in northern New Jersey, and a big red ball of fire leaped into the air triggering a series of explosions. All buildings within a half mile radius were destroyed, and debris fell as far as twenty-two miles away. Sixteen persons were killed, and property damage was seventy million dollars.

...1936... Afternoon highs of 112 degrees at Martinsburg WV, 109 degrees at Cumberland MD and Frederick MD, 110 degrees at Runyon NJ, and 111 degrees at Phoenixville PA, established all-time record highs for those four states. It was the hottest day of record for the Middle Atlantic Coast Region.

...1953... At Newport, Rhode Island the low temperature dropped to 52 degrees, setting the record low temperature for the date. It was later tied in 1963 and 2009.

...1955... A heavy rainfall at Jefferson, Iowa dumped .69 inches in one minute

...1973... The heat index was a hot 101 degrees at Newport, Rhode Island; it was later tied in 1993.

...1979... The temperature at El Paso TX hit 112 degrees, an all-time record for that location. The next day was 110 degrees.

...1980... The temperature in downtown Kansas City MO hit 109 degrees, following a sultry overnight low of 89 degrees. The daily low of 89 degrees was the warmest of record for Kansas City, and overall it was the hottest July day of record. It was the seventh of a record seventeen consecutive days of 100 degree heat, and the mean temperature for the month of 90.2 degrees was also an all-time record for Kansas City.

...1985... At Newport, Rhode Island the wind gusted to 42 miles per hour, breaking the previous record of 38 miles per hour that was set in 1939.

...1987... An early morning thunderstorm in Minnesota produced wind gusts to 91 mph at Waseca. Later that day, thunderstorms in South Dakota produced wind gusts to 81 mph at Ipswitch, and baseball size hail near Hayes and Capa. 

...1988... Thunderstorms brought welcome rains to parts of the central U.S., but produced severe weather along the New England coast, in the Great Lakes Region, in North Carolina, and in the Southern Plateau Region. Strong thunderstorm winds gusting to 80 mph at Bullfrog UT sank three boats on Lake Powell.

...1989... Severe thunderstorms spawned seventeen tornadoes in the northeastern U.S. A powerful (F-4) tornado struck Hamden CT and New Haven CT, causing 100 million dollars damage at Hamden, and another 20 million dollars damage around New Haven. Forty persons were injured in the tornado. Seventy persons were injured in a tornado which traveled from Watertown CT to Waterbury CT, and another powerful (F-4) tornado touched down near Ames NY injuring twenty persons along its 43.5 mile track. It was the strongest tornado of record for eastern New York State.

...1993... The high temperature at Newport, Rhode Island peaked at 95 degrees, breaking the old record of 90 degrees that was set in 1937 and 1981.

...1994... An offshore wind sent the temperature at Homer, Alaska up to 81 degrees -- an all-time record high for the city.

...2002... Reno, Nevada soared to 108 degrees for its all-time record high temperature.