July 28

On July 10, 1941, in the small northeastern Polish town of Jedwabne, a large group of Jewish residents were rounded up, brutally murdered and many burned alive in a wooden building. The killings occurred in the chaotic weeks after Nazi Germany’s invasion of Soviet-held Poland; historical investigations since 2001 have shown that local non‑Jewish residents participated in the massacre while German forces were present and created the conditions for violence. Estimates of the dead range from several hundred (the conservative figure settled on by official Polish investigators is in the mid‑300s) to higher totals reported in earlier accounts; many questions about exact numbers and command remain.

On July 17, 2014, Eric Garner’s tragic death in Staten Island, New York, became a pivotal moment in the fight against police brutality and systemic racism. Garner, a 43-year-old African American man with health issues, died after being placed in a prohibited chokehold by NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo. Garner’s repeated pleas of “I can’t breathe” echoed through the nation, igniting widespread protests and fueling the Black Lives Matter movement. Despite legal setbacks, Garner’s death led to significant policy changes and ongoing advocacy for police reform and accountability.

On July 22, 2013, the Dingxi region in Gansu Province, China, experienced a devastating earthquake, followed by a series of aftershocks. The disaster resulted in significant loss of life, injuries, and widespread destruction of property and infrastructure. The immediate and long-term response included extensive rescue efforts and a comprehensive rebuilding program aimed at enhancing earthquake preparedness and resilience.