1 July 1916

At Beaumont-Hamel during the Battle of the Somme, 780 men of the Newfoundland Regiment advance into point-blank fire from German machine guns; only 68 answer roll call the next day.

3 July 1931

The first ships built for the Royal Canadian Navy, HMCS Saguenay and HMCS Skeena, complete their maiden voyages to Halifax from Portsmouth, England.

[DND/LAC]

4-5 July 1944

Canadian units are ravaged by machine guns and shellfireas they advance toward Carpiquet airport near Caen, France.

6 July 2003

Operation Caravan, Canada’s role in the French-led United Nations mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, comes to an end.

7 July 2011

Canada’s combat mission in Afghanistan ends.

9-10 July 1943

The Allied invasion of Sicily begins.

[Lieut. Frederick G. Whitcombe/DND/LAC PA-190244]

11 July 1973

Canadian CC-130 Hercules aircraft join the international food relief effort in West Africa.

[Wikimedia]

12 July 1950

HMC ships Cayuga, Athabaskan and Sioux are sent to Korea to assist the United Nations Command.

13-14 July 1943

During the mission to capture Primosole Bridge in Sicily, 11 planes are shot down, including one carrying Warrant Officer James Jonathan Kunz of Sandwith, Sask.

15-16 July 1900

Lieutenant H.L. Borden becomes the Royal Canadian Dragoons’ first fatality, during a Boer attack in South Africa.

17 July 1927

The Hudson Strait Expedition departs Halifax to conduct navigation studies as part of plans to open a deep-water harbour at Churchill, Man.

18-20 July 1944

Second and Third Canadian divisions participate in an attack designed to break out of the Orne bridgehead south of Caen, France.

[DND/LAC]

22 July 1876

J.F. Macleod becomes North West Mounted Police commissioner and goes on to negotiate Treaty 7 with the Blackfoot, rout whisky traders and found Fort Macleod, Alta.

23 July 1944

Lieutenant-General H.D.G. Crerar takes command of First Canadian Army in France.

[DND/LAC]

24 July 1942

HMCS St. Croix sinks German submarine U-90, which had attacked convoy ON-113.

[DND/LAC]

25 July 1937

Two RCAF aircraft from No. 7 Squadron begin a month-long tour of the Arctic with Governor General Lord Tweedsmuir.

26 July 1945

A cairn is unveiled at Cove, Hampshire, U.K., containing the 12,000 names of No. 1 Canadian Signal Reinforcement Unit personnel who served there.

27 July 1953

An armistice ends three years of fighting in the Korean war. Some 26,000 Canadians served; 516 died and more than 1,200 were wounded.

30 July 1960

Prime Minister John Diefenbaker announces Canada will make a substantial contribution to a United Nations intervention in the Congo.