1. In 1793, President George Washington hosted the first cabinet meeting in the United States at his home in Philadelphia. The meeting included Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of War Henry Knox, and Attorney General Edmund Randolph.

2. On July 13, 1861, the First Battle of Bull Run (also known as First Manassas) took place in Virginia, marking the first major battle of the American Civil War. Confederate forces led by General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson defeated Union forces led by General Irvin McDowell.

3. In 1898, the Spanish-American War ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris. As a result, Spain ceded control of Cuba, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines to the United States, making the U.S. a major colonial power.

4. On July 13, 1930, construction began on the Hoover Dam, a massive concrete arch-gravity dam on the Colorado River between Arizona and Nevada. The dam was completed in 1935 and became a symbol of American engineering prowess and a major source of hydroelectric power.

5. In 1985, Live Aid, a charity concert organized by musician Bob Geldof, took place simultaneously in London and Philadelphia. The 16-hour concert featured performances by some of the biggest names in music, including Queen, U2, Madonna, and Bob Dylan, and raised millions of dollars for famine relief in Africa.