On this day in history - July 26

What Happened On This Day – July 26

• 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 is signed into law

  The law banned discrimination based on disability.

• 1965 Independence of Maldives

  The Indian Ocean Island nation gained independence after 78 years of British rule.

• 1963 Syncom 2, the world's first geosynchronous communications satellite is launched

  Part of NASA's Syncom program, it was responsible for transmitting the first TV signal from a geosynchronous satellite, a manmade satellite whose orbital period around the Earth matches the Earth's rotation.

• 1945 Potsdam Declaration is signed

  Also known as the Proclamation Defining Terms for Japanese Surrender, the declaration signed by the US, UK and China, detailed the terms of surrender for Japan after World War II.

• 1847 The country of Liberia is founded

  This west African state was founded primarily by freed slaves from the United States. The Liberian constitution was based on the US's constitution and the capital, Monrovia, is named after James Monroe, the fifth president of the United States.