On July 26 in …

1267 — The Roman Catholic Church begins the infamous Inquisition under Pope Clement IV.

1788 — New York ratifies the Constitution, becoming the 11th member of the United States.

1944 — The Soviet Army enters Lviv, a major city in western Ukraine, capturing it from the Nazis. Only 300 Jews survive out of 160,000 living in Lviv prior to occupation.

1947 — President Harry Truman signs into law the Security Act of 1947, thereby creating the Central Intelligence Agency, Department of Defense, Air Force, Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the National Security Council.

1990 — The Americans with Disabilities is signed into law by President George Bush.

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