The day's top historical events:

1. The Battle of Gettysburg ends in a Union victory, dealing a major blow to the Confederacy's chances of winning the American Civil War.
2. Julius Caesar is assassinated by a group of Roman senators, setting off a series of civil wars that eventually lead to the rise of the Roman Empire.
3. Columbus lands in the Americas, beginning the European colonization of the continent.

#whathappenedtoday