Today is Saturday, July 4, the 185th day of 2009. There are 180 days left in the year. This is Independence Day.

Today’s Highlight in History:

On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence.

On this date:

• In 1802, the United States Military Academy officially opened at West Point, N.Y.

• In 1826, 50 years to the day after the Declaration of Independence was adopted, former presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died.

• In 1831, the fifth president of the United States, James Monroe, died in New York City.

• In 1939, baseball’s “Iron Horse,” Lou Gehrig, said farewell to his fans.

Five years ago: A 20-ton slab of granite, inscribed to honor “the enduring spirit of freedom,” was laid at the World Trade Center site as the cornerstone of the Freedom Tower skyscraper that will replace the destroyed twin towers.

Today’s Birthdays: Actress Gloria Stuart is 99. Conductor Mitch Miller is 98. Advice columnist Pauline Phillips (the original “Dear Abby”) is 91. Playwright Neil Simon is 82. Baseball team owner George Steinbrenner is 79. Country singer Ray Pillow is 72. Singer Bill Withers is 71. Presidential daughter Malia Obama is 11.

Thought for Today: “If the American Revolution had produced nothing but the Declaration of Independence, it would have been worthwhile.”—Samuel Eliot Morison, American historian (1887-1976).