BORN TODAY: In Llanelli, Wales, to Lithuanian parents – Isaac Cohen, Chief Rabbi of Ireland from 1956 to 1979.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Cohen
World Affairs: The British Government, distracted until yesterday with its Irish question, and only just beginning to focus on the European situation, attempts to organize a political conference among the major European powers to resolve the dispute between Austria-Hungary and Serbia. France and Italy agree to participate. Russia then agrees, but Germany refuses.
Meanwhile Russia begins “pre-mobilisation” measures along its borders with Austria-Hungary, part of its “period preparatory to war”, including cancelling leave for reservists and clearing frontier railway lines.
The French also cancel all military leave and order most of their troops back from Morocco.
Tiny Montenegro mobilizes!
http://www.historyplace.com/worldhistory/firstworldwar/index-1914.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/July_Crisis
Ireland: In the “Howth gun running incident” Irish Nationalists smuggle a consignment of old rifles from the Franco-Prussian War (1870) into the country. They will eventually see service in the Easter Rising in 1916.
When the British authorities attempt to intervene events rapidly turn bloody, resulting in the infamous “Massacre of Bachelor’s Walk”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howth_gun-running
http://www.politics.ie/forum/history/213567-bachelors-walk-forgotten-massacre-july-26-1914-a.html
onehundredyearsagotoday 