•On July 24, 1567, during her imprisonment at Lochleven Castle in Scotland, Mary Queen of Scots is forced to abdicate in favor of her 1-year-old son, later crowned King James VI of Scotland. In 1542, while just 6 days old, Mary had ascended to the Scottish throne upon the death of her father, King James V.•On July 21, 1899, Ernest Miller Hemingway, author of such novels as “For Whom the Bell Tolls” and “The Old Man and the Sea,” is born in Oak Park, Illinois. The influential American literary icon became known for his straightforward prose and use of understatement.•On ...