July is a much-anticipated month in North America, where Americans and Canadians alike celebrate their countries’ independence. But July is a month with a rich history across the globe. The following are some of the memorable events that took place during the month of July in 1916.

The Battle of the Somme, the largest battle of World War I on the Western Front, begins on July 1 and continues into mid-November. Fought in France by the armies of the British Empire and France against the German Empire, the battle became one of the bloodiest in human history, as more than one million men were wounded or killed.

A heat wave coupled with a polio epidemic in the Northeastern United States forces thousands of people to seek refuge along the New Jersey coastline, only to encounter a series of shark attacks. The attacks, which took place between July 1 and July 12 and resulted in four deaths, produced a hysterical reaction both locally and across the country, as knowledge of sharks was limited in 1916.

The New Zealand Labour Party is formed on July 7. The party, which today is the oldest surviving political party in the country, combined a number of early groups, including the country’s Socialist Party, which had been founded 15 years earlier.

St. Louis Browns pitcher Ernie Koob throws 17 scoreless innings in a game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on July 14. Unfortunately for Koob, he does not earn a victory, as the game ends in a tie. Ironically, a base-running mistake by Koob in the 15th inning costs him and his team a victory as he is called out when he advances home after failing to touch third base on Ward Miller’s single to left field.

Aviation pioneer William Boeing founds Pacific Aero Products Co. in Seattle, Washington, on July 15. That company would ultimately be renamed Boeing, which today is one of the largest global aircraft manufacturers in the world.