Butcher of Lyon 3rd July ( 1987 ) The Nazi war criminal Klaus Barbie / Butcher of Lyon and the former head of Gestapo who was extradited from Bolivia to face charges in France is found guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced to life imprisonment.
British Destroy French Fleet 3rd July ( 1940 ) Following the German invasion and occupation of France, French warships fled to the port of Mers-el-Kebir in Algeria . Britain gave the french Vichi government the options of the following for it's French Navy 1. Join British naval forces in the fight against Germany, 2. Hand the ships over to British crews, 3. Disarm the French Navy Ships 4. Scuttle the ships
The French refused , So Britain fearing the French Ships would be used by the Germans to help with an invasion of England circled the port with British Warships and opened fire on the French fleet, killing 1,250 French sailors, damaging the battleship Dunkerque and destroying the Bretagne and the Provence.
US Shoots Down Iranian Passenger Jet 3rd July ( 1988 ) The U.S. Navy cruiser Vincennes shoots down Iran Air Flight 655 in the Strait of Hormuz the aircraft was an Iranian passenger jet that it mistakes for a hostile Iranian fighter aircraft in the Persian Gulf.
Rolls Royce Sold To Volkswagen 3rd July ( 1998 ) After many months of negotiations, together with a bidding war with BMW and high court battles Rolls Royce is sold to Volkswagen for £479m. Volkswagen has stated that the manufacture of Rolls Royce cars will continue at Rolls-Royce's Crewe headquarters in England. The Saga of who owned the rights to produce cars with the famous Rolls Royce emblem continued for the next few years as unknown to Volkswagen they had not bought the rights to use the RR Logo. Over the next few years BMW and Volkswagen did come to an arrangement where Volkswagen own and build Bentleys with Volkswagen Engines at the old Rolls Royce factory in Crewe in England and BMW own and produce Rolls Royce Cars with BMW engines at Goodwood in England
