Todayâs Highlight in History On July 25, 2000: A New York-bound Air France Concorde crashed outside Paris shortly after takeoff, killing all 109 people on board and four people on the ground; it was the first-ever crash of the supersonic jet. Also on this date ... In 1866, Ulysses S. Grant was named General of the Army of the United States, the first officer to hold the rank. In 1898, the United States invaded Puerto Rico during the Spanish-American War. In 1943, Benito Mussolini was dismissed as premier of Italy by King Victor Emmanuel III, and placed under arrest. (However, Mussolini was later rescued by the Nazis, and re-asserted his authority.)