Today in History.....July 5

On this day in …

* 1811, Venezuela became the first South American country to declare independence from Spain

* 1935, President Roosevelt signed the National Labor Relations Act, which provided for a National Labor Relations Board, and authorized labor to organize for the purpose of collective bargaining

* 1940, during World War II, Britain and the Vichy government in France broke diplomatic relations

* 1954, Elvis Presley's first commercial recording session took place at Sun Records in Memphis, Tenn.; the song he recorded was "That's All Right (Mama)."

* 1975, the Cape Verde Islands officially became independent after 500 years of Portuguese rule

* 1991, a worldwide financial scandal erupted as regulators in eight countries shut down the Bank of Credit and Commerce International

* 2000, at the United Nations, President Clinton signed an international agreement to ban the forcible recruitment of youths as soldiers in armed conflict, and a companion accord to protect children from being forced into slavery, prostitution and pornography. ALSO: The U.N. Security Council imposed a diamond ban on Sierra Leone's rebels in a bid to strangle their ability to finance a civil war