Year-in-Review: July deaths
Republican Jesse Helms was a five-term North Carolina senator and the longest-serving one in the state's history. He was credited with shifting a state dominated by Democrats into a competitive two-party state. Helms opposed many progressive policies regarding race including school integration. Helms, who died on July 4, also tried to stop the Senate, with a 16-day filibuster, from approving the MLK holiday. Associated Press
