Fun On this date in history...

If I may...

ON JUNE 17th:

In 1631, Mumtaz Mahal died during childbirth. Her husband, Mughal emperor Shah Jahan I, spent the next 17 years building her mausoleum, the Taj Mahal.

In 1673, French explorers Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet reached the Mississippi River and became the first Europeans to make a detailed account of its course.

In 1775, though they lost the battle, American colonists inflicted heavy casualties on British troops at the Battle of Bunker Hill.

In 1789, The Third Estate in France declared itself a national assembly and undertook to frame a constitution.

In 1856, The Republican Party opened its first convention, in Philadelphia, PA.

In 1882, composer/conductor/musician Igor Stravinsky was born in Oranienbaum, Russia.

In 1885, The Statue of Liberty arrived in New York City aboard the French ship Isere.

In 1904, theologian/evangelist/minister Dr. J. Vernon McGee was born in Hillsboro, TX.

In 1928, Amelia Earhart embarked on the first trans-Atlantic flight by a woman.

In 1940, France asked Germany for terms of surrender in World War II.

Also in 1940, RMS Lancastria was attacked and sunk by the Luftwaffe near Saint-Nazaire, France. At least 3,000 were killed in Britain's worst maritime disaster.

In 1941, WNBT-TV in New York City, NY, was granted the first construction permit to operate a commercial TV station in the U.S.

In 1955, the science fiction movie “King Dinosaur” was released in the U.S. It would later be memorably MSTed by Joel & the ‘bots.

In 1957, the Hammer science fiction movie “Quatermass 2”, starring Brian Donlevy as Prof. Quatermass, was released in the U.K. The film is frequently recognized as the first movie to use a number in its title to indicate its status as a sequel.

In 1961, Soviet ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev defected to the West while his troupe was in Paris.

In 1963, The Supreme Court struck down rules requiring the recitation of the Lord's Prayer or the reading of Biblical verses in public schools.

Also in 1963, the horror movie “The Terror”, starring Boris Karloff and Jack Nicholson, was released in the U.S. While credited as being directed by Roger Corman, it is known that some sequences were directed by, respectively, Francis Ford Coppola, Monte Hellman, Jack Hill and Jack Nicholson.

In 1964, the sci-fi movie “Robinson Crusoe on Mars” premiered in providence, RI.

In 1967, The People's Republic of China announced a successful test of its first thermonuclear weapon.

In 1972, five White House operatives were arrested for breaking into the offices of the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate office building in Washington, D.C., in an attempt by some members of the Republican Party to illegally wiretap the opposition. (Allegations that White House aide Greg Marmalard masterminded the operation remain unproven.)

In 1976, it was announced that the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the American Basketball Association (ABA) would merge.

In 1982, actor/musician Arthur Darvill, well-known to Whovians for playing Rory Williams, was born in Birmingham, West Midlands, England.

In 1994, after leading police on a chase through Southern California, O.J. Simpson was arrested and charged with murder in the slayings of his ex-wife, Nicole, and Ronald Goldman.

In 2006, on “Doctor Who”, the episode “Love and Monsters” was broadcast on BBC 1. A large number of Whovians (including your humble correspondent) had a somewhat unfavorable opinion of the episode.

In 2008, Hundreds of same-sex couples got married across California on the first full day that gay marriage became legal by order of the state's highest court. (However, California voters banned gay marriage in November.)

In 2015, nine people are killed in a mass shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C.

In 2017, The destroyer USS Fitzgerald collided with the merchant ship MV ACX Crystal off the coast of Japan, with seven American sailors reported missing.

Also in 2017, the trial against comedian Bill Cosby on a charge of sexual assault ended with a hung jury and the consequent declaration of a mistrial. (The retrial the following year would result in a verdict of guilty of three counts of aggravated indecent assault.)

In 2018, during the Art All Night festival in Trenton, NJ, an apparently gang-related shooting occurred. 22 people were injured, including 17 suffering gunshot wounds. One suspect in the incident was killed by police, with two other suspects arrested.

 

U.S. trailer for "Quatermass 2":

 

If I may...

ON JUNE 18th:

In 1778, American forces entered Philadelphia as the British withdrew during the Revolutionary War.

In 1812, the War of 1812 began as the United States Congress approved, and President James Madison signed, a declaration of war against Britain.

In 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte met his Waterloo as British and Prussian troops defeated the French in Belgium.

In 1873, suffragette Susan B. Anthony was found guilty by a judge in Canandaigua, NY of breaking the law by casting a vote in the 1872 presidential election. (The judge fined Anthony $100, but she never paid the penalty.)

In 1904, actor Keye Luke was born in Guangzhou, China. Arguably, his most well-known roles in his long career were as Number One Son in several “Charlie Chan” movies, Master Po on “King Fu”, and Mr. Wing in the “Gremlins” movies.

In 1908, William Howard Taft was nominated for president by the Republican National Convention in Chicago.

Also in 1908, actor/announcer/game show host Clayton “Bud” Collyer was born in New York City. He’s best-remembered for his lead role in the radio series, “The Adventures of Superman”.

Yes, Prime Minister, it’s true. In 1927, actor Paul Eddington was born in St. John’s Wood, London, England.

In 1938, actor Michael Sheard was born in Aberdeen, Scotland. Fans remember him for getting relieved of duty by Darth Vader, for playing Hitler in five different productions, and doing six guest shots on “Doctor Who” (seven, if you count Big Finish).

In 1940, during World War II, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill urged his countrymen to conduct themselves in a manner that would prompt future generations to say, "This was their finest hour."

Also in 1940, Charles de Gaulle delivered a speech on the BBC in which he rallied his countrymen after the fall of France to Nazi Germany.

In 1942, singer/songwriter/musician/Beatle Sir Paul McCartney, MBE was born in Liverpool, England.

Also in 1942, journalist/screenwriter/film critic Roger Ebert was born in Urbana, IL.

In addition in 1942, actor Nick Tate was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. On “Space: 1999”, he played Alan Carter, considered by your humble correspondent as second only to Han Solo for the title of “Coolest Space Pilot in Science Fiction”.

In 1945, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower received a tumultuous welcome in Washington D.C., where he addressed a joint session of Congress.

Also in 1945, William Joyce, known as "Lord Haw-Haw," was charged in London with high treason for his English-language wartime broadcasts on German radio. (He was hanged in January 1946.)

In 1947, actress Linda Thorson, best-known for playing Tara King on “The Avengers” (the spy-fi TV show, not the superhero movies), was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

In 1948, Columbia Records introduced the long-playing record album in a public demonstration at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City.

In 1954, the Disney cartoon “Casey Bats Again”, a sequel to the poem Casey at the Bat, was released in the U.S.

In 1955, Divine services, Bible studies, and celebration of communion in East Germany were forbidden by the Communist government.

In 1957, actor Ralph Brown, known to “Star Wars” fans for playing pilot Ric Olie in “Episode I- The Phantom Menace” was born in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England.

In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson and Japanese Prime Minister Hayato Ikeda spoke to each other by telephone as they inaugurated the first trans-Pacific cable completed by AT&T between Japan and Hawaii.

In 1969, the revisionist Western “The Wild Bunch”, directed by Sam Peckinpah, was released in the U.S.

In 1971, the horror movie “Willard” premiered in New York City.

In 1973, actor Roger Delgado, best-known for playing the original Master on “Doctor Who” died in Nevsehir, Turkey at age 55.

In 1979, President Jimmy Carter and Soviet President Leonid I. Brezhnev signed the SALT II strategic arms limitation treaty in Vienna.

In 1983, astronaut Sally K. Ride became America's first woman in space as she and four colleagues blasted off aboard the space shuttle Challenger on a six-day mission.

In 1992, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Georgia v. McCollum, ruled that criminal defendants could not use race as a basis for excluding potential jurors from their trials

In 1993, the movie “The Last Action Hero”, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, was released in the U.S.

In 1994, members of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) attacked a crowded pub with assault rifles in Loughinisland, Northern Ireland. Six Catholic civilians were killed and five wounded. It was crowded with people watching the 1994 FIFA World Cup.

In 2005, on “Doctor Who”, the episode “The Parting of the Ways” was broadcast on BBC 1. It featured the last regular appearance of Christopher Eccleston as the Doctor, and introduced David Tennant in the role.

In 2006, Dan Rather's final CBS News report was aired on "CBS Sunday Morning."

 

If I may...

ON JUNE 19th:

In 1764, Jose Gervasio Artigas, considered the father of Uruguayan independence, was born in Montevideo.

In 1846, The New York Knickerbocker Club played the New York Club in the first baseball game at the Elysian Field, Hoboken, NJ. It was the first organized baseball game.

In 1862, The U.S. Congress prohibited slavery in United States territories, nullifying the Dred Scott v. Sandford decision.

In 1864, during the Civil War, the Confederate sloop-of-war CSS Alabama was sunk by the USS Kearsarge (also a sloop-of-war) off Cherbourg, France.

In 1865, Union troops commanded by Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, with news that the Civil War was over, and that all remaining slaves in Texas were free, an event celebrated to this day as "Juneteenth."


In 1867, in New York, the Belmont Stakes was run for the first time.


In 1897, actor/comedian/Stooge Moe Howard was born in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn.


In 1903, baseball player Lou Gehrig was born in Yorkville, New York City.

In 1910, the first-ever Father's Day was celebrated in Spokane, Washington. (The idea for the observance is credited to Sonora Louise Smart Dodd.)

In 1915, actor Pat Buttram was born in Addison, AL. He’d later contribute greatly to the surreality of Hooterville as Mr. Haney on “Green Acres”.

In 1928, writer/producer/comedian Barry Took was born in Wood Green, North London, England. One very notable highlight of his career was bringing together six guys (five British, one American) at the BBC for some show about pythons or something.

In 1934, the Federal Communications Commission was created; it replaced the Federal Radio Commission.

In 1944, during World War II, the two-day Battle of the Philippine Sea began, resulting in a decisive victory for the Americans over the Japanese.

In 1945, millions of New Yorkers turned out to cheer Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was honored with a parade.

In 1949, the first ever NASCAR race was held at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

In 1952, the celebrity-panel game show "I've Got a Secret" made its debut on CBS.

In 1953, Julius Rosenberg, age 35, and his wife, Ethel, age 37, convicted of conspiring to pass U.S. atomic secrets to the Soviet Union, were executed at Sing Sing Prison in Ossining, New York.

In 1957, the horror movie “I Was a Teenage Werewolf”, starring Michael Landon, was released in the U.S.

Also in 1957, the live action Disney movie “Johnny Tremain”, based on Esther Forbes’ novel, was released in the U.S.

In 1961, Kuwait declared independence from the UK.

In 1962, the movie version of the Broadway musical “The Music Man”, starring Robert Preston and Shirley Jones, was released in the U.S.

In 1963, the fantasy movie “Jason and the Argonauts”, featuring visual effects by Ray Harryhausen, was released in the U.S.

In 1964, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was approved by the U.S. Senate, 73-27, after surviving a lengthy filibuster.

In 1968, the caper movie “The Thomas Crown Affair”, starring Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway, was released in the U.S.

In 1972, Hurricane Agnes, blamed for at least 122 deaths, made landfall over the Florida Panhandle.

Also in 1972, The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the anti-trust exemption that major league baseball uses was Constitutional. The court called upon the U.S. Congress to repeal the sport's special status.

In 1975, former Chicago organized crime boss Sam Giancana was shot to death in the basement of his home in Oak Park, Illinois; the killing has never been solved.

In 1977, the Disney animated feature “The Rescuers” premiered in Washington, DC.

In 1978, the comic strip "Garfield" appeared for the first time.

In 1982, actress/Doctor Jodie Whittaker was born in Skelmanthorpe, West Yorkshire, England.

In 1986, University of Maryland basketball star Len Bias, the first draft pick of the Boston Celtics, suffered a fatal cocaine-induced seizure.

Also in 1986, artificial heart recipient Murray P. Haydon died in Louisville, Kentucky, after 16 months on the manmade pump.

In 1987, the comedy/drama “Withnail & I”, starring the non-canonical Ninth Doctor and the canonical Eighth Doctor, was released in the U.S.

In 1989, the comic book movie “Batman” premiered in Westwood, CA. It starred Michael Keaton as the Dark Knight, and Jack Nicholson as the Joker.

In 1991, the Soviet occupation of Hungary ended.

In 2012, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange requested asylum in London's Ecuadorian Embassy for fear of extradition to the U.S. after publication of previously classified documents.

In 2014, Felipe VI, Prince of Asturias, rose to the Spanish throne following the abdication of his father, Juan Carlos I.

In 2016, actor Anton Yelchin, known to “Star Trek” fans for playing Pavel Chekov in the reboot films, died in Los Angeles at age 27.

In 2017, at least one person was killed and ten injured after a van ran over pedestrians outside the Finsbury Park Mosque in the north London suburb of Finsbury Park.

 

I've got to get back on track here. Anyway...

ON JUNE 20th:

In 1248, the University of Oxford received its Royal charter.

In 1782, Congress approved the Great Seal of the United States, featuring the emblem of the bald eagle.

In 1837, Queen Victoria acceded to the British throne following the death of her uncle, King William IV.

In 1863, West Virginia became the 35th state.

In 1893, a jury in New Bedford, MA found Lizzie Borden not guilty of the ax murders of her father and stepmother.

In 1909, actor Errol Flynn was born in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.

In 1915, director/screenwriter Terence Young was born in Shanghai, China. He’s best-known for directing three of the first four James Bond movies, and helping to develop the Bond character from the novels into the movie persona.

In 1921, U.S. Rep. Alice Mary Robertson, R-OK became the first woman to preside over a session of the House of Representatives.

In 1925, actor/songwriter/Medal of Honor recipient Audie Murphy was born in Kingston, Hunt County, TX. He would later receive every U.S. military combat award for valor available from the U.S. Army for his World War II service.

In 1928, actor Martin Landau was born in Brooklyn, NY. His rumored involvement with the IMF has been disavowed by the Secretary.

In 1942, musician/singer/songwriter/producer Brian Wilson, co-founder of the Beach Boys, was born in Inglewood, CA.

In 1943, race-related rioting erupted in Detroit; federal troops were sent in two days later to quell the violence that resulted in more than 30 deaths.

In 1944, during World War II, Japanese naval forces retreated in the Battle of the Philippine Sea after suffering heavy losses to the victorious American fleet.

In 1945, U.S. Secretary of State Edward Stettinius, Jr. approved the transfer of Wernhrer von Braun and his team of Nazi rocket scientists to America.

In 1947, Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel, age 41, was shot dead at the Beverly Hills, CA mansion of his girlfriend, Virginia Hill, apparently at the order of mob associates.

In 1948, the TV variety show "Toast of the Town" premiered. It later changed its name to the "Ed Sullivan Show."

Also in 1948, the Abbott & Costello comedy “The Naughty Nineties” premiered in New York City. It features what is now considered the definitive presentation of “Who’s On First”.

In 1960, Floyd Patterson knocked out Ingemar Johansson to become the first heavyweight fighter to regain his own crown.

In 1962, the Western “Ride the High Country” premiered in New York City. It starred Joel McRae and Randolph Scott (in his last film), and was directed by Sam Peckinpah.

In 1963, the so-called "red telephone" link is established between the Soviet Union and the United States following the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Also in 1963, the fact-based World War II drama “The Great Escape” premiered in London.

In 1967, boxer Muhammad Ali was convicted in Houston of violating Selective Service laws by refusing to be drafted. (Ali's conviction was ultimately overturned by the Supreme Court.)

In 1970, on “Doctor Who”, part 7 of “Inferno” was broadcast on BBC 1. It featured the last regular appearance of Caroline John as Liz Shaw.

In 1974, the latter-day film noir “Chinatown”, starring Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway and John Huston, was released in the U.S.

In 1975, the thriller “Jaws” was released in the U.S. It was directed by Steven Spielberg, and starred Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss and “Bruce”.

In 1979, ABC News correspondent Bill Stewart was shot to death in Managua, Nicaragua, by a member of President Anastasio Somoza's national guard.

In 1982, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed National Bald Eagle Day.

In 1990, South African black nationalist Nelson Mandela and his wife, Winnie, arrived in New York City for a ticker-tape parade in their honor as they began an eight-city U.S. tour.

In 1992, the post-apocalypse movie “City Limits”, starring KIM CATRALL, was shown on “Mystery Science Theater 3000” over Comedy Central.

In 2010, the animated movie “Despicable Me”, starring Steve Carell and the Minions, premiered at the Moscow Film Festival.

 

If I may...

ON JUNE 21st:

In 1788, the United States Constitution went into effect as New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify it.

In 1834, Cyrus Hall McCormick received a patent for his reaping machine.

In 1877, The Molly Maguires, ten Irish immigrants convicted of murder, were hanged at the Schuylkill County and Carbon County, PA prisons.

In 1900, during the Boxer Rebellion, China formally declared war on the United States, Britain, Germany, France and Japan, as an edict issued from the Empress Dowager Cixi.

In 1903, artist/caricaturist Al Hirschfeld was born in St. Louis, MO.

In 1919, Admiral Ludwig von Reuter scuttled the German fleet in Scapa Flow, Orkney. The nine sailors killed were the last casualties of World War I.

In 1932, heavyweight Max Schmeling lost a title fight rematch in New York by decision to Jack Sharkey, prompting Schmeling's manager, Joe Jacobs, to exclaim: "We was robbed!"

Also in 1932, musician/composer Lalo Schifrin was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

In 1933, actor Bernie Kopell was born in Brooklyn, NY. Anyone with knowledge of his connection to the KAOS organization is urged to contact CONTROL headquarters immediately.

In 1941, actor/screenwriter/comedian Joe Flaherty was born in Pittsburgh, PA. He’d later fill several jobs at some TV station in Melonville.

In 1942, German forces led by Generaloberst (Colonel General) Erwin Rommel captured the Libyan city of Tobruk during World War II. (Following his victory, Rommel was promoted to Field Marshal; Tobruk was retaken by the Allies in November 1942.)

Also in 1942, a Japanese submarine surfaced near the Columbia River in Oregon, firing 17 shells at nearby Fort Stevens in one of only a handful of attacks by Japan against the U.S. mainland.

In 1945, the Battle of Okinawa ended when the organized resistance of Imperial Japanese Army forces collapsed in the Mabuni area on the southern tip of the main island.

In 1963, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Montini was chosen during a conclave of his fellow cardinals to succeed the late Pope John XXIII; the new pope took the name Paul VI.

In 1964, civil rights workers Michael H. Schwerner, Andrew Goodman and James E. Chaney were slain in Philadelphia, Mississippi; their bodies were found buried in an earthen dam six weeks later.

In 1969, on “Doctor Who”, part ten of “The War Games” was broadcast on BBC 1. It featured the last regular appearances of Patrick Troughton as the Second Doctor, Frazer Hines as Jamie MacCrimmon, and Wendy Padbury as Zoe Herriot. It was also the last episode of “Doctor Who” to be produced in black and white.

In 1972, the horror comedy “Beware! The Blob” was released in the U.S.

In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Miller v. California, ruled that states may ban materials found to be obscene according to local standards.

In 1982, a jury in Washington D.C. found John Hinckley Jr. not guilty by reason of insanity in the shootings of President Ronald Reagan and three other men.

In 1988, the Disney animated movie “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” premiered in New York City.

In 1989, a sharply divided Supreme Court ruled that burning the American flag as a form of political protest was protected by the First Amendment.

In 1991, the action/adventure movie “The Rocketeer” was released in the U.S.

In 2000, the Aardman Animations movie “Chicken Run” was released in the U.S.

In 2004, SpaceShipOne became the first privately funded spaceplane to achieve spaceflight.

In 2005, forty-one years to the day after three civil rights workers were beaten and shot to death in Mississippi, Edgar Ray Killen, an 80-year-old former Ku Klux Klansman, was found guilty of manslaughter. (Killen was sentenced to 60 years in prison.)

In 2006, the PLANET Pluto's newly discovered moons were officially named Nix and Hydra.

In 2010, Faisal Shahzad, a Pakistan-born U.S. citizen, pleaded guilty to charges of plotting a failed car bombing in New York's Times Square. (Shahzad was later sentenced to life in prison.)

In 2012, a boat carrying more than 200 refugees capsized in the Indian Ocean between the Indonesian island of Java and Christmas Island, killing 17 people and leaving 70 others missing.

 

If I may...

ON JUNE 22nd:

In 1611, English explorer Henry Hudson, his son and several other people were set adrift in present-day Hudson Bay by mutineers aboard the Discovery; their fate remains unknown.

In 1633, The Holy Office in Rome forced Galileo Galilei to recant his view that the Sun, not the Earth, is the center of the Universe in the form he presented it in, after heated controversy.

In 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte abdicated for a second time as Emperor of the French.

In 1870, the United States Department of Justice was created.

In 1911, Britain's King George V was crowned at Westminster Abbey.

In 1920, actor/voice artist/screenwriter Paul Frees was born in Chicago, IL.

In 1932, actress Prunella Scales, CBE was born in Sutton Abinger, Surrey, England. Her co-ownership of a certain English hotel would come later.

In 1937, Joe Louis began his reign as world heavyweight boxing champion by knocking out Jim Braddock in the eighth round of their fight in Chicago.

In 1938, Joe Louis knocked out Max Schmeling in the first round of their rematch at Yankee Stadium.

In 1940, during World War II, Adolf Hitler gained a stunning victory as France was forced to sign an armistice eight days after German forces overran Paris.

In 1941, Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union in Operation Barbarossa.

In 1942, the Pledge of Allegiance was formally adopted by the U.S. Congress.

In 1944, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, more popularly known as the "GI Bill of Rights."

In 1950,the Disney adventure movie “Treasure Island”, starring Robert Newton as John Silver, premiered in London.

In 1956, actor/musician/screenwriter Tim Russ was born in Washington, D.C. His commission in Star Fleet would come later.

In 1958, actor/producer/director/writer Bruce Campbell was born in Royal Oak, MI.

In 1960, the Poe-based horror movie “House of Usher”, starring Vincent Price and directed by Roger Corman, was released in the U.S.

In 1961, the World War II adventure movie “The Guns of Navarone” was released in the U.S., nearly two months after its UK release.

In 1969, the Cuyahoga River caught fire in Cleveland, OH, drawing national attention to water pollution, and spurring the passing of the Clean Water Act and the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Also in 1969, actress/singer Judy Garland died in Chelsea, London, England at age 47.

In 1977, John N. Mitchell became the first former U.S. Attorney General to go to prison as he began serving a sentence for his role in the Watergate cover-up. (He was released 19 months later.)

In 1978, Charon, a satellite of the PLANET Pluto, was discovered by American astronomer James W. Christy.

In 1981, Mark David Chapman pleaded guilty to killing John Lennon outside Lennon’s New York apartment building.

In 1995, the docudrama "Apollo 13," starring Tom Hanks and directed by Ron Howard, had its world premiere at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills, CA.

In 2009, Eastman Kodak announced that it would discontinue sales of the Kodachrome Color Film, concluding its 74-year run as a photography icon.

In 2015, composer/conductor James Horner died in Los Padres National Forest in California at age 61.

 

If I may...

ON JUNE 23rd:

In 1314, during the First War of Scottish Independence, the two-day Battle of Bannockburn, resulting in victory for the forces of Robert the Bruce over the army of King Edward II, began near Stirling.

In 1757, forces of the East India Company led by Robert Clive won the Battle of Plassey, which effectively marked the beginning of British colonial rule in India.

In 1780, during the Revolutionary War, the Battle of Springfield was fought in and around Springfield, NJ. Colonial forces under Maj. General Nathanael Greene forced the British and Hessian forces into a retreat.

In 1812, Britain, unaware that America had declared war against it five days earlier, rescinded its policy on neutral shipping, a major issue of contention between the two countries.

In 1868, Christopher Latham Sholes received a patent for an invention he called the "Type-Writer."

In 1892, The Democratic convention in Chicago nominated former President Grover Cleveland on the first ballot.

In 1904, President Theodore Roosevelt was nominated for a second term of office at the Republican national convention in Chicago.

In 1930, astronaut Donn F. Eisele, Command Module Pilot for Apollo 7, was born in Columbus, OH.

In 1931, aviators Wiley Post and Harold Gatty took off from New York on the first round-the-world flight in a single-engine plane.

In 1938, the Civil Aeronautics Authority was established.

In 1940, artist/musician Stuart Sutcliffe, the original bassist for the Beatles, was born in Edinburgh, Scotland.

In 1947, The Senate joined the House in overriding President Harry S. Truman's veto of the Taft-Hartley Act, which allows the president to intervene in labor disputes.

I understand that I’m required to note that, in 1964, writer/director/producer Joss Whedon was born in New York City. If I don’t, I’ll be inviting the wrath of thousands of San Diego Comic Con attendees.

In 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson and Soviet Premier Alexei Kosygin held the first of two meetings at Glassboro State College in New Jersey.

In 1971, the suspense movie “Klute”, starring Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland, premiered in New York City.


In 1970, the action comedy “Kelly’s Heroes”, starring Clint Eastwood, was released in the U.S.

In 1972, President Richard Nixon and White House chief of staff H.R. Haldeman discussed a plan to use the CIA to obstruct the FBI's Watergate investigation.

Also in 1972, U.S. President Nixon signed the Higher Education Act of 1972. Title IX of this congressional act barred sex bias in athletics and other activities at colleges receiving federal assistance.

In 1973, on “Doctor Who”, part six of “The Green Death” was broadcast on BBC 1. It featured the last regular appearance of Katy Manning as Jo Grant.

In 1974, actor/director/producer/screenwriter Joel Edgerton was born in Blacktown, New South Wales, Australia. “Star Wars” fans know him for playing young Owen Lars, who doesn’t seem as bad as we thought he was in 1977.

In 1976, the mystery spoof “Murder by Death”, written by Neil Simon, and the science fiction movie “Logan’s Run” were both released in the U.S.

In 1985, a terrorist bomb aboard Air India Flight 182 brought down the Boeing 747 down off the coast of Ireland, killing all 329 aboard.

In 1989, the science fiction comedy “Honey I Shrunk the Kids” was released in the U.S.

In 1992, John Gotti, convicted of racketeering charges, was sentenced in New York to life in prison.

In 2001, The 8.4 Mw southern Peru earthquake shook coastal Peru with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). A destructive tsunami followed, leaving at least 74 people dead, and 2,687 injured.

In 2008, the Disney/Pixar movie “WALL-E” premiered in Los Angeles.

In 2012, Ashton Eaton broke the decathlon world record at the U.S. Olympic Trials.

In 2016, The U.K. voted in a referendum to leave the European Union, by 52% to 48%.

 

If I may...

ON JUNE 24th:

In 1314, the Battle of Bannockburn concluded with a decisive victory by Scottish forces led by Robert the Bruce, though England did not recognize Scottish independence until 1328 with the signing of the Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton.

In 1509, Henry VIII was crowned king of England; his wife, Catherine of Aragon, was crowned queen consort.

In 1793, the first republican constitution in France was adopted.

In 1880, "O Canada," the future Canadian national anthem, was first performed in Quebec City.

In 1893, businessman Roy O. Disney, co-founder of Walt Disney Productions, was born in Chicago, IL.

In 1904, actor/singer/comedian Phil Harris was born in Linton, IN.

In 1908, Grover Cleveland, the 22nd and 24th president of the U.S., died in Princeton, NJ at age 71.

In 1916, during World War I, the Battle of the Somme began with a week-long artillery bombardment on the German Line.

In 1939, the Southeast Asian country Siam changed its name to Thailand. (It went back to being Siam in 1945, then became Thailand once again in 1949.)

In 1940, France signed an armistice with Italy during World War II.

In 1948, Communist forces cut off all land and water routes between West Germany and West Berlin, prompting the western allies to organize the Berlin Airlift.

In 1959, the Disney fantasy “Darby O’Gill and the Little People” premiered in Dublin, Ireland. It starred a young Scottish actor whom, I believe, was later granted a license to kill.

In 1964, AT&T inaugurated commercial "Picturephone" service between New York, Chicago and Washington, D.C. (The service, however, never caught on).

Also in 1964, the Poe-based horror movie “Masque of the Red Death”, starring Vincent Price and directed by Roger Corman, premiered in London and went into release in the U.S.

In 1975, 113 people were killed when Eastern Airlines Flight 66, a Boeing 727 carrying 124 people, crashed while attempting to land during a thunderstorm at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport.

In 1981, the James Bond movie “For Your Eyes Only”, starring Roger Moore as 007, premiered in London.

In 1987, actor/comedian Jackie Gleason died in Lauderhill, FL at age 71.

Also in 1987, the Schwartz was with us, when the Mel Brooks spoof “Spaceballs” was released in the U.S.

In 2004, capital punishment was declared unconstitutional in the state of New York.

In 2010, Julia Gillard assumed office as the first female Prime Minister of Australia.

 

If I may...

ON JUNE 25th:

In 1788, Virginia ratified the U.S. Constitution.

In 1876, Lt. Col. Colonel George A. Custer and his 7th Cavalry were wiped out by Sioux and Cheyenne Indians in the Battle of the Little Bighorn in Montana.

In 1894, physicist/engineer Hermann Oberth, one of the three great rocketry and astronautics pioneers, was born in Hermannstadt, Austro-Hungarian Empire.

In 1910, President William Howard Taft signed the White-Slave Traffic Act, more popularly known as the Mann Act, which made it illegal to transport women across state lines for "immoral" purposes.

In 1925, actress June Lockhart was born in New York City. She’s well-known for being part of the ill-fated Jupiter II mission.

In 1938, the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 was enacted.

In 1941, actor Roy Marsden was born in Stepney, London, England. Years later, one of his characters would have to find replacements for several dead Sandbaggers.

In 1943, Congress passed, over President Franklin D. Roosevelt's veto, the Smith-Connally Anti-Strike Act, which allowed the federal government to seize and operate privately owned war plants facing labor strikes.

In 1947, The Diary of a Young Girl (better known as The Diary of Anne Frank) was published.

In 1948, the Berlin airlift began.

In 1949, the Looney Tunes cartoon “Long-Haired Hare”, starring Bugs Bunny, was released in the U.S. So, what do they do on a rainy night in Rio?

In 1950, war broke out in Korea as forces from the communist North invaded the South.

In 1959, the horror movies “The Killer Shrews” and “The Giant Gila Monster” premiered in Dallas, TX as a double bill. Both would later be memorably MSTed.

In 1960, the drama “Inherit the Wind”, starring Spencer Tracy and Fredric March, premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival.

In 1962, in the ruling Engel v. Vitale, the United States Supreme court banned official prayers in public schools on a case brought from New York, saying that such prayers were unconstitutional as a violation of the separation of church and state.

In 1967, the Beatles premiered “All You Need is Love” on the first live global satellite TV program, “Our World”.

In 1971, the Blaxploitation thriller “Shaft”, starring Richard Roundtree, premiered in L.A.

In 1975, the science fiction film “Rollerball”, starring James Caan, was released in the U.S.

In 1981, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that male-only draft registration was constitutional.

In 1982, the science fiction film “Blade Runner”, starring Harrison Ford and directed by Ridley Scott; the action movie “Megaforce”, directed by Hal Needham; and the horror movie “The Thing”, starring Kurt Russell and directed by John Carpenter, were all released in the U.S.

In 1990, the U.S. Supreme Court, in its first "right-to-die" decision, ruled that family members could be barred from ending the lives of persistently comatose relatives who had not made their wishes known conclusively.

In 1991, Croatia and Slovenia declared their independence from Yugoslavia.

In 1993, the last episode of “Late Night with David Letterman” was broadcast on NBC-TV.

Also in 1993, Kim Campbell was sworn in as the first female Prime Minister of Canada.

In 1996, the Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia killed 19 U.S. servicemen.

In 1998, in Clinton v. City of New York, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that the Line Item Veto Act of 1996 was unconstitutional.

In 2015, actor Patrick Macnee, well-known for playing John Steed on “The Avengers”, died in Rancho Mirage, CA at age 93.

 

If I may...

ON JUNE 26th:

In 1483, Richard III began his reign as King of England (he was crowned the following month at Westminster Abbey).

In 1870, the first section of Atlantic City, NJ's Boardwalk was opened to the public.

Also in 1870, Christmas was declared a Federal holiday in the U.S.

In 1898, Lt. Gen. Lewis “Chesty” Puller, one of the most decorated members of the USMC, was born in West Point, VA.

In 1904, actor Peter Lorre was born in Rozsahegy, Austria-Hungary.

In 1909, animator Wolfgang “Woolie” Reitherman, one of Disney’s “Nine Old Men”, was born in Munich, Germany.

In 1917, The American Expeditionary Forces began to arrive in France. They would first enter combat four months later.

In 1925, Charles Chaplin's classic comedy "The Gold Rush" premiered at Grauman's Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood.

In 1936, President Franklin D. Roosevelt was nominated for a second term of office by delegates to the Democratic national convention in Philadelphia.

In 1944, The New York Giants, Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Yankees played against each other in a six inning contest in a war bonds fund-raiser. Over 50,000 people watched the game. The final score was Dodgers 5, Yankees 1 and the Giants 0.

In 1945, the charter of the United Nations was signed by 50 countries in San Francisco.

In 1947, the fantasy movie “The Ghost and Mrs. Muir”, starring Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison, premiered in New York City.

In 1950, President Harry S. Truman authorized the U.S. Air Force and Navy to enter the Korean War.

In 1959, President Dwight D. Eisenhower joined Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in ceremonies officially opening the St. Lawrence Seaway.

Also in 1959, Swedish boxer Ingemar Johansson knocked out Floyd Patterson in the third round of their match at New York's Yankee Stadium to win the heavyweight title.

In addition in 1959, the educational Disney cartoon “Donald in Mathmagic Land” was released in the U.S.

Also in addition in 1959, actor/comedian/Kid in the Hall Mark McKinney was born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

In 1963, President John F. Kennedy visited West Berlin, where he delivered his famous speech expressing solidarity with the city's residents, declaring: "Ich bin ein Berliner" (I am a Berliner).

In 1964, "It's All Over Now" by The Rolling Stones was released. It was the first Stones song to reach number one in Britain.

In 1973, former White House counsel John W. Dean told the Senate Watergate Committee about an "enemies list" kept by the Nixon White House.

In 1974, the supermarket price scanner made its debut in Troy, Ohio, as a 10-pack of Wrigley's Juicy Fruit chewing gum costing 67 cents and bearing a Uniform Product Code (UPC) was scanned by a Marsh Supermarket cashier.

Also in 1976, the Western “The Outlaw Josey Wales”, directed by and starring Clint Eastwood, premiered at the Sun Valley Center for the Arts Conference.

In 1977, Elvis Presley performed his last concert, in Indianapolis.

In 1979, the James Bond movie “Moonraker”, starring Roger Moore as 007, premiered in London.

In 1981, “The Great Muppet Caper”, the Muppets second feature film, was released in the U.S.

In 1988, three people were killed when a new Airbus A320 jetliner carrying more than 130 people crashed into a forest during a demonstration at an air show in Mulhouse, France.

In 1990, President George H.W. Bush went back on his "no-new-taxes" campaign pledge, conceding that tax increases would have to be included in any deficit-reduction package worked out with congressional negotiators.

In 1996, journalist Veronica Guerin was murdered near Dublin, Ireland at age 37.

In 1997, filming began in Tunisia for “Star Wars: Episode I- The Phantom Menace”.

Also in 1997, The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Communications Decency Act violated the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

In 2000, filming began for “Star Wars: Episode II- Attack of the Clones”.

In 2014, The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that President Barack Obama had exceeded his executive authority in 2012 when he appointed members to the National Labor Relations Board without Senate confirmation.

In 2015, The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marriage under the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Also in 2015, five different terrorist attacks in France, Tunisia, Somalia, Kuwait, and Syria occurred on what was dubbed “Bloody Friday” by international media. Upwards of 750 people were either killed or injured in the uncoordinated attacks.

 

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait...

3 teams played? At the same time or two innings against one another at a Time? How did this work??!

 

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/just-because-june-26-1944---dodgers-vs-yankees-vs-giants/

 

If I may...

ON JUNE 27th:

In 1787, English historian Edward Gibbon completed work on his six-volume work, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.

In 1844, Mormon leader Joseph Smith and his brother, Hyrum, were killed by a mob in Carthage, Illinois.

In 1864, Confederate forces repelled a frontal assault by Union troops in the Civil War Battle of Kennesaw Mountain in Georgia.

In 1880, author/activist/lecturer Helen Keller was born in Tuscumbia, AL.

In 1905, the Industrial Workers of the World was founded in Chicago.

In 1922, the first Newberry Medal, recognizing excellence in children's literature, was awarded to "The Story of Mankind" by Hendrik Willem van Loon.

In 1927, actor/producer Bob Keeshan, best known as Captain Kangaroo, was born in Lynnbrook, NY.

In 1930, businessman and presidential candidate Ross Perot was born in Texarkana, TX.

In 1941, Romanian governmental forces, allies of Nazi Germany, launched one of the most violent pogroms in Jewish history in the city of Iasi, resulting in the murder of at least 13,266 Jews.

In 1944, during World War II, American forces liberated the French port of Cherbourg from the Germans.

In 1949, "Captain Video and His Video Rangers" premiered on the Dumont Television Network.

In 1950, the science fiction movie “Destination Moon” premiered in New York City.

In 1955, Illinois enacted the nation's first automobile seat belt law. (The law did not require cars to have seat belts, but that they be made seat belt-ready.)

In 1956, the movie “Moby Dick” was released in the U.S. This version was directed by John Huston, and starred Gregory Peck as Ahab and Richard Basehart as Ishmael.

In 1957, more than 500 people were killed when Hurricane Audrey slammed through coastal Louisiana and Texas.

In 1957, the drama “Sweet Smell of Success”, starring Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis, was released in the U.S.

In 1958, the horror movie “The Thing that Couldn’t Die” premiered in New York City. Years later, Mike & the ‘bots would take a crack at it.

In 1964, the fantasy movie “Maciste e la regina di Samar” was released in Italy, its country of origin. Re-titled “Hercules Against the Moon Men”, it would be released in the U.S. the following year, and MSTed some years afterward.

In 1966, filmmaker J.J. Abrams was born in New York City. He’s recently been associated with a project from Lucasfilm.

Also in 1966, the soap opera "Dark Shadows" began running on ABC-TV. Barnabas Collins wouldn’t show up until the following year.

In 1968, Elvis Presley began taping the live performance segments for his first TV special, "Elvis" (subsequently known to fans as the “’68 Comeback Special”) at NBC in Burbank.

In 1973, the James Bond movie “Live and Let Die”, starring Roger Moore as 007, was released in the U.S.

In 1974, President Richard Nixon opened an official visit to the Soviet Union.

In 1985, the legendary Route 66, which originally stretched from Chicago to Santa Monica, California, passed into history as officials decertified the road.

In 1986, the Jim Henson fantasy movie “Labyrinth” was released in the U.S.

In 1987, the James Bond movie “The Living Daylights”, starring Timothy Dalton as 007, premiered in London.

In 1990, NASA announced that a flaw in the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope was preventing the instrument from achieving optimum focus. (The problem was traced to a mirror that had not been ground to exact specifications; corrective optics were later installed to fix the problem. Later reports that a former temp worker destroyed the Hubble are unconfirmed.)

In 1991, writer/producer Milton Subotsky, co-founder of Amicus Productions (a serious challenger to Hammer Films in the 60’s and 70’s), died at age 69.

In 1996, producer Albert R. “Cubby” Broccoli, CBE (Hon), best-known for producing most of the James Bond movies, died in Beverly Hills at age 87.

In 2002, musician/songwriter/singer John Entwistle, bass guitarist for the Who, died in Paradise, NV at age 57.

In 2005, The Supreme Court ruled, in a pair of 5-4 decisions, that displaying the Ten Commandments on government property was constitutionally permissible in some cases but not in others.

Also in 2005, BTK serial killer Dennis Rader pleaded guilty to ten murders that had spread fear across Wichita, KS, beginning in the 1970s. (Rader later received multiple life sentences.)

In 2007, Tony Blair resigned as British Prime Minister, a position he had held since 1997.

In 2017, author Thomas Michael Bond, CBE, the creator of Paddington Bear, died in London at age 91.

 

If I may...

ON JUNE 28th:

In 1703, author/theologian/cleric John Wesley was born in Epworth, Lincolnshire, England.

In 1776, The Battle of Sullivan’s Island ended with the first decisive American victory in the Revolutionary War, leading to the commemoration of Carolina Day.

In 1778, the Revolutionary War Battle of Monmouth took place in New Jersey; it was from this battle that the legend of "Molly Pitcher" arose.

In 1836, James Madison, the fourth president of the U.S. died in Orange, VA at age 85.

In 1838, Britain's Queen Victoria was crowned in Westminster Abbey.

In 1896, an explosion in the Newton Coal Company's Twin Shaft Mine in Pittston, PA resulted in a massive cave-in that killed 58 miners.

In 1902, composer/songwriter Richard Rodgers was born in New York City.

In 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife, Sophie, were shot to death in Sarajevo by Serb nationalist Gavrilo Princip, an act which sparked World War I.

In 1916, Paramount Pictures was effectively formed via the merger of Famous Players Film Company, the Lasky Feature Play Company and the Paramount Pictures Corporation.

In 1919, the Treaty of Versailles was signed in France, ending the First World War.

Also in 1919, in Independence, MO future president Harry S. Truman married Elizabeth Virginia Wallace.

In 1926, filmmaker/actor/comedian Mel Brooks was born in Brooklyn.

In 1939, Pan American Airways began regular trans-Atlantic air service with a flight that departed New York for Marseilles, France.

In 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Alien Registration Act, also known as the Smith Act, which required adult foreigners residing in the U.S. to be registered and fingerprinted.

Also in 1940, corporate lawyer Wendell Willkie received the Republican presidential nomination at the party's convention in Philadelphia (U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles McNary of Oregon was nominated for vice president).

In 1944, the Republican national convention in Chicago nominated New York Gov. Thomas E. Dewey for president and Ohio Gov. John W. Bricker for vice president.

In 1946, actress/comedienne/author Gilda Radner was born in Detroit, MI.

In 1950, North Korean forces captured Seoul, the capital of South Korea.

In 1951, actress/author Lalla Ward was born in London. Her tenure as Lady President of the Time Lords would come later.

Also in 1951, the TV version of the radio series “Amos & Andy”, featuring an all African-American cast, premiered on CBS. (Protests from the NAACP would result in the series’ cancellation in 1953, and its removal from syndication in 1966.)

In 1956, the movie version of the Broadway musical “The King and I”, starring Deborah Kerr and Yul Brynner, premiered in New York City.

In 1957, the monster movie “Beginning of the End”, directed by Bert I. Gordon and starring Peter Graves, was released in the U.S.

In 1964, civil rights activist Malcolm X declared, "We want equality by any means necessary" during the Founding Rally of the Organization of Afro-American Unity in New York.

In 1969, the Stonewall riots began in New York City, marking the start of the Gay Rights Movement.

In 1971, The U.S. Supreme Court overturned the draft evasion conviction of Muhammad Ali.

In 1975, screenwriter/ producer/actor Rod Serling died in Rochester, NY at age 50.

In 1978, the fantasy movie “Heaven Can Wait”, starring/co-written/co-directed by Warren Beatty, was released in the U.S.

In 1994, members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult released sarin gas in Matsumoto, Japan; seven people were killed, 660 injured.

In 1996, the Citadel voted to admit women, ending a 153-year-old men-only policy at the South Carolina military school.

In 1997, Mike Tyson was disqualified for biting Evander Holyfield's ear after three rounds of their WBA heavyweight title fight in Las Vegas, NV.

In 2004, sovereign power was handed to the interim government of Iraq by the Coalition Provisional Authority, ending the U.S.-led rule of that nation.

In 2016, a terrorist attack in Turkey’s Ataturk Airport killed at least 36 people and injured 150 others.

And, on June 28th, actress/singer/writer/web series creator Felicia Day born in Huntsville, AL. She’s currently following in the villainous footsteps of Pearl and Clayton Forrester.

 

And on this day in 2018, Harlan Ellison, sci - fi author, who wrote the iconic Star Trek episode "City on the Edge of Forever" passed away at age 84.