Fun On this date in history...

If I may...

ON JUNE 16:

In 1567, Mary, Queen of Scots, was imprisoned in Lochleven Castle in Scotland. (She escaped almost a year later but ended up imprisoned again.)

In 1858, accepting the Illinois Republican Party's nomination for the U.S. Senate, Abraham Lincoln said the slavery issue had to be resolved, declaring, "A house divided against itself cannot stand."

In 1890, actor/writer/director/comedian Stan Laurel was born in Ulverston, Lancashire, England.

In 1903, Ford Motor Co. was incorporated.

In 1911, IBM had its beginnings as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Co. was incorporated in New York State.

In 1933, the National Industrial Recovery Act became law with President Franklin D. Roosevelt's signature. (The Act was later struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court.) Also, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. was founded as President Roosevelt signed the Banking Act of 1933.

In 1938, actor Michael Culver was born in Hampstead, London, England. Years later, Lord Vader would accept an apology from one of his characters.

In 1940, actress Carole Ann Ford was born. And Whovians have been arguing for a long time over whether or not one of her characters was the Doctor’s real granddaughter.

In 1944, George Stinney, a 14-year-old black youth, became the youngest person to die in the electric chair as the state of South Carolina executed him for the murders of two white girls, Betty June Binnicker, age 11, and Mary Emma Thames, age 7.

In 1954, the sci-fi/horror movie “Them!” premiered in New York City.

In 1955, members of Argentina's military bombarded the Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires in a failed attempt to assassinate President Juan Domingo Peron and his Cabinet, causing hundreds of civilian deaths, the same day Peron was excommunicated by Pope Pius XII for expelling two bishops from his country (however, the ban was effectively lifted in 1963).

Also in 1955, the Disney animated feature "Lady and the Tramp" had its world premiere in Chicago.

In 1959, actor George Reeves died in Benedict Canyon, Los Angeles at age 45.

In 1960, the Alfred Hitchcock thriller "Psycho" opened in Hollywood. And showers have never been the same.

In 1963, the world's first female space traveler, Valentina Tereshkova, age 26, was launched into orbit by the Soviet Union aboard Vostok 6; she spent 71 hours in flight, circling the Earth 48 times before returning safely.

In 1966, The Beatles made a surprise live appearance on the UK television program Top of the Pops, performing ‘Paperback Writer’ and ‘Rain’. It became The Beatles' last live musical television appearance, with the sole exception of the June 1967 worldwide transmission of ‘All You Need Is Love’.

In 1967, the Monterey International Pop Festival opened in California. More than two dozen acts, including Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin and Otis Redding, were on the bill.

In 1970, sponsors for Woodstock announced they lost more than $1.2 million dollars on the concert.

Also in 1970, football playerBrian Piccolo of the Chicago Bears died of cancer at age 26.

In 1976, the Mel Brooks comedy “Silent Movie” was released in the U.S.

In 1977, rocket engineer/designer Wernher von Braun died in Alexandria, VA at age 65.

In 1978, President Jimmy Carter and Panamanian leader Omar Torrijos exchanged the instruments of ratification for the Panama Canal treaties.

Also in 1978, the sequel “Jaws 2” was released in the U.S.

In 1980, the comedy/musical “The Blues Brothers” premiered in Chicago.

In 1981, President Ronald Reagan awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to Ken Taylor, Canada's former ambassador to Iran, for helping six Americans escape from Iran during the hostage crisis of 1979-81; he was the first foreign citizen bestowed the honor.

In 1987, a jury in New York acquitted Bernhard Goetz of attempted murder in the subway shooting of four youths he said were going to rob him; however, Goetz was convicted of illegal weapons possession. (In 1996, a civil jury ordered Goetz to pay $43 million to one of the persons he'd shot.)

In 1989, the sequel “Ghostbusters II” was released in the U.S.

In 1999, Vice President Al Gore formally opened his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Also in 1999, Kathleen Ann Soliah, a fugitive member of the Symbionese Liberation Army, was captured in St. Paul, Minnesota, where she had made a new life under the name Sara Jane Olson.

In addition in 1999, Thabo Mbeki took the oath as president of South Africa, succeeding Nelson Mandela.

In 2002, the Disney cartoon “Lilo & Stitch” premiered in the U.S.

In 2007, on “Doctor Who”, “Utopia” was broadcast on BBC 1. It featured the first series appearances of Derek Jacobi and John Simm, both as the Master.

 

If I may...

ON JUNE 17th:

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

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.
67, 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 Washintton, 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 Whovian 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 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..

 

I always liked the ABA's red, white, and blue basketball.

 

Here's a good ABA documentary that HBO did a while back:



Oh, and I apologize for the typos in the June 17th entry.

 

This trailer uses "Enemy from Space", the U.S. title 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-remember 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 Master of “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."

 

In observance of Father's Day, the Three Bears...

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2isb6r

(Sorry, for some reason I can't put this up directly.)

 

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 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 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 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”, starring Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson, premiered in Westwood, CA.

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.

 

If I may...

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 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.

 

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 declares 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 contract 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.

 

DARN! I was sure I'd posted yesterday's rundown. Well, anyway, 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.

 

I just read that David Thatcher died Wednesday. He was the flight engineer on the B-25 Ruptured Duck immortalized in the book and movie 30 Seconds Over Tokyo. And now there is only one of Doolittle's Raiders still with us.

 

Hadn't heard that. Thanks for the info.

 

If I may...

ON JUNE23rd:

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

 

I remember reading that Thatcher was the only crewmember of the Ruptured Duck that escaped injury when the plane crash-landed off the coast of China.