Fun On this date in history...

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 2011, outside of Honesdale, PA, Girdland United Methodist Church, after 117 years of service, was formally deconsecrated and retired from the Carley Brook charge. Your humble correspondent attended and recorded the service. My Mom, who was married in that church, was there, as well.

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.

 

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 couple of projects 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.

In 2018, author/screenwriter Harlan Ellison died in Los Angeles at age 84.

 

- yes, this totally counts.

 

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 1979, actress/singer/writer/web series creator Felicia Day was born in Huntsville, AL. She recently followed in the villainous footsteps of Pearl and Clayton Forrester.

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.

 

- Again, it counts!

 

If I may...

ON JUNE 29th:

In 1613, London's original Globe Theatre, where many of Shakespeare's plays were performed, was destroyed by a fire sparked by a cannon shot during a performance of "Henry VIII."

In 1880, France annexed Tahiti, which became a French colony on December 30, 1880.

In 1767, Britain approved the Townshend Revenue Act, which imposed import duties on glass, paint, oil, lead, paper and tea shipped to the American colonies. (Colonists bitterly protested, prompting Parliament to repeal the duties — except for tea.)

In 1911, composer/conductor Bernard Herrmann was born in New York City.

In 1920, writer/producer/VFX creator Ray Harryhausen was born in Los Angeles.

In 1927, the first trans-Pacific airplane flight was completed as Lt. Lester J. Maitland and Lt. Albert F. Hegenberger arrived at Wheeler Field in Hawaii aboard the Bird of Paradise, an Atlantic-Fokker C-2, after flying 2,400 miles from Oakland, CA in 25 hours, 50 minutes.

In 1928, The Outerbridge Crossing and Goethals Bridge in Staten Island, NY were both opened.

In 1943, actress Maureen O’Brien, known to Whovians for playing Vicky during the Hartnell era, was born in Liverpool, Lancashire, England.

In 1954, the Atomic Energy Commission voted against reinstating Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer's access to classified information.

In 1956, The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 was signed, officially creating the United States Interstate Highway System.

In 1960, BBC Television Center in West London was opened.

In 1967, Jerusalem was re-unified as Israel removed barricades separating the Old City from the Israeli sector.

In 1972, The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the case Furman v. Georgia that arbitrary and inconsistent imposition of the death penalty violated the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments, and constitutes cruel and unusual punishment.

Also in 1972, the sequel “Conquest of the Planet of the Apes”, starring Roddy McDowall, premiered in New York City.

In 1974, Isabel Peron was sworn in as the first female President of Argentina.

In 1975, Steve Wozniak tested his first prototype of the Apple I computer.

In 1988, the comedy ”Coming to America”, starring Eddie Murphy, was released in the U.S.

In 1995, the Samppong Department Store collapsed in the Seocho District of Seoul, South Korea, killing 501 and injuring 937.

Also in 1995, Space Shuttle Atlantis docked with the Russian space station Mir for the first time.

In 1998, the science fiction movie “Armageddon” premiered at Kennedy Space Center.

In 2006, The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that President George W. Bush’s plan to try Guantanamo Bay detainees in military tribunals violated U.S. and international law.

In 2007, Apple, Inc. released its first mobile phone, the iPhone.

In 2012, a derecho group of severe thunderstorms swept across the Midwestern and Mid-Atlantic United States. The storms resulted in at least 22 deaths and heavy damage, including power outages affecting millions of people.

In 2014, the Islamic State terrorist group self-declared it’s caliphate in Syria and northern Iraq.

 

If I may...

ON JUNE 30th:

In 1859, French acrobat Charles Blondin walked back and forth on a tightrope above the gorge of Niagara Falls as thousands of spectators watched.

In 1865, eight people, including Mary Surratt and Dr. Samuel Mudd, were convicted by a military commission of conspiring with John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln. (Four defendants, including Surratt, were executed; Mudd was sentenced to life in prison, but was pardoned by President Andrew Johnson in 1869.)

In 1882, Charles J. Guiteau was hanged in Washington, D.C. for the assassination of President James Garfield.

In 1908, the Tunguska Event took place in Russia as an asteroid exploded above Siberia, leaving 800 square miles of scorched or blown-down trees.

In 1912, Canada's deadliest tornado on record occurred as a cyclone struck Regina, the provincial capital of Saskatchewan, killing 28 people.

In 1917, singer/actress/activist Lena Horne was born in Bed-Stuy.

In 1921, President Warren G. Harding nominated former President William Howard Taft to be Chief Justice of the United States, succeeding the late Edward Douglass White.

In 1933, the Screen Actors Guild was established.

In 1934, Adolf Hitler launched his "blood purge" of political and military rivals in Germany in what came to be known as "The Night of the Long Knives."

In 1949, "The Missouri Waltz" became the official state song of Missouri.

In 1951, the Hitchcock thriller “Strangers on a Train” was released in the U.S.

In 1952, the radio program "The Guiding Light" made its debut as a television soap opera on CBS.

In 1953, the first Chevrolet Corvette rolled off the assembly line in Flint, MI.

In 1958, the U.S. Senate passed the Alaska statehood bill by a vote of 64-20.

In 1960, Congo gained independence from Belgium.

In 1963, Pope Paul VI was crowned the 262nd head of the Roman Catholic Church.

In 1971, the crew of the Soviet spacecraft Soyuz 11 (Georgy Dobrovolsky, Vladislav Volkov and Viktor Patsayev) were killed when their air supply escaped through a faulty valve.

Also In 1971, the fantasy movie “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”, starring Gene Wilder, was released in the U.S.

In 1972, for the first time, a leap-second was added to Coordinated Universal Time to account for the slowing rotation of the Earth.

In 1985, 39 American hostages from a hijacked TWA jetliner were freed in Beirut after being held 17 days.

Also in 1985, Yul Brynner performed for the last time as the King of Siam in "The King and I." He had done the show off and on for 34 years and more than 4,500 performances.

In 1994, an Airbus A330 passenger plane crashed after takeoff from Toulouse, France, on a test flight, killing all seven occupants.

Also in 1994, the Supreme Court ruled, 6-3, that judges can bar even peaceful demonstrators from getting too close to abortion clinics.

In 1997, The United Kingdom transferred sovereignty over Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China.

In 2003, filming began at Fox Studios in Sydney, Australia for “Star Wars: Episode III- Revenge of the Sith”.

In 2007, on “Doctor Who”, “The Last of the Time Lords” was broadcast on BBC 1. It featured the last regular appearance of Freema Agyeman as Martha Jones.

In 2013, nineteen firefighters died controlling a wildfire in Yarnell, AZ.

In 2014, a sharply divided Supreme Court ruled that some companies with religious objections could avoid the contraceptives requirement in President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, the first time the high court declared that businesses can hold religious views under federal law.

In 2015, Jedi Academy: The Phantom Bully, the third book in Jeffrey Brown’s “Jedi Academy” series, was published by Scholastic. And your humble correspondent processed South Plainfield Library’s copy the day previous.

 

Lest we forget...

 

If I may...

ON JULY 1st:

In 1535, Sir Thomas More went on trial in England, charged with high treason for rejecting the Oath of Supremacy. (More was convicted, and executed.)

In 1863, the pivotal, three-day Civil War Battle of Gettysburg, resulting in a Union victory, began in Pennsylvania.

In 1867, Canada became a self-governing dominion of Great Britain as the British North America Act took effect.

In 1870, The U.S. Dept. of Justice formally came into existence.

In 1898, the Battle of San Juan Hill was fought in Santiago de Cuba.

In 1899, the founders of the Gideons held their first meeting.

In 1902, producer/director/screenwriter William Wyler was born in Mulhausen, Alsace-Lorraine, German Empire.

In 1908, SOS was adopted as the International Distress Signal.

In 1916, during World War I, on the first day of the Battle of the Somme 19,000 soldiers of the British Army were killed and 40,000 wounded.

Also in 1916, actress Olivia de Havilland was born in Tokyo, Japan.

In 1934, Hollywood began enforcing its Production Code subjecting motion pictures to censorship review.

In 1934, actress/writer Jean Marsh, OBE was born in Stoke Newington, London. Depending on the fandom, she’s well-known as either Rose the parlourmaid or three different “Doctor Who” characters, including one Companion.

In 1935, actor/bodybuilder David Prowse was born in Bristol, England. He’d earn his Sith title some years later.

In 1937, Martin Niemoller, a leading Lutheran who resisted Nazi racism, was arrested by the Gestapo.

In 1940, the original Tacoma Narrows Bridge in Washington State opened to traffic despite concerns over its tendency to "bounce" in windy conditions, inspiring the nickname "Galloping Gertie" (four months later, the suspension bridge's main section collapsed into Puget Sound).

Also in 1940, the swashbuckling adventure “The Sea Hawk”, starring Errol Flynn, was released in the U.S.

In 1946, the United States exploded a 20-kiloton atomic bomb near Bikini Atoll in the Pacific.

In 1952, actor/comedian/screenwriter/musician/Ghostbuster/Not Ready for Prime Time Player Dan Aykroyd was born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

In 1956, Elvis Presley appeared on Steve Allen's variety show singing "Hound Dog" to a Bassett hound. He also was forbidden to dance.

In 1961, Diana, Princess of Wales was born in Park House, Sandringham, Norfolk, England.

In 1963, The Beatles recorded "She Loves You" at EMI's Abbey Road Studios in London. The song became the band's second number-one hit in both the US and UK.

Also in 1963, ZIP codes were introduced for U.S. mail.

In 1965, the epic slapstick comedy "The Great Race," starring Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis and Natalie Wood, was released.

In 1969, Sam Phillips sold the Sun record label, which had been home to Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis at the start of their careers.

In 1980, "O Canada" was proclaimed the national anthem of Canada.

In 1984, the MPAA introduced the PG-13 rating.

In 1987, the American radio station WFAN (660 AM) in New York City was launched as the world's first all-sports radio station.

In 1991, the Warsaw Pact was officially dissolved.

Also in 1991, the sequel “Terminator 2; Judgement Day” premiered in Century City, CA.

In 1994, the movie “The Shadow”, based on the pulp and radio character, was released in the U.S., with Alec Baldwin in the title role.

In 1995, The NBA locked out its players. It was the first work stoppage in the league's history.

In 2000, Vermont's civil unions law, which granted gay couples most of the rights, benefits and responsibilities of marriage, went into effect.

Also in 2000, The Confederate flag was removed from atop South Carolina's Statehouse (in a compromise, another Confederate flag was raised on the Statehouse grounds in front of a soldier's monument).

In 2013, the sci-fi/monster movie “Pacific Rim” premiered in Mexico City.

 

If I may...

ON JULY 2nd:

In 1776, the Continental Congress passed a resolution saying that "these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States."

In 1777, Vermont became the first American territory to abolish slavery.

In 1822, thirty-five slaves were hanged in South Carolina, including Denmark Vesey, after being accused of organizing a slave rebellion.

In 1839, twenty miles off the coast of Cuba, fifty-three rebelling African slaves led by Joseph Cinque took over the slave ship Amistad.

In 1881, President James A. Garfield was shot by Charles J. Guiteau at the Washington railroad station; Garfield died the following September. (Guiteau was hanged in June 1882.)

In 1890, President Benjamin Harrison signed into law the Sherman Antitrust Act.

In 1897, British-Italian engineer Guglielmo Marconi obtained a patent for radio in London.

In 1900, the first Zeppelin flight took place on Lake Constance near Friedrichshafen, Germany.

In 1915, a time bomb planted in a reception room of the U.S. Senate exploded shortly before midnight, causing considerable damage but hurting no one.

In 1921, U.S. President Warren G. Harding signed the Knox-Porter Resolution, formally ending the war between the United States and Imperial Germany.

In 1926, the United States Army Air Corps was created.

In 1927, actor Brock Peters was born in Harlem. Sci-fi fans know him for his roles in “Soylent Green”, “Star Trek”, “Battlestar Galactica” and for playing Darth Vader in the “Star Wars” radio adaptations.

In 1937, aviatrix Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to make the first round-the-world flight along the equator.

Also in 1937, NASCAR driver Richard Petty was born in Level Cross, Randolph County, NC.

In 1941, the autobiographical drama “Sergeant York”, starring Gary Cooper in the title role, premiered in New York City.

Wunnerful, wunnerful! In 1955, "The Lawrence Welk Show" premiered on ABC-TV under its original title, "The Dodge Dancing Party."

In 1956, Elvis Presley recorded "Don't Be Cruel" and "Hound Dog" in New York City. "Hound Dog" took 31 takes.

In 1958, the Elvis Presley movie “King Creole” was released in the U.S.

In 1961, author Ernest Hemingway shot himself to death at his home in Ketchum, ID at age 61.

In 1962, the first Wal-Mart store opened for business in Rogers, AR.

In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law a sweeping civil rights bill passed by Congress.

In 1976, the Republic of Vietnam fell, when Communist North Vietnam declared the union of North and South to form the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

In 1979, the Susan B. Anthony dollar coin was released to the public.

In 1982, Larry Walters of San Pedro, California, used a lawn chair equipped with 45 helium-filled weather balloons to rise to an altitude of 16,000 feet; he landed eight miles away in Long Beach.

In 1982, the cartoon adventure “The Secret of NIMH” was released in the U.S.

In 1986, the comic/martial arts/fantasy/adventure movie “Big Trouble in Little China”, starring Kurt Russell and Kim Catrall, was released in the U.S.

Also in 1986, the Disney cartoon “The Great Mouse Detective” was released in the U.S.

In 1990, more than 1,400 Muslim pilgrims were killed in a stampede inside a pedestrian tunnel near Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

In 1991, principal photography was completed for the sequel “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country”.

In 1996, principal photography was completed for the sequel “Star Trek: First Contact”.

In 1997, actor/Brigadier Gen. James Stewart died in Beverly Hills at age 89.

Also In 1997, the sci-fi movie “Men in Black”, starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, was released in the U.S.

In 1998, principal photography was completed for the sequel “Star Trek: Insurrection”.

In 2002, Steve Fossett became the first person to fly solo around the world nonstop in a balloon.

In 2013, William Shakespeare’s Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope by Ian Doescher was published by Quirk Books.

Also in 2013, the International Astronomical Union named the PLANET Pluto’s fourth and fifth moons, Kerberos and Styx.

 

If I may...

ON JULY 3rd:

In 1608, the city of Quebec was founded by Samuel de Champlain.

In 1775, Gen. George Washington took command of the Continental Army at Cambridge, MA.

In 1778, during the Revolutionary War, British forces killed 360 people in the Wyoming Valley massacre.

In 1819, The Bank of Savings in New York City, the first savings bank in the United States, opened.

In 1863, the three-day Civil War Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania ended in a major victory for the North as Confederate troops failed to breach Union positions during an assault known as Pickett's Charge.

In 1884, Dow Jones & Company published its first stock average.

In 1890, Idaho became the 43rd state of the Union.

In 1913, during a 50th anniversary reunion at Gettysburg, PA, Civil War veterans re-enacted Pickett's Charge, which ended with embraces and handshakes between the former enemies.

In 1935, astronaut/geologist/U.S. Senator Harrison “Jack” Schmitt, Lunar Module Pilot for Apollo 17, was born in Santa Rita, NM.

In 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt marked the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg by dedicating the Eternal Light Peace Memorial.

In 1944, during World War II, Soviet forces recaptured Minsk from the Germans.

In 1950, the first carrier strikes of the Korean War took place as the USS Valley Forge and the HMS Triumph sent fighter planes against North Korean targets.

In 1952, The Constitution of Puerto Rico was approved by the U.S. Congress.

In 1962, French President Charles de Gaulle signed an agreement recognizing Algeria as an independent state after 132 years of French rule.

In 1964, actress/author/artist Yeardley Smith was born in Paris, France. She’s well-known for playing one of Springfield’s more prominent citizens.

In 1965, on “Doctor Who”, part one of “The Time Meddler” was broadcast on BBC 1. It featured the first appearance of Peter Butterworth as the Meddling Monk, the first member of the Doctor’s then-unnamed race to be presented (apart from the Doctor and Susan).

In 1969, Brian Jones, founder and former guitarist for the Rolling Stones, was found dead at age 27 in his swimming pool at home in England.

Also in 1969, the biggest explosion in the history of rocketry occurred when a Soviet N-1 rocket blew up and subsequently destroyed its launchpad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

In 1971, singer/songwriter Jim Morrison of the Doors was found dead in Paris at age 27.

In 1978, principal photography began on the science-fiction movie “Alien” at Shepperton Studios.

In 1985, the time-travel comedy "Back to the Future," starring Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, was released in the U.S.

In 1988, the USS Vincennes shot down an Iran Air jetliner over the Persian Gulf, killing all 290 people aboard.

In 1993, actor/comedian/Stooge Joe DeRita died in Woodland Hills, CA at age 83.

In 1996, Russians went to the polls to re-elect Boris Yeltsin president over his Communist challenger, Gennady Zyuganov in a runoff.

In 1996, the sci-fi/disaster movie “Independence Day” was released in the U.S, just over a week after its premiere in Westwood, CA. In many theaters, a trailer for the upcoming release of the Special Edition of the original “Star Wars” trilogy was included. Some fans (including your humble correspondent) have admitted seeing the former mainly so they could see the latter.

Also in 1997, “Bean: The Movie”, starring Rowan Atkinson, was released in Australia. It would reach the UK the following month, and the U.S. in October.

In 2001, musician/composer Delia Derbyshire died in Northampton, England at age 64. An electronic music pioneer with the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, she was the unofficial, but widely acknowledged, co-composer of the “Doctor Who” theme music.

In 2012, actor/producer/singer/comedian Andy Griffith died in Manteo, CA at age 86.

In 2013, Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi was overthrown by the military after four days of protests all over the country calling for Morsi's resignation, to which he didn't respond. President of the Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt Adly Mansour was declared acting president.

In 2016, a truck bombing on a bustling commercial street in downtown Baghdad killed 115 people, with 187 wounded and 11 missing.

 

If I may...

ON JULY 4th:

In 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence.

In 1778, following the previous year's sporadic celebrations, Gen. George Washington declared the nation's first official celebration of the Fourth of July. Held in Piscataway, NJ, it included a cannon & flintlock salute on the banks of the Raritan River and a formal ball at the township's Ross Hall.

In 1802, the U.S. Military Academy opened at West Point, N.Y.

In 1817, construction of the Erie Canal began in Rome, NY.

In 1826, Death claimed the second and third presidents of the United States: John Adams died at age 90 in Braintree, MA, while Thomas Jefferson died at 83 at Monticello, his home near Charlottesville, VA.

In 1831, James Monroe, the fifth president of the United States, died at age 73 in New York City.

In 1832, the national hymn “America” was first sung in public at a children’s celebration of Independence Day at the Park St. Church in Boston, MA.

In 1845, American writer Henry David Thoreau began a two-year experiment in simple living at Walden Pond near Concord, MA.

In 1863, Vicksburg, MS surrendered to the Army of the Tennessee, led by Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, after 47 days of siege.

Also in 1863, the Army of Northern Virginia withdrew from the battlefield after losing the Battle of Gettysburg, signaling an end to the Southern invasion of the North.

In 1872, Calvin Coolidge, the 30th president of the United States, was born in Plymouth, VT.

In 1881, in Alabama, the Tuskegee Institute opened.

In 1882, producer Louis B. Mayer, co-founder of MGM, was born in Minsk, Russia.

In 1883, cartoonist/engineer/inventor Rube Goldberg was born in San Francisco.

In 1884, lawyer/businessman/producer George W. Trendle born in Norwalk, OH. He’s best-known for his work at radio station WXYZ, Detroit, including the development of the radio programs “The Lone Ranger”, “The Green Hornet” and “Challenge of the Yukon”.

In 1910, race riots broke out all over the United States after African-American Jack Johnson knocked out Jim Jeffries in a heavyweight boxing match.

In 1912, the 48-star American flag, recognizing the statehood of New Mexico, was adopted.

In 1918, Bolsheviks killed Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and his family.

In 1919, Jack Dempsey won the world heavyweight champion when he defeated Jess Willard.

In 1927, playwright/screenwriter Neil Simon was born in the Bronx.

In 1934, boxer Joe Louis won his first professional fight.

In 1939, baseball player Lou Gehrig, afflicted with a fatal illness, bid a tearful farewell at Yankee Stadium in New York, telling fans, "Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the Earth."

In 1943, the Battle of Kursk, the largest full-scale battle in history and the world's largest tank battle, began in Prokhorovka village.

In 1946, The Philippines became independent.

In 1959, the 49-star American flag, recognizing the statehood of Alaska, was officially flown.

In 1960, the 50-star American flag, recognizing the statehood of Hawaii, was officially flown.

In 1961, on its maiden voyage, the Soviet nuclear-powered submarine K-19 suffered a complete loss of coolant to its reactor. The crew were able to effect repairs, but 22 of them died of radiation poisoning over the following two years.

In 1962, the sci-fi comedy “Three Stooges in Orbit” was released in the U.S.

In 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Freedom of Information Act into law.

In 1976, Israeli commandos raided Entebbe airport in Uganda, rescuing almost all of the passengers and crew of an Air France jetliner seized by pro-Palestinian hijackers.

Also in 1976, the United States of America celebrated its Bicentennial.

In 1987, former Getaspo chief Klaus Barbie was convicted by a French court of crimes against humanity and sentenced to life in prison.

In 1997, NASA’s Pathfinder space probe landed on the surface of Mars.

In 2003, singer/songwriter/musician Barry White died in Los Angeles at age 58.

In 2004, the cornerstone of the Freedom Tower was laid on the site of the World Trade Center in New York City.

In 2009, The Statue of Liberty’s crown reopened to the public after eight years of closure due to security concerns following the September 11th attacks.

In 2016, NASA’s Juno space probe arrived at Jupiter.

 

Breaking (hot dog eating contest) history:

 

If I may...

ON JULY 5th:

In 1687, Isaac Newton first published his Principia Mathematica, a three-volume work setting out his mathematical principles of natural philosophy.

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

In 1865, the Secret Service Division of the U.S. Treasury Department was founded in Washington D.C. with the mission of suppressing counterfeit currency.

In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the National Labor Relations Act.

In 1937, Spam, the luncheon meat, was introduced into the market by the Hormel Foods Corporation. It would be another 33 years before Python got ahold of it.

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

In 1941, the Bugs Bunny cartoon “The Heckling Hare” was released in the U.S. A dispute over the ending of this cartoon between director Tex Avery and producer Leon Schlesinger resulted in Avery leaving Warner Bros. and subsequently moving to MGM.

In 1945, during World War II, the liberation of the Philippines was declared.

In 1946, the bikini, created by Louis Reard, was modeled by Micheline Bernardini during a poolside fashion show in Paris.

In 1947, Larry Doby made his debut with the Cleveland Indians, becoming the first black player in the American League.

In 1948, Britain's National Health Service Act went into effect, providing publicly-financed medical and dental care.

Also in 1948, actor William Hootkins, known to “Star Wars” fans for playing Porkins in “Episode IV- A New Hope”, was born in Dallas TX.

In 1950, The Knesset passed the Law of Return, which grants all Jews the right to immigrate to Israel.

Also in 1950, during the Korean War, American and North Korean forces first clashed, in the Battle of Osan.

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

In 1958, cartoonist Bill Watterson, creator of Calvin & Hobbes, was born in Washington, D.C.

In 1962, independence took effect in Algeria; the same day, civilians of European descent, mostly French, came under attack by extremists in the port city of Oran.

In 1969, The Rolling Stones held a free concert in London's Hyde Park. Mick Jagger read poetry in memory of the late Brian Jones.

In 1971, the 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, lowering the voting age from 21 to 18 years, was formally certified by President Richard Nixon.

In 1975, Arthur Ashe became the first black man to win a Wimbledon singles title as he defeated Jimmy Connors, 6-1, 6-1, 5-7, 6-4.

In 1977, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the first elected Prime Minister of Pakistan, was overthrown in a military coup.

In 1984, the Supreme Court weakened the 70-year-old "exclusionary rule," deciding that evidence seized in good faith with defective court warrants could be used against defendants in criminal trials.

In 1989, the pilot episode of the sit-com “Seinfeld”, titled “The Seinfeld Chronicles”, was broadcast on NBC-TV.

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

In 1996, Dolly the sheep became the first mammal cloned from an adult cell.

In 2004, the first Indonesian presidential election was held.

In 2008, on “Doctor Who”, the episode “Journey’s End” was broadcast on BBC 1. It featured the last regular appearance of Catherine Tate as Donna Noble.

In 2012, the 95-story London skyscraper The Shard was inaugurated as the tallest building in Europe, with a height of 310 meters (1,020 ft).

In 2016, NASA’s unmanned Juno space probe arrived at Jupiter and began a 20-month survey of the planet.

In 2019, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit Southern California about 125 miles northeast of Los Angeles, causing significant damage, just a day after a magnitude 6.4 earthquake in the same area.

 

If I may...

ON JULY 6th:

In 1189, Richard I “the Lionheart” acceded to the English throne.

In 1415, Czech church reformer Jan Hus, condemned for heresy, was burned at the stake in Konstanz in present-day Germany.

In 1483, Richard III was crowned King of England.

In 1535, Sir Thomas More was executed in England for high treason.

In 1777, during the American Revolution, British forces captured Fort Ticonderoga.

In 1854, in Jackson, MI, the first convention of the Republican Party was held.

In 1865, the weekly publication "The Nation" made its debut.

In 1885, Louis Pasteur successfully tested his vaccine against rabies on Joseph Meister, a boy who was bitten by a rabid dog.

In 1917, during World War I, Arab forces led by T.E. Lawrence and Auda Abu Tayi captured the port of Aqaba from the Turks.

In 1925, TV host/singer/actor/producer Merv Griffin was born in San Mateo, CA.

In 1927, comedian/actor/satirist/Presidential candidate Pat Paulsen was born in South Bend, WA.

In 1933, the first All-Star baseball game was played at Chicago's Comiskey Park; the American League defeated the National League, 4-2.

In 1944, an estimated 168 people died in a fire that broke out during a performance in the main tent of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in Hartford, CT.

In 1945, President Harry S. Truman signed an executive order establishing the Medal of Freedom.

Also in 1945, Nicaragua became the first nation to ratify the United Nations Charter.

In addition in 1945, actor/Caped Crusader Burt Ward was born in Los Angeles.

In 1946, George W. Bush, 43rd President of the U.S., was born in New Haven, CT.

In 1957, Althea Gibson became the first black tennis player to win a Wimbledon singles title as she defeated fellow American Darlene Hard 6-3, 6-2.

Also in 1957, John Lennon and Paul McCartney met for the first time, as teenagers at Woolton Fete, three years before forming the Beatles.

In addition in 1957, the Bugs Bunny cartoon “What’s Opera, Doc?” was released in the U.S.

In 1964, the musical "A Hard Day's Night," starring The Beatles, had its world premiere in London.

In 1971, jazz trumpeter and singer Louis Armstrong died in New York at age 69.

In 1975, thoroughbred filly Ruffian broke down during a match race with Kentucky Derby winner Foolish Pleasure. (Her right leg and hoof was badly injured. She would be euthanized the following day.)

In 1988, 167 North Sea oil workers were killed when explosions and fires destroyed a drilling platform.

Also in 1988, medical waste and other debris began washing up on New York City-area seashores, forcing the closing of several popular beaches.

In 1994, 14 firefighters were killed while battling a several-days-old blaze on Storm King Mountain in Colorado.

In 2013, a Boeing 777, operating as Asiana Airlines Flight 214, crashed at San Francisco International Airport, killing three and injuring 181 of the 307 people on board.

Also in 2013, a 73-car oil train derailed in the town of Lac-Megantic, Quebec and exploded into flames, killing at least 47 people and destroying more than 30 buildings in the town's central area.

 

- yes, I'm including this. No I feel no shame about it.

 

If I may...

ON JULY 7th:

In 1846, U.S. annexation of California was proclaimed at Monterey after the surrender of a Mexican garrison.

In 1863, the United States began its first military draft; exemptions were permitted at a cost of $300.

In 1865, four people were hanged in Washington D.C. for conspiring with John Wilkes Booth to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln: Lewis Powell (aka Lewis Payne), David Herold, George Atzerodt and Mary Surratt, the first woman to be executed by the U.S. federal government.

In 1898, the United States annexed Hawaii.

In 1901, SPFX designer/producer Eiji Tsuburaya, best-known for his work on the “Godzilla” films and the “Ultraman” TV series, was born Sukagawa, Fukushima, Japan.

In 1919, the first Transcontinental Motor Convoy, in which a U.S. Army convoy of motorized vehicles crossed the United States, departed Washington D.C. (The trip ended in San Francisco on September 6, 1919.)

Also in 1919, actor Jon Pertwee was born in Chelsea. London, England. The attempts to reach Metebelis 3 would come later.

In 1930, author/physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (KStJ, DL) died in Crowborough, Sussex, England at age 71.

In 1937, the Second Sino-Japanese War erupted into full-scale conflict as Imperial Japanese forces attacked the Marco Polo Bridge in Beijing.

In 1940, musician/singer/songwriter/actor/Beatle Ringo Starr (officially Sir Richard Starkey, MBE) was born in Dingle, Liverpool, England.

In 1941, actor/comedian/composer/conservationist/Goodie Bill Oddie (officially William Edgar Oddie, OBE) was born in Rochdale, Lancashire, England.

In 1946, Mother Francesca S. Cabrini became the first American to be canonized.

Also in 1946, businessman/aviator Howard Hughes was seriously injured when his XF-11 reconnaissance aircraft prototype crashed in a Beverly Hills neighborhood.

In 1947, the adventure series “Escape” premiered over CBS Radio.

In 1948, six female U.S. Navy reservists became the first women to be sworn in to the regular Navy.

In 1954, Memphis DJ Dewey Phillips of WHBQ became the first DJ to play an Elvis Presley record. He premiered "That's All Right," and he also interviewed Elvis.

In 1956, singer Johnny Cash made his first appearance on "Grand Ole Opry."

In 1969, Canada's House of Commons gave final approval to the Official Languages Act, making French equal to English throughout the national government.

In 1971, animator/cartoonist/producer Ub Iwerks, best-known for his work at Disney, died in Burbank at age 70.

In 1975, racing champion filly Ruffian was euthanized following injuries sustained in a race against 1975 Kentucky Derby winner Foolish Pleasure the previous day.

In 1976, first female cadets were enrolled at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

Also in 1976, President and Mrs. Gerald R. Ford hosted a White House dinner for Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.

In 1977, the James Bond movie “The Spy Who Loved Me”, starring Roger Moore as 007, premiered in London.

In 1981, President Ronald Reagan announced he was nominating Arizona Judge Sandra Day O'Connor to become the first female justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.

In 1987, Lt. Col. Oliver North began his long-awaited public testimony at the Iran- Contra hearing, telling Congress that he had "never carried out a single act, not one," without authorization.

In 1990, the first "Three Tenors" concert took place as opera stars Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras performed amid the brick ruins of Rome's Baths of Caracalla on the eve of the World Cup championship.

In 2005, suicide terrorist bombings in three Underground stations and a double-decker bus killed 52 victims and four bombers in the worst attack on London since World War II.

In 2011, the fantasy sequel “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2”, the last (to date) Harry Potter movie, premiered in London.

In 2014, Washington State issued its first retail marijuana licenses.

In 2015, “William Shakespeare’s ‘The Clone Army Attacketh: Star Wars Part the Second’” by Ian Doescher was published by Quirk Books.

In 2016, a gunman shot fourteen police officers during an anti-police protest in downtown Dallas, TX, killing five of them. (He was subsequently killed by a robot-delivered bomb.)

 

Also on July 7th, 2021, the Tampa Bay Lightening defeat the Montreal Canadiens to successfully defend their NHL crown and hoist Lord Stanley's Cup.

 

If I may...

ON JULY 8th:

In 1663, King Charles II of England granted a Royal Charter to Rhode Island.

In 1775, The “Olive Branch Petition”, a final (and unsuccessful) attempt to avoid war with Great Britain, was signed by the Continental Congress of the Thirteen Colonies of North America.

In 1776, Col. John Nixon gave the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence, outside the State House (now Independence Hall) in Philadelphia.

In 1853, an expedition led by Commodore Matthew Perry arrived in Yedo Bay, Japan, on a mission to seek diplomatic and trade relations with the Japanese.

In 1889, the newspaper “The Wall Street Journal” was first published.

Also in 1889, John L. Sullivan defeated Jake Kilrain, in the last championship bare-knuckle fight. The fight lasted 75 rounds.

In 1907, Florenz Ziegfeld staged his first "Follies," on the roof of the New York Theater.

In 1913, actor Bill Thompson was born in Terre Haute, IN. He’s best-known for his radio work, as well as providing the voice of Droopy in the MGM cartoon series.

In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson received a tumultuous welcome in New York City after his return from the Versailles Peace Conference in France.

In 1930, actor/singer Jerry Vale was born in the Bronx.

In 1934, actor/writer/comedian Marty Feldman was born in London.

In 1935, the Universal Horror movie “The Raven”, starring Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi, was released in the U.S.

In 1947, demolition work began in New York City to make way for the new permanent headquarters of the United Nations.

Also in 1947, actor Laurence Olivier was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.

In 1948, The U.S. Air Force accepted its first female recruits into a program called Women in the Air Force (WAF).

In 1950, President Harry S. Truman named Gen. Douglas MacArthur commander-in-chief of United Nations forces in Korea. (Truman ended up sacking MacArthur for insubordination nine months later.)

In 1965, Canadian Pacific Air Lines Flight 21, a Douglas DC-6B, crashed in British Columbia after the tail separated from the fuselage; all 52 people on board were killed in what authorities said was the result of an apparent bombing.

In 1968, filming began at Paramount Studios on “Spock’s Brain”, which would be broadcast as the third season premiere for the original series “Star Trek”.

In 1973, producer/screenwriter Gene L. Coon, one of the key production people for the original series “Star Trek”, died at age 49.

In 1975, President Gerald R. Ford announced he would seek a second term of office.

In 1989, Carlos Saul Menem was inaugurated as president of Argentina in the country's first transfer of power from one democratically elected civilian leader to another in six decades.

In 1994, Kim Il Sung, North Korea's communist leader since 1948, died in Pyongyang at age 82.

In 1999, aviator/engineer/astronaut Charles P. “Pete” Conrad died in Ojai, CA at age 69.

In 2002, animator Ward Kimball, best-known for his work at Walt Disney Studios, died in Los Angeles at age 88.

In 2005, “Fantastic Four”, the second live action film version of the Marvel comic book, was released in the U.S.

In 2006, on “Doctor Who”, “Doomsday” was broadcast on BBC 1. It featured the last regular appearance of Billie Piper as Rose Tyler.

In 2007, screenwriter Jack B. Sowards died in Los Angeles at age 78. He’s best-known for co-writing the screenplay for “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan”.

In 2011, Space Shuttle Atlantis was launched in the final mission of the U.S. Space Shuttle program.

In 2012, actor Ernest Borgnine died in Los Angeles at age 95.

In 2020, in a 7–2 decision in Little Sisters of the Poor Saints Peter and Paul Home v. Pennsylvania, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld regulations that allowed employers with religious or moral objections to decline to provide contraception coverage under the Affordable Care Act.