This Day in History

Amaury · Jun 2, 2012

6/2/1935: Babe Ruth Retires

On this day in 1935, Babe Ruth, one of the greatest players in the history of baseball, ends his Major League playing career after 22 seasons, 10 World Series and 714 home runs. The following year, Ruth, a larger-than-life figure whose name became synonymous with baseball, was one of the first five players inducted into the sport's hall of fame.

George Herman Ruth was born February 6, 1895, into a poor family in Baltimore. As a child, he was sent to St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys, a school run by Roman Catholic brothers, where he learned to play baseball and was a standout athlete. At 19, Ruth was signed by the Baltimore Orioles, then a Boston Red Sox minor league team. Ruth's fellow teammates and the media began referring to him as team owner Jack Dunn's newest "babe," a nickname that stuck. Ruth would later acquire other nicknames, including "The Sultan of Swat" and "The Bambino."

Ruth made his Major League debut as a left-handed pitcher with the Red Sox in July 1914 and pitched 89 winning games for the team before 1920, when he was traded to the New York Yankees. After Ruth left Boston, in what became known as "the curse of the Bambino," the Red Sox didn't win another World Series until 2004. In New York, Ruth's primary position changed to outfielder and he led the Yankees to seven American League pennants and four World Series victories. Ruth was a huge star in New York and attracted so many fans that the team was able to open a new stadium in 1923, Yankee Stadium, dubbed "The House That Ruth Built."

The southpaw slugger's final season, in 1935, was with the Boston Braves. He had joined the Braves with the hope that he'd become the team's manager the next season. However, this dream never came to pass for a disappointed Ruth, who had a reputation for excessive drinking, gambling and womanizing.

Many of the records Ruth set remained in place for decades. His career homerun record stood until 1974, when it was broken by Hank Aaron. Ruth's record of 60 homeruns in a single season (1927) of 154 games wasn't bested until 1961, when Roger Maris knocked out 61 homers in an extended season of 162 games. The Sultan of Swat's career slugging percentage of .690 remains the highest in Major League history.

Ruth died of throat cancer at age 53 on August 16, 1948, in New York City. His body lay in state at Yankee Stadium for two days and was visited by over 100,000 fans.
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American Revolution

Parliament completes the Coercive Acts with the Quartering Act, 1774

Automotive

Race car driver and designer Bruce McLaren dies in crash, 1970

Civil War

Philip Kearny is born, 1815

Cold War

McCarthy charges communists are in the CIA, 1954

Crime

Serial killing spree is put to an end, 1985

Disaster

Flash floods ravage Colorado, 1921

General Interest

American Civil War ends, 1865

President Cleveland marries in White House, 1886

The Indian Citizenship Act, 1924

Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, 1953

McVeigh convicted for Oklahoma City bombing, 1997

Hollywood

Dead Poets Society released in selected theaters, 1989

Literary

Raymond Carver quits drinking, 1977

Music

Ray Charles takes country music to the top of the pop charts, 1962

Old West

Ashley's fur trappers attacked by Indians, 1823

Presidential

Grover Cleveland gets married in the White House, 1886

Coolidge signs Indian Citizen Act, 1924

Sports

English football clubs banned from Europe, 1985

Vietnam War

First contingent of Australian combat troops arrives, 1965

Green Beret doctor convicted in court-martial, 1967

World War I

Austro-German forces attack Russians at Przemysl, 1915

World War II

United States begins "shuttle bombing" in Operation Frantic, 1944

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Amaury · Jun 3, 2012

6/3/1989: Crackdown at Tiananmen Begins

With protests for democratic reforms entering their seventh week, the Chinese government authorizes its soldiers and tanks to reclaim Beijing's Tiananmen Square at all costs. By nightfall on June 4, Chinese troops had forcibly cleared the square, killing hundreds and arresting thousands of demonstrators and suspected dissidents.

On April 15, the death of Hu Yaobang, a former Communist Party head who supported democratic reforms, roused some 100,000 students to gather at Beijing's Tiananmen Square to commemorate the leader and voice their discontent with China's authoritative government. On April 22, an official memorial service for Hu Yaobang was held in Tiananmen's Great Hall of the People, and student representatives carried a petition to the steps of the Great Hall, demanding to meet with Premier Li Peng. The Chinese government refused the meeting, leading to a general boycott of Chinese universities across the country and widespread calls for democratic reforms.

Ignoring government warnings of suppression of any mass demonstration, students from more than 40 universities began a march to Tiananmen on April 27. The students were joined by workers, intellectuals, and civil servants, and by mid-May more than a million people filled the square, the site of Mao Zedong's proclamation of the People's Republic of China in 1949.

On May 20, the government formally declared martial law in Beijing, and troops and tanks were called in to disperse the dissidents. However, large numbers of students and citizens blocked the army's advance, and by May 23 government forces had pulled back to the outskirts of Beijing. On June 3, with negotiations to end the protests stalled and calls for democratic reforms escalating, the troops received orders from the Chinese government to seize control of Tiananmen Square and the streets of Beijing. Hundreds were killed and thousands arrested.

In the weeks after the government crackdown, an unknown number of dissidents were executed, and hard-liners in the government took firm control of the country. The international community was outraged by the incident, and economic sanctions imposed by the United States and other countries sent China's economy into decline. By late 1990, however, international trade had resumed, thanks in part to China's release of several hundred imprisoned dissidents.
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American Revolution

Former Massachusetts Governor Thomas Hutchinson dies in England, 1780

Automotive

U.S. Supreme Court rules against Du Pont in General Motors suit, 1957

Civil War

Union disaster at Cold Harbor, 1864

Cold War

Bush and Gorbachev end second summit meeting, 1990

Crime

Van der Sloot arrested for murder in South America, 2010

Disaster

Natural gas explosion kills 500 in Russia, 1989

General Interest

President Adams settles in new capital, 1800

Duke of Windsor weds, 1937

An American walks in space, 1965

Hollywood

Lew Wasserman dies, 2002

Literary

Larry McMurtry is born, 1936

Music

Rock and roll is banned in Santa Cruz, California, 1956

Old West

Western author Larry McMurtry is born, 1936

Presidential

President John Adams moves into a tavern in Washington, D.C., 1800

Sports

Josh Gibson hits ball 580 feet in Yankee Stadium, 1937

Vietnam War

Le Duc Tho joins negotiations in Paris, 1968

Nixon calls Cambodian operation a success, 1970

World War I

U.S. President Woodrow Wilson signs National Defense Act, 1916

World War II

Germans bomb Paris, 1940

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Amaury · Jun 4, 2012

6/4/1942: Battle of Midway Begins

On this day in 1942, the Battle of Midway--one of the most decisive U.S. victories against Japan during World War II--begins. During the four-day sea-and-air battle, the outnumbered U.S. Pacific Fleet succeeded in destroying four Japanese aircraft carriers while losing only one of its own, the Yorktown, to the previously invincible Japanese navy.

In six months of offensives prior to Midway, the Japanese had triumphed in lands throughout the Pacific, including Malaysia, Singapore, the Dutch East Indies, the Philippines and numerous island groups. The United States, however, was a growing threat, and Japanese Admiral Isoruku Yamamoto sought to destroy the U.S. Pacific Fleet before it was large enough to outmatch his own.

A thousand miles northwest of Honolulu, the strategic island of Midway became the focus of his scheme to smash U.S. resistance to Japan's imperial designs. Yamamoto's plan consisted of a feint toward Alaska followed by an invasion of Midway by a Japanese strike force. When the U.S. Pacific Fleet arrived at Midway to respond to the invasion, it would be destroyed by the superior Japanese fleet waiting unseen to the west. If successful, the plan would eliminate the U.S. Pacific Fleet and provide a forward outpost from which the Japanese could eliminate any future American threat in the Central Pacific. U.S. intelligence broke the Japanese naval code, however, and the Americans anticipated the surprise attack.

In the meantime, 200 miles to the northeast, two U.S. attack fleets caught the Japanese force entirely by surprise and destroyed three heavy Japanese carriers and one heavy cruiser. The only Japanese carrier that initially escaped destruction, the Hiryu, loosed all its aircraft against the American task force and managed to seriously damage the U.S. carrier Yorktown, forcing its abandonment. At about 5:00 p.m., dive-bombers from the U.S. carrier Enterprise returned the favor, mortally damaging the Hiryu. It was scuttled the next morning.

When the Battle of Midway ended, Japan had lost four carriers, a cruiser and 292 aircraft, and suffered an estimated 2,500 casualties. The U.S. lost the Yorktown, the destroyer USS Hammann, 145 aircraft and suffered approximately 300 casualties.

Japan's losses hobbled its naval might--bringing Japanese and American sea power to approximate parity--and marked the turning point in the Pacific theater of World War II. In August 1942, the great U.S. counteroffensive began at Guadalcanal and did not cease until Japan's surrender three years later.
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American Revolution

Lieutenant Colonel George Washington builds Fort Necessity, 1754

Automotive

Henry Ford test-drives his "Quadricycle", 1896

Civil War

Confederates evacuate Fort Pillow, 1862

Cold War

Tiananmen Square massacre takes place, 1989

Crime

Pollard admits to selling top-secret information to Israel, 1986

Disaster

Trains collide in Bangladesh, 1972

General Interest

Congress passes the 19th Amendment, 1919

Dunkirk evacuation ends, 1940

Angela Davis acquitted, 1972

Hollywood

Angelina Jolie born, 1975

Literary

The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers is published, 1940

Music

Four dozen people witness "The gig that changed the world", 1976

Old West

Express train crosses the nation in 83 hours, 1876

Presidential

FDR asks for drought-relief funds, 1934

Sports

Celtics battle Suns through three overtimes in NBA Finals, 1976

Vietnam War

Kennedy and Khrushchev agree on neutrality for Laos, 1961

Walt takes command of 3rd Marine Division, 1965

World War I

Brusilov Offensive begins, 1916

World War II

The Battle of Midway begins, 1942

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Amaury · Jun 5, 2012

6/5/1933: FDR Takes United States Off Gold Standard

On June 5, 1933, the United States went off the gold standard, a monetary system in which currency is backed by gold, when Congress enacted a joint resolution nullifying the right of creditors to demand payment in gold. The United States had been on a gold standard since 1879, except for an embargo on gold exports during World War I, but bank failures during the Great Depression of the 1930s frightened the public into hoarding gold, making the policy untenable.

Soon after taking office in March 1933, Roosevelt declared a nationwide bank moratorium in order to prevent a run on the banks by consumers lacking confidence in the economy. He also forbade banks to pay out gold or to export it. According to Keynesian economic theory, one of the best ways to fight off an economic downturn is to inflate the money supply. And increasing the amount of gold held by the Federal Reserve would in turn increase its power to inflate the money supply. Facing similar pressures, Britain had dropped the gold standard in 1931, and Roosevelt had taken note.

On April 5, 1933, Roosevelt ordered all gold coins and gold certificates in denominations of more than $100 turned in for other money. It required all persons to deliver all gold coin, gold bullion and gold certificates owned by them to the Federal Reserve by May 1 for the set price of $20.67 per ounce. By May 10, the government had taken in $300 million of gold coin and $470 million of gold certificates. Two months later, a joint resolution of Congress abrogated the gold clauses in many public and private obligations that required the debtor to repay the creditor in gold dollars of the same weight and fineness as those borrowed. In 1934, the government price of gold was increased to $35 per ounce, effectively increasing the gold on the Federal Reserve's balance sheets by 69 percent. This increase in assets allowed the Federal Reserve to further inflate the money supply.

The government held the $35 per ounce price until August 15, 1971, when President Richard Nixon announced that the United States would no longer convert dollars to gold at a fixed value, thus completely abandoning the gold standard. In 1974, President Gerald Ford signed legislation that permitted Americans again to own gold bullion.
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American Revolution

Adam Smith, author of The Wealth of Nations, is baptized in Scotland, 1723

Automotive

Autoworkers' union calls strike at GM parts factory, 1998

Civil War

Union routs Rebels at the Battle of Piedmont, 1864

Cold War

George Marshall calls for aid to Europe, 1947

Crime

Bobby Kennedy is assassinated, 1968

Disaster

Constantinople burns, 1870

General Interest

Profumo resigns in sex scandal, 1963

Six-Day War begins, 1967

Robert F. Kennedy shot, 1968

Ronald Reagan dies, 2004

Hollywood

Jennifer Lopez marries Marc Anthony, 2004

Literary

Ken Follett is born, 1949

Music

Elvis rocks The Milton Berle Show, 1956

Old West

Discoverer of Klondike Gold dies, 1922

Presidential

Cleveland denies widow her husband's military pension, 1888

FDR warns Japanese against using poison gas, 1942

Sports

Julie Krone wins the Belmont Stakes, 1993

Vietnam War

Robert Kennedy shot after California primary, 1968

Laird testifies before Congress, 1972

World War I

British War Minister Lord Kitchener drowns, 1916

World War II

Allies prepare for D-Day, 1944

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Amaury · Jun 6, 2012

6/6/1944: D-Day

Although the term D-Day is used routinely as military lingo for the day an operation or event will take place, for many it is also synonymous with June 6, 1944, the day the Allied powers crossed the English Channel and landed on the beaches of Normandy, France, beginning the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi control during World War II. Within three months, the northern part of France would be freed and the invasion force would be preparing to enter Germany, where they would meet up with Soviet forces moving in from the east.

With Hitler's armies in control of most of mainland Europe, the Allies knew that a successful invasion of the continent was central to winning the war. Hitler knew this too, and was expecting an assault on northwestern Europe in the spring of 1944. He hoped to repel the Allies from the coast with a strong counterattack that would delay future invasion attempts, giving him time to throw the majority of his forces into defeating the Soviet Union in the east. Once that was accomplished, he believed an all-out victory would soon be his.

On the morning of June 5, 1944, U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the supreme commander of Allied forces in Europe gave the go-ahead for Operation Overlord, the largest amphibious military operation in history. On his orders, 6,000 landing craft, ships and other vessels carrying 176,000 troops began to leave England for the trip to France. That night, 822 aircraft filled with parachutists headed for drop zones in Normandy. An additional 13,000 aircraft were mobilized to provide air cover and support for the invasion.

By dawn on June 6, 18,000 parachutists were already on the ground; the land invasions began at 6:30 a.m. The British and Canadians overcame light opposition to capture Gold, Juno and Sword beaches; so did the Americans at Utah. The task was much tougher at Omaha beach, however, where 2,000 troops were lost and it was only through the tenacity and quick-wittedness of troops on the ground that the objective was achieved. By day's end, 155,000 Allied troops--Americans, British and Canadians--had successfully stormed Normandyâ€™s beaches.

For their part, the Germans suffered from confusion in the ranks and the absence of celebrated commander Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, who was away on leave. At first, Hitler, believing that the invasion was a feint designed to distract the Germans from a coming attack north of the Seine River, refused to release nearby divisions to join the counterattack and reinforcements had to be called from further afield, causing delays. He also hesitated in calling for armored divisions to help in the defense. In addition, the Germans were hampered by effective Allied air support, which took out many key bridges and forced the Germans to take long detours, as well as efficient Allied naval support, which helped protect advancing Allied troops.

Though it did not go off exactly as planned, as later claimed by British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery--for example, the Allies were able to land only fractions of the supplies and vehicles they had intended in France--D-Day was a decided success. By the end of June, the Allies had 850,000 men and 150,000 vehicles in Normandy and were poised to continue their march across Europe.

The heroism and bravery displayed by troops from the Allied countries on D-Day has served as inspiration for several films, most famously The Longest Day (1962) and Saving Private Ryan (1998). It was also depicted in the HBO mini-series Band of Brothers (2001).
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American Revolution

New York Patriot Marinus Willet seizes British weapons, 1775

Automotive

First drive-in movie theater opens, 1933

Civil War

Union claims Memphis in naval battle, 1862

Cold War

Vance affirms Carter's interest in human rights, 1977

Crime

A teenaged mother gives birth and murders her baby at the prom, 1997

Disaster

Train avoids cow, but kills 600, 1981

General Interest

The Ashmolean opens, 1683

President Jackson rides the Iron Horse, 1833

James Meredith shot, 1966

Indian army storms Golden Temple, 1984

Hollywood

Sex and the City premieres on HBO, 1998

Literary

George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-four is published, 1949

Music

The Ed Sullivan Show airs for the very last time, 1971

Old West

William Quantrill killed by Union soldiers, 1865

Presidential

General Dwight D. Eisenhower launches Operation Overlord, 1944

Sports

Eddie Murray sets career RBI record for a switch hitter, 1992

Vietnam War

U.S. reconnaissance jets shot down over Laos, 1964

South Vietnamese forces clear Kontum of communist troops, 1972

World War I

Battle of Belleau Wood begins, 1918

World War II

Allies invade France, 1944

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Amaury · Jun 7, 2012

6/7/1913: First Successful Ascent of Mt. McKinley

On this day in 1913, Hudson Stuck, an Alaskan missionary, leads the first successful ascent of Mt. McKinley, the highest point on the American continent at 20,320 feet.

Stuck, an accomplished amateur mountaineer, was born in London in 1863. After moving to the United States, in 1905 he became archdeacon of the Episcopal Church in Yukon, Alaska, where he was an admirer of Native Indian culture and traveled Alaska's difficult terrain to preach to villagers and establish schools.

In March 1913, the adventure-seeking Stuck set out from Fairbanks for Mt. McKinley with three companions, Harry Karstens, co-leader of the expedition, Walter Harper, whose mother was a Native Indian, and Robert Tatum, a theology student. Their arduous journey was made more challenging by difficult weather and a fire at one of their camps, which destroyed food and supplies. However, the group persevered and on June 7, Harper, followed by the rest of the party, was the first person to set foot on McKinley's south peak, considered the mountain's true summit. (In 1910, a group of climbers had reached the lower north peak.)

Stuck referred to the mountain by its Athabascan Indian name, Denali, meaning "The High One." In 1889, the mountain, over half of which is covered with permanent snowfields, was dubbed Densmores Peak, after a prospector named Frank Densmore. In 1896, it was renamed in honor of Senator William McKinley, who became president that year.

Mount McKinley National Park was established as a wildlife refuge in 1917. Harry Karstens served as the park's first superintendent. In 1980, the park was expanded and renamed Denali National Park and Preserve. Encompassing 6 million acres, the park is larger than Massachusetts.

Hudson Stuck died in Alaska on October 10, 1920. Today, over 1,000 hopeful climbers attempt to scale Mt. McKinley each year, with about half of them successfully reaching their goal.
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American Revolution

Lee Resolution presented to Continental Congress, 1776

Automotive

Switzerland welcomes first drive-through bank, 1962

Civil War

Rebels turned back at Milliken's Bend, 1863

Cold War

Czechoslovakian president Benes resigns, 1948

Crime

Michael Skakel convicted of 1975 murder in Greenwich, 2002

Disaster

Earthquake destroys Jamaican pirate haven, 1692

General Interest

Gandhi's first act of civil disobedience, 1893

British king visits U.S., 1939

Battle of Midway ends, 1942

Hollywood

Jean Harlow dies, 1937

Literary

Louise Erdrich is born, 1954

Music

New York magazine publishes the story that becomes Saturday Night Fever, 1976

Old West

Chief Seattle dies near the city named for him, 1866

Presidential

Reagan becomes governor of California, 1966

Sports

Bo Jackson drafted by Kansas City Royals, 1986

Vietnam War

Westmoreland requests 44 battalions, 1965

McGovern continues to campaign against the war, 1972

World War I

Battle of Messines Ridge, 1917

World War II

Japanese land troops on the islands of Attu and Kiska in the Aleutians, 1942

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Amaury · Jun 8, 2012

6/8/1968: King Assassination Suspect Arrested

James Earl Ray, an escaped American convict, is arrested in London, England, and charged with the assassination of African American civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.

On April 4, 1968, in Memphis, King was fatally wounded by a sniper's bullet while standing on the balcony outside his second-story room at the Motel Lorraine. That evening, a Remington .30-06 hunting rifle was found on the sidewalk beside a rooming house one block from the Lorraine Motel. During the next several weeks, the rifle, eyewitness reports, and fingerprints on the weapon all implicated a single suspect: escaped convict James Earl Ray. A two-bit criminal, Ray escaped a Missouri prison in April 1967 while serving a sentence for a holdup. In May 1968, a massive manhunt for Ray began. The FBI eventually determined that he had obtained a Canadian passport under a false identity, which at the time was relatively easy.

On June 8, Scotland Yard investigators arrested Ray at a London airport. Ray was trying to fly to Belgium, with the eventual goal, he later admitted, of reaching Rhodesia. Rhodesia (now called Zimbabwe) was at the time ruled by an oppressive and internationally condemned white minority government. Extradited to the United States, Ray stood before a Memphis judge in March 1969 and pleaded guilty to King's murder in order to avoid the electric chair. He was sentenced to 99 years in prison.

Three days later, he attempted to withdraw his guilty plea, claiming he was innocent of King's assassination and had been set up as a patsy in a larger conspiracy. He claimed that in 1967, a mysterious man named "Raoul" had approached him and recruited him into a gunrunning enterprise. On April 4, 1968, however, he realized that he was to be the fall guy for the King assassination and fled for Canada. Ray's motion was denied, as were his dozens of other requests for a trial during the next 29 years.

During the 1990s, the widow and children of Martin Luther King, Jr., spoke publicly in support of Ray and his claims, calling him innocent and speculating about an assassination conspiracy involving the U.S. government and military. U.S. authorities were, in conspiracists' minds, implicated circumstantially. FBI director J. Edgar Hoover obsessed over King, who he thought was under communist influence. For the last six years of his life, King underwent constant wiretapping and harassment by the FBI. Before his death, Dr. King was also monitored by U.S. military intelligence, who may have been called to watch over King after he publicly denounced the Vietnam War in 1967. Furthermore, by calling for radical economic reforms in 1968, including guaranteed annual incomes for all, King was making few new friends in the Cold War-era U.S. government.

Over the years, the assassination has been reexamined by the House Select Committee on Assassinations, the Shelby County, Tennessee, district attorney's office, and three times by the U.S. Justice Department. All of these investigations have ended with the same conclusion: James Earl Ray killed Martin Luther King, Jr. The House committee acknowledged that a low-level conspiracy might have existed, involving one or more accomplices to Ray, but uncovered no evidence definitively to prove this theory. In addition to the mountain of evidence against him, such as his fingerprints on the murder weapon and admitted presence at the rooming house on April 4, Ray had a definite motive in assassinating King: hatred. According to his family and friends, he was an outspoken racist who told them of his intent to kill King. Ray died in 1998.
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American Revolution

Patriots retreat from Battle of Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, 1776

Automotive

First Porsche completed, 1948

Civil War

Confederates score victory at the Battle of Cross Keys, 1862

Cold War

FBI report names Hollywood figures as communists, 1949

Crime

Forensic evidence captures a murderous father, 1913

As Nasty As They Wanna Be causes store owner's arrest, 1990

Disaster

Tropical Storm Allison wreaks havoc, 2001

General Interest

Founder of Islam dies, 632

Israel attacks USS Liberty, 1967

Robert Kennedy buried, 1968

Waldheim elected Austrian president, 1986

Hollywood

Ghostbusters released, 1984

Literary

Hannibal by Thomas Harris hits bookstores, 1999

Music

Brian Jones leaves the Stones, 1969

Old West

Apache Chief Cochise dies, 1874

Presidential

Cleveland asks for inquiry into number of "aliens" in federal employment, 1896

Truman issues order regarding release of classified scientific information, 1945

Sports

NFL and AFL announce merger, 1966

Vietnam War

U.S. forces are available for ground support, 1965

Nixon and Thieu meet at Midway, 1969

World War I

British War Cabinet holds emergency meeting in London, 1917

World War II

Allies invade Syria and Lebanon, 1941

As British and American troops meet up at Normandy, Stalin rejoices, 1944

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Amaury · Jun 9, 2012

6/9/1973: Secretariat Wins Triple Crown

With a spectacular victory at the Belmont Stakes, Secretariat becomes the first horse since Citation in 1948 to win America's coveted Triple Crown--the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont Stakes. In one of the finest performances in racing history, Secretariat, ridden by Ron Turcotte, completed the 1.5-mile race in 2 minutes and 24 seconds, a dirt-track record for that distance.

Secretariat was born at Meadow Stables in Doswell, Virginia, on March 30, 1970. He was sired by Bold Ruler, the 1957 Preakness winner, and foaled by Somethingroyal, which came from a Thoroughbred line known for its stamina. An attractive chestnut colt, he grew to over 16 hands high and was at two years the size of a three-year-old. He ran his first race as a two-year-old on July 4, 1972, a 5 1/2-furlong race at Aqueduct in New York City. He came from behind to finish fourth; it was the only time in his career that he finished a race and did not place. Eleven days later, he won a six-furlong race at Saratoga in Saratoga Springs, New York, and soon after, another race. His trainer, Lucien Laurin, moved him up to class in August, entering him in the Sanford Stakes at Saratoga, which he won by three lengths. By the end of 1972, he had won seven of nine races.

With easy victories in his first two starts of 1973, Secretariat seemed on his way to the Triple Crown. Just two weeks before the Kentucky Derby, however, he stumbled at the Wood Memorial Stakes at Aqueduct, coming in third behind Angle Light and Sham. On May 5, he met Sham and Angle Light again at the Churchill Downs track in Louisville for the Kentucky Derby. Secretariat, a 3-to-2 favorite, broke from near the back of the pack to win the 2 1/4-mile race in a record 1 minute and 59 seconds. He was the first to run the Derby in less than two minutes and his record still stands. Two weeks later, at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland, Secretariat won the second event of the Triple Crown: the Preakness Stakes. The official clock malfunctioned, but hand-recorded timers had him running the 1 1/16-mile race in record time.

On June 9, 1973, almost 100,000 people came to Belmont Park near New York City to see if "Big Red" would become the first horse in 25 years to win the Triple Crown. Secretariat gave the finest performance of his career in the Belmont Stakes, completing the 1.5-mile race in a record 2 minutes and 24 seconds, knocking nearly three seconds off the track record set by Gallant Man in 1957. He also won by a record 31 lengths. Ron Turcotte, who jockeyed Secretariat in all but three of his races, claimed that at Belmont he lost control of Secretariat and that the horse sprinted into history on his own accord.

Secretariat would race six more times, winning four and finishing second twice. In November 1973, the "horse of the century" was retired and put to stud at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky. Among his notable offspring is the 1988 Preakness and Belmont winner, Risen Star. Secretariat was euthanized in 1989 after falling ill. An autopsy showed that his heart was two and a half times larger than that of the average horse, which may have contributed to his extraordinary racing abilities. In 1999, ESPN ranked Secretariat No. 35 in its list of the Top 50 North American athletes of the 20th century, the only non-human on the list.
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American Revolution

British customs vessel, Gaspee, burns off Rhode Island, 1772

Automotive

"Cars" released, 2006

Civil War

Cavalry forces clash at the Battle of Brandy Station, 1863

Cold War

Joseph McCarthy meets his match, 1954

Crime

Best-selling crime novelist Patricia Cornwell is born, 1956

Disaster

Flash flood hits Rapid City, 1972

General Interest

Cartier discovers St. Lawrence River, 1534

British vessel burned off Rhode Island, 1772

Hollywood

â€œHollywood madamâ€ arrested, 1993

Literary

Patricia Cornwell is born, 1956

Music

Cole Porter is born, 1891

Old West

Mormon handcart pioneers depart for Salt Lake City, 1856

Presidential

Cleveland asks Congress to ratify extradition agreement with Japan, 1886

Sports

Secretariat wins Triple Crown, 1973

Vietnam War

CIA report challenges "domino theory", 1964

South Vietnamese soldiers reach An Loc, 1972

World War I

William Jennings Bryan resigns as U.S. secretary of state, 1915

World War II

The Red Army invades Karelian Isthmus in Finland, 1944

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Amaury · Jun 10, 2012

6/10/1752: Franklin Flies Kite During Thunderstorm

On this day in 1752, Benjamin Franklin flies a kite during a thunderstorm and collects a charge in a Leyden jar when the kite is struck by lightning, enabling him to demonstrate the electrical nature of lightning. Franklin became interested in electricity in the mid-1740s, a time when much was still unknown on the topic, and spent almost a decade conducting electrical experiments. He coined a number of terms used today, including battery, conductor and electrician. He also invented the lightning rod, used to protect buildings and ships.

Franklin was born on January 17, 1706, in Boston, to a candle and soap maker named Josiah Franklin, who fathered 17 children, and his wife Abiah Folger. Franklin's formal education ended at age 10 and he went to work as an apprentice to his brother James, a printer. In 1723, following a dispute with his brother, Franklin left Boston and ended up in Philadelphia, where he found work as a printer. Following a brief stint as a printer in London, Franklin returned to Philadelphia and became a successful businessman, whose publishing ventures included the Pennsylvania Gazette and Poor Richard's Almanack, a collection of homespun proverbs advocating hard work and honesty in order to get ahead. The almanac, which Franklin first published in 1733 under the pen name Richard Saunders, included such wisdom as: "Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise." Whether or not Franklin followed this advice in his own life, he came to represent the classic American overachiever. In addition to his accomplishments in business and science, he is noted for his numerous civic contributions. Among other things, he developed a library, insurance company, city hospital and academy in Philadelphia that would later become the University of Pennsylvania.

Most significantly, Franklin was one of the founding fathers of the United States and had a career as a statesman that spanned four decades. He served as a legislator in Pennsylvania as well as a diplomat in England and France. He is the only politician to have signed all four documents fundamental to the creation of the U.S.: the Declaration of Independence (1776), the Treaty of Alliance with France (1778), the Treaty of Paris (1783), which established peace with Great Britain, and the U.S. Constitution (1787).

Franklin died at age 84 on April 17, 1790, in Philadelphia. He remains one of the leading figures in U.S. history.
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American Revolution

John Adams proposes a Continental Army, 1775

Automotive

Paul Newman finishes second in 24 Hours of Le Mans, 1979

Civil War

Confederates score victory at the Battle of Brice's Crossroads, 1864

Cold War

Eisenhower rejects calls for U.S. "isolationism", 1953

Crime

Doughnut truck thief arrested, 2002

Disaster

Evacuations save lives in the Philippines, 1991

General Interest

First Salem witch hanging, 1692

Alcoholics Anonymous founded, 1935

Norway surrenders to Germany, 1940

Mandela writes from prison, 1980

Hollywood

Last episode of The Sopranos airs, 2007

Literary

Tolstoy disguises himself as a peasant and leaves on a pilgrimage, 1881

Music

Luther Campbell and fellow 2LiveCrew members are arrested on obscenity charges, 1990

Old West

Arizona Deputy Sheriff Billy Daniels is killed, 1885

Presidential

JFK has busy day, 1963

Sports

Joe Nuxhall makes MLB debut at 15, 1944

Vietnam War

Battle begins at Dong Xoai, 1965

Westmoreland gives farewell press conference in Saigon, 1968

World War I

Italians renew battle on mountain-tops in Trentino, 1917

World War II

Italy declares war on France and Great Britain, 1940

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Amaury · Jun 12, 2012

Sorry I missed yesterday, guys. It wasn't from being busy or something similar, I just forgot.

Here's the history for yesterday and today.

6/11/1979: John Wayne Dies

On this day in 1979, John Wayne, an iconic American film actor famous for starring in countless westerns, dies at age 72 after battling cancer for more than a decade.

The actor was born Marion Morrison on May 26, 1907, in Winterset, Iowa, and moved as a child to Glendale, California. A football star at Glendale High School, he attended the University of Southern California on a scholarship but dropped out after two years. After finding work as a movie studio laborer, Wayne befriended director John Ford, then a rising talent. His first acting jobs were bit parts in which he was credited as Duke Morrison, a childhood nickname derived from the name of his beloved pet dog.

Wayne's first starring role came in 1930 with The Big Trail, a film directed by his college buddy Raoul Walsh. It was during this time that Marion Morrison became "John Wayne," when director Walsh didn't think Marion was a good name for an actor playing a tough western hero. Despite the lead actor's new name, however, the movie flopped. Throughout the 1930s, Wayne made dozens of mediocre westerns, sometimes churning out two movies a week. In them, he played various rough-and-tumble characters and occasionally appeared as "Singing Sandy," a musical cowpoke a la Roy Rogers.

In 1939, Wayne finally had his breakthrough when his old friend John Ford cast him as Ringo Kid in the Oscar-winning Stagecoach. Wayne went on to play larger-than-life heroes in dozens of movies and came to symbolize a type of rugged, strong, straight-shooting American man. John Ford directed Wayne in some of his best-known films, including Fort Apache (1948), She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949), Rio Grande (1950), The Quiet Man (1952) and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence (1962).

Off-screen, Wayne came to be known for his conservative political views. He produced, directed and starred in The Alamo (1960) and The Green Berets (1968), both of which reflected his patriotic, conservative leanings. In 1969, he won an Oscar for his role as a drunken, one-eyed federal marshal named Rooster Cogburn in True Grit. Wayne's last film was The Shootist (1976), in which he played a legendary gunslinger dying of cancer. The role had particular meaning, as the actor was fighting the disease in real life.

During four decades of acting, Wayne, with his trademark drawl and good looks, appeared in over 250 films. He was married three times and had seven children.
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American Revolution

Congress appoints Committee of Five to draft the Declaration of Independence, 1776

Automotive

"Ferris Bueller's Day Off" released; features 1961 Ferrari, 1986

Civil War

Yankees seek to destroy rail line at Trevilian Station, 1864

Cold War

China issues warrant for Tiananmen dissident, 1989

Crime

Alcatraz proves escapable for three men, 1962

Disaster

Tragedy at Le Mans, 1955

General Interest

Henry VIII marries first wife, 1509

Jeannette Rankin born, 1880

D-Day landing forces converge, 1944

University of Alabama desegregated, 1963

Six-Day War ends, 1967

Hollywood

E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial released, 1982

Literary

William Styron is born, 1925

Music

Hank Williams, Sr., makes his Grand Ole Opry debut, 1949

Old West

Russian explorer Izmailov arrives at Yakutat Bay, Alaska, 1788

Presidential

JFK faces down defiant governor, 1963

Sports

Ben Hogan wins U.S. Open with courageous comeback, 1950

Vietnam War

Buddhist immolates himself in protest, 1963

Battle for control of Kompong Speu in Cambodia, 1970

World War I

Allies launch counterattack against Germans in France, 1918

World War II

Britain strikes back at Italy, 1940

Operation Corkscrew is launched by Britain, 1943

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6/12/1987: Reagan Challenges Gorbachev

On this day in 1987, in one of his most famous Cold War speeches, President Ronald Reagan challenges Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev to "tear down" the Berlin Wall, a symbol of the repressive Communist era in a divided Germany.

In 1945, following Germany's defeat in World War II, the nation's capital, Berlin, was divided into four sections, with the Americans, British and French controlling the western region and the Soviets gaining power in the eastern region. In May 1949, the three western sections came together as the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany), with the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) being established in October of that same year. In 1952, the border between the two countries was closed and by the following year East Germans were prosecuted if they left their country without permission. In August 1961, the Berlin Wall was erected by the East German government to prevent its citizens from escaping to the West. Between 1949 and the wall's inception, it's estimated that over 2.5 million East Germans fled to the West in search of a less repressive life.

With the wall as a backdrop, President Reagan declared to a West Berlin crowd in 1987, "There is one sign the Soviets can make that would be unmistakable, that would advance dramatically the cause of freedom and peace." He then called upon his Soviet counterpart: "Secretary General Gorbachev, if you seek peace--if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe--if you seek liberalization: come here, to this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall." Reagan then went on to ask Gorbachev to undertake serious arms reduction talks with the United States.

Most listeners at the time viewed Reagan's speech as a dramatic appeal to Gorbachev to renew negotiations on nuclear arms reductions. It was also a reminder that despite the Soviet leader's public statements about a new relationship with the West, the U.S. wanted to see action taken to lessen Cold War tensions. Happily for Berliners, though, the speech also foreshadowed events to come: Two years later, on November 9, 1989, joyful East and West Germans did break down the infamous barrier between East and West Berlin. Germany was officially reunited on October 3, 1990.

Gorbachev, who had been in office since 1985, stepped down from his post as Soviet leader in 1991. Reagan, who served two terms as president, from 1981 to 1989, died on June 5, 2004, at age 93.
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American Revolution

Virginia adopts George Mason's Declaration of Rights, 1776

Automotive

Edsel Ford agrees to manufacture Rolls-Royce engines for war effort, 1940

Civil War

J.E.B. Stuart rides around the Union army, 1862

Grant pulls out of Cold Harbor, 1864

Cold War

Reagan challenges Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall, 1987

Crime

Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman murdered, 1994

Disaster

Deadly quake hits India, 1897

General Interest

Philippine independence declared, 1898

Medgar Evers assassinated, 1963

Indira Gandhi convicted of election fraud, 1975

Hollywood

Gregory Peck dies, 2003

Literary

Anne Frank receives a diary, 1942

Music

Honey Cone earns a #1 hit with "Want Ads", 1971

Old West

Journalist headed for Little Big Horn files dispatch, 1876

Presidential

George Herbert Walker Bush is born, 1924

John F. Kennedy receives medals, 1944

Sports

Big Red sets record at Belmont Stakes, 1920

Vietnam War

South Vietnamese premier resigns, 1965

Lavelle testifies before Congress, 1972

World War I

King Constantine of Greece abdicates, 1917

World War II

Paris on the verge of invasion, 1940

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Amaury · Jun 13, 2012

6/13/1966: The Miranda Rights Are Established

On this day in 1966, the Supreme Court hands down its decision in Miranda v. Arizona, establishing the principle that all criminal suspects must be advised of their rights before interrogation. Now considered standard police procedure, "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can, and will, be used against you in court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be appointed to you," has been heard so many times in television and film dramas that it has become almost cliche.

The roots of the Miranda decision go back to March 2, 1963, when an 18-year-old Phoenix woman told police that she had been abducted, driven to the desert and raped. Detectives questioning her story gave her a polygraph test, but the results were inconclusive. However, tracking the license plate number of a car that resembled that of her attacker's brought police to Ernesto Miranda, who had a prior record as a peeping tom. Although the victim did not identify Miranda in a line-up, he was brought into police custody and interrogated. What happened next is disputed, but officers left the interrogation with a confession that Miranda later recanted, unaware that he didn't have to say anything at all.

The confession was extremely brief and differed in certain respects from the victim's account of the crime. However, Miranda's appointed defense attorney (who was paid a grand total of $100) didn't call any witnesses at the ensuing trial, and Miranda was convicted. While Miranda was in Arizona state prison, the American Civil Liberties Union took up his appeal, claiming that the confession was false and coerced.

The Supreme Court overturned his conviction, but Miranda was retried and convicted in October 1966 anyway, despite the relative lack of evidence against him. Remaining in prison until 1972, Ernesto Miranda was later stabbed to death in the men's room of a bar after a poker game in January 1976.

As a result of the case against Miranda, each and every person must now be informed of his or her rights when arrested.
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American Revolution

Lafayette arrives in South Carolina, 1777

Automotive

First auto race held from Paris-Bordeaux-Paris, 1895

Civil War

Grant swings toward Petersburg, 1864

Cold War

"Pentagon Papers" damage credibility of Cold War policy, 1971

Crime

Jurors begin deliberations in Susan Polk trial, 2006

Disaster

Hurricane Agnes is born, 1972

General Interest

Alexander the Great dies, 323 B.C.

Peasant army marches into London, 1381

Thurgood Marshall appointed to Supreme Court, 1967

Pioneer 10 departs solar system, 1983

Tutu meets with Botha, 1986

Hollywood

Stanley Kubrickâ€™s Lolita released, 1962

Literary

Dorothy Sayers is born, 1893

Music

Linda Ronstadt has her first #1 hit on the country-music charts, 1975

Old West

Meriwether Lewis reaches the Great Falls, 1805

Presidential

Thomas Jefferson subpoenaed in Aaron Burr's treason trial, 1807

Sports

Christy Matthewson throws second no-hitter, 1905

Vietnam War

The New York Times publishes the "Pentagon Papers", 1971

Kissinger and Le Duc Tho sign new peace agreement, 1973

World War I

Kaiser Wilhelm concludes meeting with Archduke Franz Ferdinand, 1914

World War II

Germans launch V-1 rocket attack against Britain, 1944

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Amaury · Jun 14, 2012

6/14/1777: Congress Adopts the Stars and Stripes

During the American Revolution, the Continental Congress adopts a resolution stating that "the flag of the United States be thirteen alternate stripes red and white" and that "the Union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation." The national flag, which became known as the "Stars and Stripes," was based on the "Grand Union" flag, a banner carried by the Continental Army in 1776 that also consisted of 13 red and white stripes. According to legend, Philadelphia seamstress Betsy Ross designed the new canton for the Stars and Stripes, which consisted of a circle of 13 stars and a blue background, at the request of General George Washington. Historians have been unable to conclusively prove or disprove this legend.

With the entrance of new states into the United States after independence, new stripes and stars were added to represent new additions to the Union. In 1818, however, Congress enacted a law stipulating that the 13 original stripes be restored and that only stars be added to represent new states.

On June 14, 1877, the first Flag Day observance was held on the 100th anniversary of the adoption of the Stars and Stripes. As instructed by Congress, the U.S. flag was flown from all public buildings across the country. In the years after the first Flag Day, several states continued to observe the anniversary, and in 1949 Congress officially designated June 14 as Flag Day, a national day of observance.
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American Revolution

Continental Congress chooses national flag, 1777

Automotive

"The Bourne Identity," featuring famous Mini chase scene, is released, 2002

Civil War

Union defeated at the Second Battle of Winchester, 1863

Cold War

First nationwide civil defense drill held, 1954

Crime

TWA flight 847 is hijacked by terrorists, 1985

Disaster

Flash flood devastates Oregon town, 1903

General Interest

Bounty mutiny survivors reach Timor, 1789

UNIVAC computer dedicated, 1951

Falkland Islands War ends, 1982

Hollywood

Queen Elizabeth makes Helen Mirren a Dame, 2003

Literary

Harriet Beecher Stowe is born, 1811

Music

Folk singer Burl Ives is born, 1909

Old West

California's Bear Flag revolt begins, 1846

Presidential

Harding becomes first president to be heard on the radio, 1922

Sports

Jordan leads Bulls to sixth NBA title, 1998

Vietnam War

Dr. Spock convicted for aiding draft resisters, 1968

U.S. command announces troop withdrawal, 1969

World War I

U.S. President Woodrow Wilson gives Flag Day address, 1917

World War II

Germans enter Paris, 1940

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Amaury · Jun 15, 2012

6/15/1215: Magna Carta Sealed

Following a revolt by the English nobility against his rule, King John puts his royal seal on the Magna Carta, or "Great Charter." The document, essentially a peace treaty between John and his barons, guaranteed that the king would respect feudal rights and privileges, uphold the freedom of the church, and maintain the nation's laws. Although more a reactionary than a progressive document in its day, the Magna Carta was seen as a cornerstone in the development of democratic England by later generations.

John was enthroned as king of England following the death of his brother, King Richard the Lion-Hearted, in 1199. King John's reign was characterized by failure. He lost the duchy of Normandy to the French king and taxed the English nobility heavily to pay for his foreign misadventures. He quarreled with Pope Innocent III and sold church offices to build up the depleted royal coffers. Following the defeat of a campaign to regain Normandy in 1214, Stephen Langton, the archbishop of Canterbury, called on the disgruntled barons to demand a charter of liberties from the king.

In 1215, the barons rose up in rebellion against the king's abuse of feudal law and custom. John, faced with a superior force, had no choice but to give in to their demands. Earlier kings of England had granted concessions to their feudal barons, but these charters were vaguely worded and issued voluntarily. The document drawn up for John in June 1215, however, forced the king to make specific guarantees of the rights and privileges of his barons and the freedom of the church. On June 15, 1215, John met the barons at Runnymede on the Thames and set his seal to the Articles of the Barons, which after minor revision was formally issued as the Magna Carta.

The charter consisted of a preamble and 63 clauses and dealt mainly with feudal concerns that had little impact outside 13th century England. However, the document was remarkable in that it implied there were laws the king was bound to observe, thus precluding any future claim to absolutism by the English monarch. Of greatest interest to later generations was clause 39, which stated that "no free man shall be arrested or imprisoned or disseised [dispossessed] or outlawed or exiled or in any way victimised...except by the lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land." This clause has been celebrated as an early guarantee of trial by jury and of habeas corpus and inspired England's Petition of Right (1628) and the Habeas Corpus Act (1679).

In immediate terms, the Magna Carta was a failure--civil war broke out the same year, and John ignored his obligations under the charter. Upon his death in 1216, however, the Magna Carta was reissued with some changes by his son, King Henry III, and then reissued again in 1217. That year, the rebellious barons were defeated by the king's forces. In 1225, Henry III voluntarily reissued the Magna Carta a third time, and it formally entered English statute law.

The Magna Carta has been subject to a great deal of historical exaggeration; it did not establish Parliament, as some have claimed, nor more than vaguely allude to the liberal democratic ideals of later centuries. However, as a symbol of the sovereignty of the rule of law, it was of fundamental importance to the constitutional development of England. Four original copies of the Magna Carta of 1215 exist today: one in Lincoln Cathedral, one in Salisbury Cathedral, and two in the British Museum.
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American Revolution

Delaware declares independence, 1776

Automotive

Richard Petty makes 1,000th start, 1986

Civil War

Lincoln calls for help, 1863

Cold War

The United States presents the Baruch Plan, 1946

Crime

Police search Van der Sloot home in Holloway disappearance, 2005

Disaster

River excursion ends in tragedy, 1904

General Interest

U.S.-Canadian border established, 1846

Battle of Petersburg begins, 1864

First African American graduate of West Point, 1877

Hollywood

Judy Garland marries Vincente Minnelli, 1945

Literary

Dante is named prior of Florence, 1300

Music

Kyu Sakamoto tops the charts with "Sukiyaki", 1963

Old West

Francis Parkman arrives at Fort Laramie, 1846

Presidential

George Washington assigned to lead the Continental Army, 1775

Sports

Vander Meer pitches second consecutive no-hitter, 1938

Vietnam War

Johnson decides against submitting resolution to Congress, 1964

U.S. planes bomb North Vietnam, 1965

World War I

U.S. Congress passes Espionage Act, 1917

World War II

The "Blobel Commando" begins its cover-up of atrocities, 1943

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Amaury · Jun 16, 2012

6/16/1884: First Roller Coaster in America Opens

On this day in 1884, the first roller coaster in America opens at Coney Island, in Brooklyn, New York. Known as a switchback railway, it was the brainchild of LaMarcus Thompson, traveled approximately six miles per hour and cost a nickel to ride. The new entertainment was an instant success and by the turn of the century there were hundreds of roller coasters around the country.

Coney Island, a name believed to have come from the Dutch Konijn Eilandt, or Rabbit Island, is a tract of land along the Atlantic Ocean discovered by explorer Henry Hudson in 1609. The first hotel opened at Coney Island in 1829 and by the post-Civil War years, the area was an established resort with theaters, restaurants and a race track. Between 1897 and 1904, three amusement parks sprang up at Coney Island--Dreamland, Luna Park and Steeplechase. By the 1920s, Coney Island was reachable by subway and summer crowds of a million people a day flocked there for rides, games, sideshows, the beach and the two-and-a-half-mile boardwalk, completed in 1923.

The hot dog is said to have been invented at Coney Island in 1867 by Charles Feltman. In 1916, a nickel hot dog stand called Nathan's was opened by a former Feltman employee and went on to become a Coney Island institution and international franchise. Today, Nathan's is famous not only for its hot dogs but its hot dog-eating contest, held each Fourth of July in Coney Island. In 2006, Takeru Kobayashi set a new record when he ate 53.75 hot dogs with buns in 12 minutes.

Roller coasters and amusement parks experienced a decline during the Great Depression and World War II, when Americans had less cash to spend on entertainment. Finally, in 1955, the opening of Disneyland in Anaheim, California, signaled the advent of the modern theme park and a rebirth of the roller coaster. Disneyland's success sparked a wave of new parks and coasters. By the 1970s, parks were competing to create the most thrilling rides. In 2005, Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey, introduced the Kingda Ka roller coaster, the world's tallest (at 456 feet) and fastest (at 128 mph).

By the mid-1960s, the major amusement parks at Coney Island had shut down and the area acquired a seedy image. Nevertheless, Coney Island remains a tourist attraction and home to the Cyclone, a wooden coaster that made its debut there in 1927. Capable of speeds of 60 mph and with an 85-foot drop, the Cyclone is one of the country's oldest coasters in operation today. Though a real-estate developer recently announced the building of a new $1.5 billion year-round resort at Coney Island that will include a 4,000-foot-long roller coaster, an indoor water park and a multi-level carousel, the Cyclone's owners have said they plan to keep the historic coaster open for business.
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American Revolution

Patriot printer, publisher and postmistress, Mary Katharine Goddard, born, 1738

Automotive

Ford Motor Company incorporated, 1903

Civil War

Union thwarted at the Battle of Secessionville, 1862

Cold War

Russian ballet star Nureyev defects, 1961

Crime

SLA member captured after more than 20 years, 1999

Disaster

Tsunami ravages Japanese coast, 1896

General Interest

Leader of Hungarian uprising executed, 1958

First woman in space, 1963

Brezhnev is Soviet president, 1977

Hollywood

Charlie Chaplin marries Oona Oâ€™Neill, 1943

Literary

James Joyce meets his future wife, Nora, 1904

Music

Bob Dylan records "Like A Rolling Stone", 1965

Old West

Alaskan explorer Fred Fickett leaves Army, 1890

Presidential

Lincoln warns that America is becoming a "house divided", 1858

Sports

Lee Trevino wins his first U.S. Open, 1968

Vietnam War

Kennedy agrees to send instructors to train troops, 1961

More troops to be sent to Vietnam, 1965

Communists isolate Phnom Penh, 1970

World War I

Battle of the Piave River, 1918

World War II

Marshal Petain becomes premier of occupied France, 1940

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Amaury · Jun 17, 2012

6/17/1885: Statue of Liberty Arrives

On this day in 1885, the dismantled State of Liberty, a gift of friendship from the people of France to the people of America, arrives in New York Harbor after being shipped across the Atlantic Ocean in 350 individual pieces packed in more than 200 cases. The copper and iron statue, which was reassembled and dedicated the following year in a ceremony presided over by U.S. President Grover Cleveland, became known around the world as an enduring symbol of freedom and democracy.

Intended to commemorate the American Revolution and a century of friendship between the U.S. and France, the statue was designed by French sculptor Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi (who modeled it after his own mother), with assistance from engineer Gustave Eiffel, who later developed the iconic tower in Paris bearing his name. The statue was initially scheduled to be finished by 1876, the 100th anniversary of Americaâ€™s Declaration of Independence; however, fundraising efforts, which included auctions, a lottery and boxing matches, took longer than anticipated, both in Europe and the U.S., where the statueâ€™s pedestal was to be financed and constructed. The statue alone cost the French an estimated $250,000 (more than $5.5 million in todayâ€™s money).

Finally completed in Paris in the summer of 1884, the statue, a robed female figure with an uplifted arm holding a torch, reached its new home on Bedloeâ€™s Island in New York Harbor (between New York City and Hudson County, New Jersey) on June 17, 1885. After being reassembled, the 450,000-pound statue was officially dedicated on October 28, 1886, by President Cleveland, who said, â€œWe will not forget that Liberty has here made her home; nor shall her chosen altar be neglected.â€ Standing more than 305 feet from the foundation of its pedestal to the top of its torch, the statue, dubbed â€œLiberty Enlightening the Worldâ€ by Bartholdi, was taller than any structure in New York City at the time. The statue was originally copper-colored, but over the years it underwent a natural color-change process called patination that produced its current greenish-blue hue.

In 1892, Ellis Island, located near Bedloe's Island (which in 1956 was renamed Liberty Island), opened as Americaâ€™s chief immigration station, and for the next 62 years Lady Liberty, as the statue is nicknamed, stood watch over the more than 12 million immigrants who sailed into New York Harbor. In 1903, a plaque inscribed with a sonnet titled â€œThe New Colossusâ€ by American poet Emma Lazarus, written 20 years earlier for a pedestal fundraiser, was placed on an interior wall of the pedestal. Lazarusâ€™ now-famous words, which include â€œGive me your tired, your poor/Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,â€ became symbolic of Americaâ€™s vision of itself as a land of opportunity for immigrants.

Some 60 years after President Calvin Coolidge designated the statue a national monument in 1924, it underwent a multi-million-dollar restoration (which included a new torch and gold leaf-covered flame) and was rededicated by President Ronald Reagan on July 4, 1986, in a lavish celebration. Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the statue was closed; its base, pedestal and observation deck re-opened in 2004, while its crown re-opened to the public on July 4, 2009. (For safety reasons, the torch has been closed to visitors since 1916, after an incident called the Black Tom explosions in which munitions-laden barges and railroad cars on the Jersey City, New Jersey, waterfront were blown up by German agents, causing damage to the nearby statue.)

Today, the Statue of Liberty is one of Americaâ€™s most famous landmarks. Over the years, it has been the site of political rallies and protests (from suffragettes to anti-war activists), has been featured in numerous movies and countless photographs, and has received millions of visitors from around the globe.
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American Revolution

Battle of Bunker Hill begins, 1775

Automotive

O.J. Simpson leads L.A. police on a high-speed chase, 1994

Civil War

Union Colonel Strong Vincent is born, 1837

Cold War

Soviets crush antigovernment riots in East Berlin, 1953

Crime

Nixon's re-election employees are arrested for burglary, 1972

Disaster

Bridge collapses, killing workers, 1958

General Interest

Drake claims California for England, 1579

The Battle of Bunker Hill, 1775

France to surrender, 1940

Watergate burglars arrested, 1972

O.J. Simpson arrested after flight from justice, 1994

Hollywood

Cyd Charisse dies, 2008

Literary

Watergate break-ins set the stage for All the President's Men, 1972

Music

New Kids on the Block land at the top of the pops, 1989

Old West

Indians hammer U.S. soldiers at the Battle of the Rosebud, 1876

Presidential

FDR's secretary of war stifles Truman's inquiry into suspicious defense plant, 1943

Sports

Marciano beats Charles, 1954

Vietnam War

North Vietnamese reoccupy Ap Bia Mountain, 1969

Watergate burglars arrested, 1972

World War I

Portuguese army sees first action in Flanders, 1917

World War II

British and Allied troops continue the evacuation of France, as Churchill reassures his countrymen, 1940

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Amaury · Jun 18, 2012

6/18/1812: War of 1812 Begins

The day after the Senate followed the House of Representatives in voting to declare war against Great Britain, President James Madison signs the declaration into law--and the War of 1812 begins. The American war declaration, opposed by a sizable minority in Congress, had been called in response to the British economic blockade of France, the induction of American seaman into the British Royal Navy against their will, and the British support of hostile Indian tribes along the Great Lakes frontier. A faction of Congress known as the "War Hawks" had been advocating war with Britain for several years and had not hidden their hopes that a U.S. invasion of Canada might result in significant territorial land gains for the United States.

In the months after President Madison proclaimed the state of war to be in effect, American forces launched a three-point invasion of Canada, all of which were decisively unsuccessful. In 1814, with Napoleon Bonaparte's French Empire collapsing, the British were able to allocate more military resources to the American war, and Washington, D.C., fell to the British in August. In Washington, British troops burned the White House, the Capitol, and other buildings in retaliation for the earlier burning of government buildings in Canada by U.S. soldiers.

In September, the tide of the war turned when Thomas Macdonough's American naval force won a decisive victory at the Battle of Plattsburg Bay on Lake Champlain. The invading British army was forced to retreat back into Canada. The American victory on Lake Champlain led to the conclusion of U.S.-British peace negotiations in Belgium, and on December 24, 1814, the Treaty of Ghent was signed, formally ending the War of 1812. By the terms of the agreement, all conquered territory was to be returned, and a commission would be established to settle the boundary of the United States and Canada.

British forces assailing the Gulf Coast were not informed of the treaty in time, and on January 8, 1815, the U.S. forces under Andrew Jackson achieved the greatest American victory of the war at the Battle of New Orleans. The American public heard of Jackson's victory and the Treaty of Ghent at approximately the same time, fostering a greater sentiment of self-confidence and shared identity throughout the young republic.
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American Revolution

British abandon Philadelphia, 1778

Automotive

Checker Cab produces first taxi at Kalamazoo factory, 1923

Civil War

Union hero Joshua Chamberlain is wounded at Petersburg, 1864

Cold War

Carter and Brezhnev sign the SALT-II treaty, 1979

Crime

A radio host is gunned down for his controversial views, 1984

Disaster

Mysterious crash at Heathrow, 1972

General Interest

Napoleon defeated at Waterloo, 1815

First American woman in space, 1983

Hollywood

Film critic Roger Ebert born, 1942

Literary

Novelist Gail Godwin is born, 1937

Music

The Monterey Pop Festival reaches its climax, 1967

Old West

Alexander Murray departs for the Yukon, 1847

Presidential

Adams passes first of Alien and Sedition Acts, 1798

Sports

Arnold Palmer wins U.S. Open, 1960

Vietnam War

SAC B-52s are used for the first time in South Vietnam, 1965

Westmoreland requests more troops, 1966

World War I

French troops halt fighting in Artois region, 1915

World War II

Hitler and Mussolini meet in Munich, 1940

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Amaury · Jun 19, 2012

6/19/1953: Rosenbergs Executed

On this day in 1953, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who were convicted of conspiring to pass U.S. atomic secrets to the Soviets, are executed at Sing Sing Prison in Ossining, New York. Both refused to admit any wrongdoing and proclaimed their innocence right up to the time of their deaths, by the electric chair. The Rosenbergs were the first U.S. citizens to be convicted and executed for espionage during peacetime and their case remains controversial to this day.

Julius Rosenberg was an engineer for the U.S. Army Signal Corps who was born in New York on May 12, 1918. His wife, born Ethel Greenglass, also in New York, on September 28, 1915, worked as a secretary. The couple met as members of the Young Communist League, married in 1939 and had two sons. Julius Rosenberg was arrested on suspicion of espionage on June 17, 1950, and accused of heading a spy ring that passed top-secret information concerning the atomic bomb to the Soviet Union. Ethel was arrested two months later. The Rosenbergs were implicated by David Greenglass, Ethel's younger brother and a former army sergeant and machinist at Los Alamos, the secret atomic bomb lab in New Mexico. Greenglass, who himself had confessed to providing nuclear secrets to the Soviets through an intermediary, testified against his sister and brother-in-law in court. He later served 10 years in prison.

The Rosenbergs vigorously protested their innocence, but after a brief trial that began on March 6, 1951, and attracted much media attention, the couple was convicted. On April 5, 1951, a judge sentenced them to death and the pair was taken to Sing Sing to await execution.

During the next two years, the couple became the subject of both national and international debate. Some people believed that the Rosenbergs were the victims of a surge of hysterical anti-communist feeling in the United States, and protested that the death sentence handed down was cruel and unusual punishment. Many Americans, however, believed that the Rosenbergs had been dealt with justly. They agreed with President Dwight D. Eisenhower when he issued a statement declining to invoke executive clemency for the pair. He stated, "I can only say that, by immeasurably increasing the chances of atomic war, the Rosenbergs may have condemned to death tens of millions of innocent people all over the world. The execution of two human beings is a grave matter. But even graver is the thought of the millions of dead whose deaths may be directly attributable to what these spies have done."
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Automotive

Controversy at U.S. Grand Prix, 2005

Civil War

USS Kearsarge sinks CSS Alabama, 1864

Cold War

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg executed, 1953

Crime

A bloody fingerprint elicits a mother's evil tale in Argentina, 1892

Disaster

Montana flood causes train wreck, 1938

General Interest

First Republican national convention ends, 1856

CSS Alabama sinks off coast of France, 1864

Emperor of Mexico executed, 1867

Hollywood

First Nickelodeon opens, 1905

Literary

Nathanael West's A Cool Million is published, 1934

Music

Carole King has her first #1 hit as a performer, 1970

Old West

Father De Smet talks peace with Sitting Bull, 1868

Presidential

Taft marries Helen Herron, 1886

Sports

Curt Flood case decided, 1972

Vietnam War

Ky becomes premier of South Vietnam, 1965

South Vietnamese president signs general mobilization bill, 1968

World War I

Britain's King George V changes royal surname, 1917

World War II

United States scores major victory against Japanese in Battle of the Philippine Sea, 1944

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Amaury · Jun 20, 2012

6/20/1975: Jaws Released

On this day in 1975, Jaws, a film directed by Steven Spielberg that made countless viewers afraid to go into the water, opens in theaters. The story of a great white shark that terrorizes a New England resort town became an instant blockbuster and the highest-grossing film in movie history until it was bested by 1977's Star Wars. Jaws was nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Picture category and took home three Oscars, for Best Film Editing, Best Original Score and Best Sound. The film, a breakthrough for director Spielberg, then 27 years old, spawned three sequels.

The film starred Roy Scheider as principled police chief Martin Brody, Richard Dreyfuss as a marine biologist named Matt Hooper and Robert Shaw as a grizzled fisherman called Quint. It was set in the fictional beach town of Amity, and based on a best-selling novel, released in 1973, by Peter Benchley. Subsequent water-themed Benchley bestsellers also made it to the big screen, including The Deep (1977).

With a budget of $12 million, Jaws was produced by the team of Richard Zanuck and David Brown, whose later credits include The Verdict (1982), Cocoon (1985) and Driving Miss Daisy (1989). Filming, which took place on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, was plagued by delays and technical difficulties, including malfunctioning mechanical sharks.

Jaws put now-famed director Steven Spielberg on the Hollywood map. Spielberg, largely self-taught in filmmaking, made his feature-length directorial debut with The Sugarland Express in 1974. The film was critically well-received but a box-office flop. Following the success of Jaws, Spielberg went on to become one of the most influential, iconic people in the film world, with such epics as Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), ET: the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), Jurassic Park (1993), Schindler's List (1993) and Saving Private Ryan (1998). E.T., Jaws and Jurassic Park rank among the 10 highest-grossing movies of all time. In 1994, Spielberg formed DreamWorks SKG, with Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen. The company has produced such hits as American Beauty (1999), Gladiator (2001) and Shrek (2001).
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American Revolution

Congress adopts the Great Seal of the United States, 1782

Automotive

Ford signs first contract with autoworkers' union, 1941

Civil War

West Virginia enters the Union, 1863

Cold War

United States and Soviet Union will establish a "hot line", 1963

Crime

Bugsy Siegel, organized crime leader, is killed, 1947

Disaster

Coal mine explosion kills 111 in China, 2002

General Interest

Third Estate makes Tennis Court Oath, 1789

Boxer Rebellion begins in China, 1900

Oil flows in Alaska, 1977

Hollywood

Jaws released, 1975

Literary

Lillian Hellman is born, 1905

Music

Beatles and Disco equals a #1 pop hit for Stars on 45, 1981

Old West

Mountain man Joe Meek dies, 1875

Presidential

Solar-energy system installed at White House, 1979

Sports

Duran outpoints Leonard for welterweight title, 1980

Vietnam War

Westmoreland becomes Commander of MACV, 1964

Abrams appointed as Army Chief of Staff, 1972

World War I

German cabinet resigns over Versailles deadlock, 1919

World War II

Britain launches Operation Bellicose, 1943

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Amaury · Jun 21, 2012

6/21/1788: U.S Constitution Ratified

New Hampshire becomes the ninth and last necessary state to ratify the Constitution of the United States, thereby making the document the law of the land.

By 1786, defects in the post-Revolutionary War Articles of Confederation were apparent, such as the lack of central authority over foreign and domestic commerce. Congress endorsed a plan to draft a new constitution, and on May 25, 1787, the Constitutional Convention convened at Independence Hall in Philadelphia. On September 17, 1787, after three months of debate moderated by convention president George Washington, the new U.S. constitution, which created a strong federal government with an intricate system of checks and balances, was signed by 38 of the 41 delegates present at the conclusion of the convention. As dictated by Article VII, the document would not become binding until it was ratified by nine of the 13 states.

Beginning on December 7, five states--Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut--ratified it in quick succession. However, other states, especially Massachusetts, opposed the document, as it failed to reserve undelegated powers to the states and lacked constitutional protection of basic political rights, such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press. In February 1788, a compromise was reached under which Massachusetts and other states would agree to ratify the document with the assurance that amendments would be immediately proposed. The Constitution was thus narrowly ratified in Massachusetts, followed by Maryland and South Carolina. On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the document, and it was subsequently agreed that government under the U.S. Constitution would begin on March 4, 1789. In June, Virginia ratified the Constitution, followed by New York in July.

On September 25, 1789, the first Congress of the United States adopted 12 amendments to the U.S. Constitution--the Bill of Rights--and sent them to the states for ratification. Ten of these amendments were ratified in 1791. In November 1789, North Carolina became the 12th state to ratify the U.S. Constitution. Rhode Island, which opposed federal control of currency and was critical of compromise on the issue of slavery, resisted ratifying the Constitution until the U.S. government threatened to sever commercial relations with the state. On May 29, 1790, Rhode Island voted by two votes to ratify the document, and the last of the original 13 colonies joined the United States. Today the U.S. Constitution is the oldest written constitution in operation in the world.
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American Revolution

Spain declares war against Great Britain, 1779

Automotive

Mille Miglia race is reborn after World War II, 1947

Civil War

Grant extends the Petersburg line, 1864

Cold War

French withdraw navy from NATO, 1963

Crime

The KKK kills three civil rights activists, 1964

Disaster

Earthquake devastates Iran, 1990

General Interest

French defeated in Spain, 1813

Pershing attacked by Mexican troops, 1916

Civil rights workers disappear, 1964

Hinckley not guilty by reason of insanity, 1982

Hollywood

Pickford and Fairbanks mobbed by crowds, 1920

Literary

Arthur Miller refuses to name communists, 1956

Music

Mr. Tambourine Man is released, and the folk-rock revolution is on, 1965

Old West

Lot Smith, Mormon soldier, is killed by Indians, 1892

Presidential

Zachary Taylor and Richard Nixon marry their future first ladies, 1810

Sports

Pele leads Brazil over Italy, 1970

Vietnam War

Rolling Thunder raids continue, 1966

Communists storm U.S. base near Tay Ninh, 1969

World War I

U.S. soldiers attacked by Mexican government troops, 1916

World War II

Allies surrender at Tobruk, Libya, 1942

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Amaury · Jun 22, 2012

6/22/1944: FDR Signs G.I. Bill

On this day in 1944, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the G.I. Bill, an unprecedented act of legislation designed to compensate returning members of the armed services--known as G.I.s--for their efforts in World War II.

As the last of its sweeping New Deal reforms, Roosevelt's administration created the G.I. Bill--officially the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944--hoping to avoid a relapse into the Great Depression after the war ended. FDR particularly wanted to prevent a repeat of the Bonus March of 1932, when 20,000 unemployed veterans and their families flocked in protest to Washington. The American Legion, a veteran's organization, successfully fought for many of the provisions included in the bill, which gave returning servicemen access to unemployment compensation, low-interest home and business loans, and--most importantly--funding for education.

By giving veterans money for tuition, living expenses, books, supplies and equipment, the G.I. Bill effectively transformed higher education in America. Before the war, college had been an option for only 10-15 percent of young Americans, and university campuses had become known as a haven for the most privileged classes. By 1947, in contrast, vets made up half of the nation's college enrollment; three years later, nearly 500,000 Americans graduated from college, compared with 160,000 in 1939.

As educational institutions opened their doors to this diverse new group of students, overcrowded classrooms and residences prompted widespread improvement and expansion of university facilities and teaching staffs. An array of new vocational courses were developed across the country, including advanced training in education, agriculture, commerce, mining and fishing--skills that had previously been taught only informally.

The G.I. Bill became one of the major forces that drove an economic expansion in America that lasted 30 years after World War II. Only 20 percent of the money set aside for unemployment compensation under the bill was given out, as most veterans found jobs or pursued higher education. Low interest home loans enabled millions of American families to move out of urban centers and buy or build homes outside the city, changing the face of the suburbs. Over 50 years, the impact of the G.I. Bill was enormous, with 20 million veterans and dependents using the education benefits and 14 million home loans guaranteed, for a total federal investment of $67 billion. Among the millions of Americans who have taken advantage of the bill are former Presidents George H.W. Bush and Gerald Ford, former Vice President Al Gore and entertainers Johnny Cash, Ed McMahon, Paul Newman and Clint Eastwood.
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American Revolution

Congress issues Continental currency, 1775

Automotive

Blockbuster hit movie "The Fast and the Furious" released, 2001

Civil War

Lee strikes back at Petersburg, 1864

Cold War

Cease-fire established in Angolan civil war, 1989

Crime

Notorious Boston mobster Whitey Bulger is arrested, 2011

Disaster

Mysterious crash in Guadeloupe, 1962

General Interest

Hudson set adrift by mutineers, 1611

Louis becomes champ, 1937

Battle of Okinawa ends, 1945

Hollywood

George Carlin dies, 2008

Literary

Anne Morrow Lindbergh is born, 1906

Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown is born, 1964

Music

Bernstein, Copland, Seeger and others are named as Communists, 1950

Old West

General Santa Anna dies in Mexico City, 1876

Presidential

FDR signs GI bill, 1944

Sports

Hand of God helps out Maradona, 1986

Vietnam War

South Vietnamese fight for Fire Base Fuller, 1971

New troops sent to An Loc, 1972

World War I

Erich Maria Remarque born, 1898

World War II

Germany launches Operation Barbarossaâ€”the invasion of Russia, 1941

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