Today In History

Today is Tuesday, July 17, the 198th day of 2007. There are 167 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On July 17, 1996, TWA Flight 800, a Paris-bound Boeing 747, exploded and crashed off Long Island, N.Y., shortly after leaving John F. Kennedy International Airport, killing all 230 people aboard.

On this date:

In 1821, Spain ceded Florida to the United States.

In 1898, during the Spanish-American War, Spanish troops in Santiago, Cuba, surrendered to U.S. forces.

In 1918, Russia's Czar Nicholas II and his family were executed by the Bolsheviks.

In 1944, 322 people were killed when a pair of ammunition ships exploded in Port Chicago, Calif.

In 1945, President Harry Truman, Soviet leader Josef Stalin and British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill began meeting at Potsdam, Germany, in the final Allied summit of World War II.

In 1955, Disneyland debuted in Anaheim, Calif.

In 1967, jazz composer-musician John Coltrane died in Huntington, N.Y., at age 40.

In 1975, an Apollo spaceship docked with a Soyuz spacecraft in orbit in the first superpower linkup of its kind.

In 1979, Nicaraguan President Anastasio Somoza resigned and fled into exile in Miami.

In 1981, 114 people were killed when a pair of walkways above the lobby of the Kansas City Hyatt Regency Hotel collapsed during a "tea dance."

Ten years ago: Woolworth Corp. announced it was closing its 400 remaining five-and-dime stores across the country, ending 117 years in business. President Bill Clinton nominated Army Gen. Henry Shelton to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The space shuttle Columbia and its crew of seven returned to Earth after a near-flawless 16-day science mission.

Five years ago: A double suicide bombing in Tel Aviv killed two foreign workers and one Israeli. In Britain, a one-day strike by 750,000 municipal employees closed schools, libraries and recreation centers in their first national walkout in more than two decades.

One year ago: The shuttle Discovery and its crew of six returned home safely. A powerful earthquake sent a tsunami crashing into a beach resort on Indonesia's Java island, killing at least 600 people. Mystery writer Mickey Spillane died in Murrells Inlet, S.C., at age 88.

Thought for Today: "Modo et modo non habebant modum." (By and by never comes.) — St. Augustine (A.D. 354-A.D. 430).

today In history

Today is Monday, July 16, the 197th day of 2007. There are 168 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On July 16, 1945, the United States exploded its first experimental atomic bomb, in the desert of Alamogordo, N.M.

On this date:

In 1790, the District of Columbia was established as the seat of the U.S. government.

In 1862, David G. Farragut became the first rear admiral in the U.S. Navy.

In 1907, 100 years ago, actress Barbara Stanwyck was born in New York.

In 1907, "Popcorn King" Orville Redenbacher was born in Brazil, Ind.

In 1957, Marine Maj. John Glenn set a transcontinental speed record by flying a jet from California to New York in three hours, 23 minutes and eight seconds.

In 1964, in accepting the Republican presidential nomination in San Francisco, Barry M. Goldwater said "extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice" and that "moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue."

In 1969, Apollo 11 blasted off from Cape Kennedy, Fla., on the first manned mission to the surface of the moon.

In 1973, during the Senate Watergate hearings, former White House aide Alexander P. Butterfield publicly revealed the existence of President Richard Nixon's secret taping system.

In 1979, Saddam Hussein became president of Iraq.

In 1999, John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife, Carolyn, and her sister, Lauren Bessette, died when their single-engine plane, piloted by Kennedy, plunged into the Atlantic Ocean near Martha's Vineyard, Mass.

Ten years ago: Hundreds of FBI agents, some handing out photos in gay bars and hotels, blanketed South Florida in the continuing hunt for alleged prostitute-turned-serial killer Andrew Phillip Cunanan, suspected of gunning down designer Gianni Versace.

Five years ago: The Irish Republican Army issued an unprecedented apology for hundreds of civilian deaths over 30 years. The body of Samantha Runnion, the 5-year-old who had been kidnapped from her home in Stanton, Calif., was found in a heavily forested area about 50 miles away.

One year ago: President Bush and other Group of Eight world leaders meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia, urged Israel to show "utmost restraint" and blamed Hezbollah and Hamas for escalating violence in the Middle East. Claiming election fraud had robbed him of the presidency, leftist candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador led hundreds of thousands of marchers through Mexico's capital. Robert Brooks, chairman of Hooters of America, died in Myrtle Beach, S.C., at age 69.


Thought for Today: "In some sort of crude sense which no vulgarity, no humor, no overstatement can quite extinguish, the physicists have known sin; and this is a knowledge which they cannot lose." — J. Robert Oppenheimer, American physicist (1904-1967).

Today In History

Today is Sunday, July 15, the 196th day of 2007. There are 169 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On July 15, 1971, President Richard Nixon startled the country by announcing he would visit the People's Republic of China.

On this date:

In 1606, Dutch painter Rembrandt was born in Leiden, Netherlands.

In 1870, Georgia became the last Confederate state readmitted to the Union.

In 1870, Manitoba entered confederation as the fifth Canadian province.

In 1916, Boeing Co., originally known as Pacific Aero Products, was founded in Seattle.

In 1948, President Harry Truman was nominated for another term of office by the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.

In 1964, Sen. Barry M. Goldwater of Arizona was nominated for president by the Republican National Convention in San Francisco.

In 1965, U.S. scientists displayed close-up photographs of the planet Mars taken by Mariner 4.

In 1976, a 36-hour kidnap ordeal began for 26 schoolchildren and their bus driver as they were abducted near Chowchilla, Calif., by three gunmen and imprisoned in an underground cell. (The captives escaped unharmed.)

In 1979, President Carter delivered his "malaise" speech in which he lamented what he called a "crisis of confidence" in America.

In 1985, a gaunt-looking Rock Hudson appeared at a news conference with actress Doris Day (it was later revealed Hudson was suffering from AIDS).

Ten years ago: Fashion designer Gianni Versace was shot dead outside his Miami home; suspected gunman Andrew Phillip Cunanan was found dead eight days later.

Five years ago: John Walker Lindh, an American who had fought alongside the Taliban in Afghanistan, pleaded guilty to two felonies in a deal sparing him life in prison. A Pakistani judge convicted four Islamic militants in the kidnap-slaying of Wall Street Journal correspondent Daniel Pearl. Five-year-old Samantha Runnion was kidnapped from an apartment complex in Stanton, Calif. (Her body was found the next day; a suspect, Alejandro Avila, was later convicted).

One year ago: The U.N. Security Council condemned North Korea's missile tests and imposed limited sanctions; a defiant North said it would launch more missiles. In a chilly prelude to a Group of Eight summit in St. Petersburg, President Bush blocked Russia's entry into the World Trade Organization. Gunmen in Baghdad kidnapped the chairman of Iraq's Olympic committee and at least 30 others. The space shuttle Discovery undocked from the international space station.

Thought for Today: "Love is not enough. It must be the foundation, the cornerstone — but not the complete structure. It is much too pliable, too yielding." — Bette Davis, American actress (1908-1989).

Today In History

Today is Friday, July 13, the 194th day of 2007. There are 171 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On July 13, 1793, French revolutionary writer Jean-Paul Marat was stabbed to death in his bath by Charlotte Corday, who was executed four days later.

On this date:

In 1787, Congress enacted an ordinance governing the Northwest Territory.

In 1863, deadly rioting against the Civil War military draft erupted in New York City.

In 1878, the Treaty of Berlin amended the terms of the Treaty of San Stefano, which had ended the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78.

In 1886, Father Edward Joseph Flanagan, the founder of Boys Town, was born in County Roscommon, Ireland.

In 1960, John F. Kennedy won the Democratic presidential nomination at his party's convention in Los Angeles.

In 1967, race-related rioting that claimed some two dozen lives broke out in Newark, N.J.

In 1972, George McGovern claimed the Democratic presidential nomination at the party's convention in Miami Beach, Fla.

In 1977, a blackout lasting 25 hours hit the New York City area.

In 1978, Lee Iacocca was fired as president of Ford Motor Co. by chairman Henry Ford II.

In 1985, "Live Aid," an international rock concert in London, Philadelphia, Moscow and Sydney, took place to raise money for Africa's starving people.

Ten years ago: Secretary of State Madeleine Albright returned to her Jewish roots in the Czech Republic, finding the names of family members killed by the Nazis inscribed on a Prague synagogue wall. (News reports revealed that Albright, who had been raised a Roman Catholic, had Jewish relatives, many of whom had died in the Holocaust.)

Five years ago: The nation's governors opened their summer meeting in Boise, Idaho, with high health care costs the main topic. Photographer Yousuf Karsh died in Boston at age 93.

One year ago: Israel imposed a naval blockade against Lebanon and blasted the Beirut airport and army air bases; Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets into Israel. Former CIA officer Valerie Plame sued Vice President Dick Cheney, presidential adviser Karl Rove and other White House officials, saying they orchestrated a "whispering campaign" to destroy her career. Actor-comedian Red Buttons died in Los Angeles at age 87.

Thought for Today: "There are people who want to be everywhere at once, and they get nowhere." — Carl Sandburg, American writer (1878-1967).

Today in History

Today is Thursday, July 12, the 193rd day of 2007. There are 172 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On July 12, 1862, Congress authorized the Medal of Honor.

On this date:

In 100 B.C., Roman dictator Julius Caesar was born.

In 1543, England's King Henry VIII married his sixth and last wife, Catherine Parr.

In 1690, forces led by William of Orange defeated the army of James II at the Battle of the Boyne in Ireland.

In 1812, U.S. forces led by Gen. William Hull entered Canada during the War of 1812 against Britain. (However, Hull retreated shortly thereafter to Detroit.)

In 1817, naturalist-author Henry David Thoreau was born in Concord, Mass.

In 1854, George Eastman, inventor of the Kodak camera and film, was born in Waterville, N.Y.

In 1948, the Democratic National Convention opened in Philadelphia.

In 1977, President Jimmy Carter defended Supreme Court decisions limiting government payments for poor women's abortions, saying, "There are many things in life that are not fair."

In 1984, Democratic presidential candidate Walter F. Mondale announced he had chosen U.S. Rep. Geraldine A. Ferraro of New York to be his running-mate; Ferraro was the first woman to run for vice president on a major-party ticket.

In 1993, some 200 people were killed when an earthquake measuring a magnitude of 7.8 struck northern Japan and triggered a tsunami.

Ten years ago: In Copenhagen, the last stop of an eight-day European tour, President Bill Clinton said political divisions in Europe were closing. In Spain, kidnapped Basque politician Miguel Angel Blanco was found mortally wounded shortly after a deadline set by his militant Basque captors.

Five years ago: The Senate adopted a ban on personal loans from companies to their top officials, a practice that had benefited executives from Enron to WorldCom. The U.N. Security Council agreed to exempt U.S. peacekeepers from war crimes prosecution for a year, ending a threat to U.N. peacekeeping operations.

One year ago: Hezbollah guerrillas kidnapped two Israeli soldiers and killed eight others in a cross-border raid; Israel sent ground troops into Lebanon in response. World powers agreed to send Iran before the U.N. Security Council for possible punishment, saying Tehran had given no sign it would bargain in earnest over its disputed nuclear program.

Thought for Today: "We think according to nature. We speak according to rules. We act according to custom." — Francis Bacon, English philosopher (1561-1626).

Today In History

Today is Wednesday, July 11, the 192nd day of 2007. There are 173 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On July 11, 1804, Vice President Aaron Burr mortally wounded former Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton during a pistol duel in Weehawken, N.J.

On this date:

In 1767, John Quincy Adams, the sixth president of the United States, was born in Braintree, Mass.

In 1798, the U.S. Marine Corps was formally re-established by a congressional act that also created the U.S. Marine Band.

In 1864, Confederate forces led by Gen. Jubal Early began an abortive invasion of Washington, turning back the next day.

In 1934, President Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first incumbent chief executive to travel through the Panama Canal.

In 1952, the Republican National Convention, meeting in Chicago, nominated Dwight D. Eisenhower for president and Richard M. Nixon for vice president.

In 1955, the U.S. Air Force Academy swore in its first class of cadets at its temporary quarters, Lowry Air Force Base in Colorado.

In 1864, Confederate forces led by Gen. Jubal Early began an abortive invasion of Washington, turning back the next day.

In 1934, President Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first incumbent chief executive to travel through the Panama Canal.

In 1952, the Republican National Convention, meeting in Chicago, nominated Dwight D. Eisenhower for president and Richard M. Nixon for vice president.

In 1955, the U.S. Air Force Academy swore in its first class of cadets at its temporary quarters, Lowry Air Force Base in Colorado.

In 1977, the Medal of Freedom was awarded posthumously to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

In 1979, the abandoned U.S. space station Skylab made a spectacular return to Earth, burning up in the atmosphere and showering debris over the Indian Ocean and Australia.

In 1980, American hostage Richard I. Queen, freed by Iran after eight months of captivity because of poor health, left Tehran for Switzerland.

In 1995, the United States normalized relations with Vietnam.

Ten years ago: President Bill Clinton was cheered by tens of thousands of people in Bucharest, Romania, where he raised hopes for NATO membership. Ninety-one tourists were killed when fire broke out at the Royal Jomtien Hotel in Pattaya, Thailand.

Five years ago: Lawmakers balked at moving the Coast Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency into a new Homeland Security Department despite pleas from senior Cabinet officials to stick to President George W. Bush's blueprint. (Both agencies did end up being included in the new department.)

One year ago: Eight bombs hit the commuter rail network during evening rush hour in Mumbai, India, killing more than 200 people. In Chicago, a Blue Line train derailed and started a fire during the evening rush hour, filling a subway tunnel with smoke and forcing dozens of soot-covered commuters to evacuate. The American League edged the National League 3-2 in the All-Star Game in Pittsburgh. Actor Barnard Hughes died in New York at age 90.

Thought for Today: "Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence." — Robert Frost, American poet (1874-1963).

Today In History

Today is Tuesday, July 10, the 191st day of 2007. There are 174 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On July 10, 1940, during World War II, the Battle of Britain began as Nazi forces started attacking southern England by air.

On this date:

In 1850, Vice President Millard Fillmore assumed the presidency, taking the oath of office following the death of President Zachary Taylor.

In 1890, Wyoming became the 44th state.

In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson personally delivered the Treaty of Versailles to the Senate, and urged its ratification.

In 1925, the official news agency of the Soviet Union, TASS, was established.

In 1943, during World War II, U.S. and British forces invaded Sicily.

In 1951, armistice talks aimed at ending the Korean conflict began at Kaesong.

In 1962, the Telstar communications satellite was launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla.

In 1973, the Bahamas became fully independent after three centuries of British colonial rule.

In 1985, bowing to pressure from irate customers, the Coca-Cola Co. said it would resume selling old-formula Coke, while continuing to sell New Coke.

In 1991, Boris N. Yeltsin took the oath of office as the first elected president of the Russian republic.

Ten years ago: President Bill Clinton, visiting Poland, told cheering Poles in Warsaw that "never again will your fate be decided by others" following his successful drive to bring Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic into NATO by 1999. Scientists in London said DNA from a Neanderthal skeleton supported a theory that all humanity descended from an "African Eve" 100,000 to 200,000 years ago.

Five years ago: A unified Senate approved harsh new penalties for corporate fraud and document-shredding as part of an accounting oversight bill. The House approved, 310-113, a measure to allow airline pilots to carry guns in the cockpit to defend their planes against terrorists. (President George W. Bush later signed the measure into law.)

One year ago: A Manhattan town house was leveled by an explosion; authorities say a suicidal doctor set off the blast to avoid selling it in a divorce settlement. (The doctor, Nicholas Bartha, died five days later.) A section of ceiling in Boston's Big Dig tunnel collapsed, killing a car passenger. A Pakistani passenger plane crashed, killing all 45 people on board. Chechen rebel leader Shamil Basayev was killed when a dynamite-laden truck in his convoy exploded.


Thought for Today: "Statesmen think they make history; but history makes itself and drags the statesmen along." — Will Rogers, American humorist (1879-1935).

Today In History

Today is Monday, July 9, the 190th day of 2007. There are 175 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On July 9, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was read aloud to Gen. George Washington's troops in New York.

On this date:

In 1540, England's King Henry VIII had his six-month-old marriage to his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, annulled.

In 1816, Argentina declared independence from Spain.

In 1850, the 12th president of the United States, Zachary Taylor, died after serving only 16 months of his term.

In 1896, William Jennings Bryan delivered his famous "cross of gold" speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

In 1918, 101 people were killed in a train collision in Nashville, Tenn.

In 1944, during World War II, American forces secured Saipan as the last Japanese defenses fell.

In 1947, the engagement of Britain's Princess Elizabeth to Lt. Philip Mountbatten was announced.

In 1951, President Harry Truman asked Congress to formally end the state of war between the U.S. and Germany.

In 1982, a Pan Am Boeing 727 crashed in Kenner, La., killing all 145 people aboard and eight people on the ground.

In 1986, the Attorney General's Commission on Pornography released the final draft of its report, which linked hard-core porn to sex crimes.

Ten years ago: Leaders of 16 NATO nations met with 25 other countries in an unprecedented security summit in Madrid, Spain. Boxer Mike Tyson was banned from the ring and fined $3 million for biting opponent Evander Holyfield's ear.

Five years ago: The Senate voted to entomb thousands of tons of radioactive waste inside Yucca Mountain in the Nevada desert, rejecting the state's fervent protests. Speaking in New York, President Bush called for doubled prison terms and aggressive policing to combat fraud and corruption in corporate America. African leaders launched the African Union, an ambitious new body intended to pull the beleaguered continent out of poverty and conflict. To the boos of disappointed fans, the All-Star game in Milwaukee finished in a 7-7 tie after 11 innings when both teams ran out of pitchers. Academy Award-winning actor Rod Steiger died in Los Angeles at age 77.

One year ago: A Russian Airbus A310 crashed in the Siberian city of Irkutsk, killing at least 125 of 203 people on board. In a penalty-plagued final, Italy won the World Cup soccer title with a penalty shootout over France. Roger Federer ended a five-match losing streak to Rafael Nadal, winning 6-0, 7-6 (5), 6-7 (2), 6-3 to earn his fourth straight Wimbledon title.


Thought for Today: "A good storyteller is a person who has a good memory and hopes other people haven't." — Irvin Cobb, American humorist (1876-1944).

Today In History

Today is Sunday, July 8, the 189th day of 2007. There are 176 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On July 8, 1776, Col. John Nixon gave the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence, in Philadelphia.

On this date:

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

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 Wall Street Journal was first published.

In 1907, 100 years ago, Florenz Ziegfeld staged his first "Follies," on the roof of the New York Theater.

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

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

In 1947, U.S. Army Air Force officials in Roswell, N.M., announced that an object that had crashed nearby was a weather balloon — not a "flying disc," as initially reported.

In 1950, President Truman named Gen. Douglas MacArthur commander-in-chief of United Nations forces in Korea.

In 1986, Kurt Waldheim was inaugurated as president of Austria despite controversy over his alleged ties to Nazi war crimes.

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

Ten years ago: The U.S. Senate Governmental Affairs Committee opened politically charged hearings into fund-raising abuses, with chairman Fred Thompson accusing China of trying to influence the 1996 U.S. elections. NATO extended membership invitations to Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. The Mayo Clinic and the government warned the diet-drug combination known as "fen-phen" could cause serious heart and lung damage.

Five years ago: WorldCom and its former auditors clashed over responsibility for nearly $4 billion in accounting improprieties, as WorldCom's former CEO and finance chief, Scott Sullivan, refused to testify before a House panel investigating the debacle.

One year ago: Four more U.S. soldiers were charged with rape and murder and a fifth with dereliction of duty in the alleged rape-slaying of a young Iraqi woman and the killings of her relatives in Mahmoudiya. Discovery astronauts Piers Sellers and Michael Fossum went on a 7 1/2-hour spacewalk to test a repair technique for space shuttles. Amelie Mauresmo beat Justine Henin-Hardenne, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 at Wimbledon to win her second Grand Slam championship. Actress June Allyson died in Ojai, Calif., at age 88.

Thought for Today: "History must stay open, it is all humanity." — William Carlos Williams, American author and poet (1883-1963).

Today In History

Today is Saturday, July 7, the 188th day of 2007. There are 177 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On July 7, 1865, four people were hanged in Washington for conspiring with John Wilkes Booth to assassinate President Lincoln.

On this date:

In 1807, Napoleon I of France and Czar Alexander I of Russia signed a treaty at Tilsit ending war between their empires.

In 1896, the Democratic national convention opened in Chicago.

In 1898, the United States annexed Hawaii.

In 1907, 100 years ago, science-fiction author Robert Heinlein was born in Butler, Miss.

In 1930, construction began on Boulder Dam (later Hoover Dam).

In 1946, Italian-born Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini was canonized as the first American saint by Pope Pius XII.

In 1958, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Alaska statehood bill. (Alaska became the 49th state in January 1959.)

In 1981, President 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 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.

Ten years ago: Three days after landing on Mars, the Pathfinder spacecraft yielded what scientists said was unmistakable photographic evidence that colossal floods had scoured the planet's now-barren landscape more than a billion years ago.

Five years ago: Afghanistan's vice president, Abdul Qadir, was buried with full military honors one day after being assassinated. Texas Gov. Rick Perry saw by helicopter the devastation days of torrential rain had brought to central and southern Texas. Lleyton Hewitt crushed David Nalbandian in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3, 6-2, in the Wimbledon final to win his second Grand Slam title.

One year ago: Japan introduced a draft U.N. Security Council resolution to sanction North Korea for test-launching a series of missiles. (The Council unanimously adopted a compromise resolution on July 15.) Syd Barrett, co-founder of Pink Floyd, died in Cambridge, England, at age 60.

Thought for Today: "Memory depends very much on the perspicuity, regularity, and order of our thoughts. Many complain of the want of memory, when the defect is in their judgment; and others, by grasping at all, retain nothing." — Margaret Fuller, American critic and social reformer (1810-1850).

Today In History

Today is Thursday, July 5, the 186th day of 2007. There are 179 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:
On July 5, 1947, Larry Doby made his debut with the Cleveland Indians, becoming the first black player in the American League.

On this date:

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

In 1830, the French occupied the North African city of Algiers.

In 1865, William Booth founded the Salvation Army in London.

In 1935, President Roosevelt signed the National Labor Relations Act, which provided for a National Labor Relations Board, and authorized labor to organize for the purpose of collective bargaining.

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

In 1946, the bikini bathing suit, designed by Louis Reard, made its debut during an outdoor fashion show at the Molitor Pool in Paris.

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

In 1975, Arthur Ashe became the first black man to win a Wimbledon singles title as he defeated Jimmy Connors.

In 1977, Pakistan's army, led by General Mohammad Zia ul-Haq, seized power from President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. (Bhutto was executed in 1979.)

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

Ten years ago: NASA scientists brainstormed to fix problems that left Mars Pathfinder's robot rover stuck aboard the lander. Cambodia's Second Prime Minister Hun Sen launched a bloody coup that toppled First Prime Minister Norodom Ranariddh. Sixteen-year-old Martina Hingis became the youngest Wimbledon singles champion this century as she beat Jana Novotna, 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the women's finals. (Charlotte "Lottie" Dod won in 1887 at age 15.)

Five years ago: President Bush telephoned Afghan President Hamid Karzai to express condolences for the deaths of Afghan civilians killed in a U.S. bombing four days earlier. (Forty-eight civilians were killed, according to Afghan officials.) Baseball Hall of Famer Ted Williams died in Citrus County, Fla., at age 83.

One year ago: North Korea test-fired seven missiles into the Sea of Japan, including at least one believed capable of reaching the U.S. mainland. Enron founder Kenneth Lay, who was facing decades in prison for one of the most sprawling business frauds in U.S. history, died in Aspen, Colo., at age 64.

Thought for Today: "If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away." — Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862).

Today in History

Today is Wednesday, July 4, the 185th day of 2007. There are 180 days left in the year. This is Independence Day.

Today's Highlight in History:On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence.

On this date:

In 1802, the United States Military Academy officially opened at West Point, N.Y.

In 1807, 200 years ago, soldier-statesman Giuseppe Garibaldi, who played a key role in Italy's unification during the 19th century, was born in Nice.

In 1826, 50 years to the day after the Declaration of Independence was adopted, former presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died.

In 1831, the fifth president of the U.S., James Monroe, died in New York City.

In 1872, the 30th president of the U.S., Calvin Coolidge, was born in Plymouth, Vt.

In 1917, during a ceremony in Paris honoring the French hero of the American Revolution, U.S. Lt. Col. Charles E. Stanton declared, "Lafayette, we are here!"

In 1939, baseball's "Iron Horse, " Lou Gehrig, said farewell to his fans at New York's Yankee Stadium.

In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Freedom of Information Act, which went into effect the following year.

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.

In 1987, Klaus Barbie, the former Gestapo chief known as the "Butcher of Lyon, " was convicted by a French court of crimes against humanity and sentenced to life in prison (he died in September 1991).

Ten years ago: NASA's Pathfinder spacecraft landed on Mars, inaugurating a new era in the search for life on the Red Planet. CBS newsman Charles Kuralt died in New York at age 62.

Five years ago: A gunman opened fire at Israel's El Al airline ticket counter at Los Angeles International Airport; three people were killed, including the gunman. Benjamin O. Davis Jr., leader of the famed all-black Tuskegee Airmen during World War II and the first black general in the Air Force, died in Washington at age 89. Winnifred Quick Van Tongerloo, who survived the Titanic sinking, died in East Lansing, Mich., at age 98.

One year ago: Discovery lifted off in the first Independence Day shuttle launch. Word reached the United States that North Korea had test-fired several missiles, including a long-range device that failed within seconds (because of the time difference, it was July 5 at the launch site).

Thought for Today: "All progress has resulted from people who took unpopular positions." — Adlai E. Stevenson, American diplomat and politician (1900-1965).

Today In History

Today is Tuesday, July 3, the 184th day of 2007. There are 181 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:
On July 3, 1863, the three-day Civil War Battle of Gettysburg, Pa., ended in a major victory for the North as Confederate troops retreated.

On this date:
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, Mass.

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

In 1898, the U.S. Navy defeated a Spanish fleet in the harbor at Santiago, Cuba, during the Spanish-American War.

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

In 1962, Algeria became independent after 132 years of French rule.

In 1971, singer Jim Morrison of The Doors died in Paris at age 27.

In 1976, Israel launched its daring mission to rescue about a hundred passengers and Air France crew members being held at Entebbe Airport in Uganda by pro-Palestinian hijackers.

In 1987, British millionaire Richard Branson and Per Lindstrand became the first hot-air balloon travelers to cross the Atlantic, jumping into the sea as their craft went down off the Scottish coast.

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

Ten years ago: In his first formal response to charges by Paula Jones of sexual harassment, President Bill Clinton denied all allegations in her lawsuit, and asked a judge to dismiss the case. Lockheed Martin Corp. announced it was buying Northrop Grumman Corp. for $7.9 billion. (However, the merger fell apart when the Justice Department objected on antitrust grounds.)

Five years ago: Jean-Marie Messier, the chairman of Vivendi Universal, was formally removed from his post and replaced by Jean-Rene Fourtou of the pharmaceutical company Aventis.

One year ago: Former Private Steven D. Green was charged in federal court in Charlotte, N.C., with raping a 14-year-old Iraqi girl (Abeer Qassim al-Janabi) and killing her, her parents and sister. (Four members of Green's unit were charged as well; one later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 100 years in prison.) A subway train derailed in Valencia, Spain, killing 43 people. Annika Sorenstam ended 10 years of frustration by winning the U.S. Women's Open, her 10th major championship.

Thought for Today: "I suppose it can be truthfully said that Hope is the only universal liar who never loses his reputation for veracity." — Robert G. Ingersoll, American lawyer, politician (1833-1899).

Today In History

Today is Monday, July 2, the 183rd day of 2007. There are 182 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On July 2, 1776, the Continental Congress passed a resolution saying that "these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States."

On this date:

In 1807, in the wake of the Chesapeake incident, in which the crew of a British frigate boarded an American ship and forcibly removed four suspected deserters, President Thomas Jefferson ordered all British ships to vacate U.S. territorial waters.

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

In 1926, the U.S. Army Air Corps was created.

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

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

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

In 1987, 18 illegal aliens were found dead inside a locked boxcar near Sierra Blanca, Texas, in what authorities called a botched smuggling attempt; a 19th man survived.

In 1994, a U.S. Air DC-9 crashed in poor weather at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport in North Carolina, killing 37 of the 57 people aboard.

In 1996, electricity and phone service was knocked out for millions of customers from Canada to the Southwest after power lines throughout the West failed on a record-hot day.

In 2004, actor Marlon Brando died in Los Angeles at age 80.

Ten years ago: Actor James Stewart died in Beverly Hills, Calif., at age 89.

Five years ago: American adventurer Steve Fossett became the first person to fly a balloon solo around the world as he returned to western Australia.

One year ago: Conservative free-trader Felipe Calderon defeated leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador by just 234,000 votes in Mexico's presidential election. Comic Jan Murray died in Beverly Hills, Calif., at age 89.


Thought for Today: "The American Revolution was a beginning, not a consummation." — Woodrow Wilson, the 28th president of the United States (1856-1924).

Today In History

Today is Sunday, July 1, the 182nd day of 2007. There are 183 days left in the year. This is Canada Day.

Today's Highlight in History:

On July 1, 1946, the United States exploded a 20-kiloton atomic bomb near Bikini Atoll in the Pacific.

On this date:

In 1863, the 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 1898, during the Spanish-American War, U.S. forces, including Theodore Roosevelt's "Rough Riders," waged a victorious assault on San Juan Hill in Cuba.

In 1932, New York Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt was nominated for president at the Democratic convention in Chicago.

In 1957, the International Geophysical Year, an 18-month global scientific study, began.

In 1961, Diana, the princess of Wales, was born in Sandringham, England. (She died in a 1997 car crash in Paris at age 36.)

In 1968, the U.S., Britain, the Soviet Union and nearly 60 other nations signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

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

In 1987, President Ronald Reagan nominated federal appeals court judge Robert Bork to the U.S. Supreme Court, setting off a tempestuous confirmation process that ended with Bork's rejection by the Senate.

In 1991, President Bush nominated federal appeals court judge Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court, beginning an ultimately successful confirmation process marked by allegations of sexual harassment.

Ten years ago: Hong Kong reverted to Chinese rule after 156 years as a British colony. Actor Robert Mitchum died in Santa Barbara County, Calif., at age 79.

Five years ago: The world's first permanent war crimes tribunal came into existence. A U.S. Air Force gunship attacked several villages in Afghanistan, killing 48 civilians, according to Afghan officials. A Russian passenger jet collided with a cargo plane over southern Germany, killing all 69 people on the Russian plane, and the two cargo jet pilots. Chile's Supreme Court ruled that former dictator Gen. Augusto Pinochet was suffering from dementia and dropped all charges against him for human rights violations during his regime.

One year ago: Thunderstorms forced NASA to call off the launch of Discovery, delaying the first space shuttle flight in a year. (Discovery was launched three days later, on July 4.) A huge car bomb exploded at a bustling outdoor market in a Shiite district of Baghdad, killing more than 60 people.

Thought for Today: "Americans are benevolently ignorant about Canada, while Canadians are malevolently well-informed about the United States." — J. Bartlet Brebner, Canadian historian (1895-1957).

Today In History

Today is Saturday, June 30, the 181st day of 2007. There are 184 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:
On June 30, 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt signed into law the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act.

On this date:
In 1859, French acrobat Blondin (born Jean Francois Gravelet) walked a tightrope above the gorge of Niagara Falls as thousands of spectators watched.

In 1870, Ada H. Kepley of Effingham, Ill., became America's first female law school graduate.

In 1921, President Harding nominated former President Taft to be chief justice of the United States, to succeed the late Edward Douglass White.

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

In 1936, the novel "Gone with the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell was published in New York.

In 1952, "The Guiding Light," a popular radio program, made its TV debut on CBS.

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

In 1971, a Soviet space mission ended in tragedy when three cosmonauts aboard Soyuz 11 were found dead inside their spacecraft after it had returned to Earth.

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

In 1986, the Supreme Court, in Bowers v. Hardwick, ruled 5-4 that states could outlaw homosexual acts between consenting adults. However, the nation's highest court reversed this decision in 2003 in Lawrence v. Texas.

Ten years ago: In Hong Kong, the Union Jack was lowered for the last time over Government House as Britain prepared to hand the colony back to China after ruling it for 156 years.

Five years ago: Leonard Gregg, a part-time firefighter, was charged with starting one of the two wildfires that merged into a monstrous blaze in eastern Arizona. (Gregg later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.) Brazil defeated Germany 2-0 for the team's record fifth World Cup title.

One year ago: A tired-sounding Osama bin Laden praised slain Iraq insurgent Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in an audiotape. The government of the Netherlands resigned over a failed attempt to strip Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a prominent Somali-born critic of Islam, of her Dutch citizenship.

Thought for Today: "It is quite gratifying to feel guilty if you haven't done anything wrong: How noble! Whereas it is rather hard and certainly depressing to admit guilt and to repent." — Hannah Arendt, German-born American philosopher and historian (1906-1975).

Today in History

Today is Friday, June 29, the 180th day of 2007. There are 185 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:
On June 29, 1776, the Virginia state constitution was adopted, and Patrick Henry made governor.

On this date:
In 1767, the British Parliament approved the Townshend Acts, which imposed import duties on certain goods shipped to America. (Colonists bitterly protested, prompting Parliament in 1770 to repeal the duties on all goods — except tea.)

In 1941, Polish statesman, pianist and composer Ignacy Jan Paderewski died in New York at age 80.

In 1946, authorities in the British Mandate of Palestine arrested more than 2,700 Jews in an attempt to stamp out extremists.

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

In 1966, the United States bombed fuel storage facilities near the North Vietnamese cities of Hanoi and Haiphong.

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

In 1970, the United States ended a two-month military offensive into Cambodia.

In 1972, the Supreme Court, in Furman v. Georgia, ruled the death penalty, as it was being meted out, could constitute "cruel and unusual punishment." (The ruling prompted states to revise their capital punishment laws.)

In 1981, Hu Yaobang, a protege of Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, was elected Communist Party chairman, replacing Mao Zedong's hand-picked successor, Hua Guofeng.

In 1995, the shuttle Atlantis and the space station Mir docked in orbit.

Ten years ago: In Albania, gunmen menaced voters, burned ballots and pressured polling officials, marring parliamentary elections meant to steer the country toward recovery after months of chaos.

Five years ago: President Bush transferred his presidential powers to Vice President Dick Cheney for more than two hours during a routine colon screening that ended in a clean bill of health. Singer Rosemary Clooney died in Beverly Hills, Calif., at age 74.

One year ago: The Supreme Court ruled 5-3 that President Bush's plan to try Guantanamo Bay detainees in military tribunals violated U.S. and international law. The government announced it had recovered a stolen laptop computer and hard drive with sensitive data on up to 26.5 million veterans and military personnel.

Thought for Today: "He who is firmly seated in authority soon learns to think security, and not progress, the highest lesson of statecraft." — James Russell Lowell, American essayist (1819-1891).

Today In History

Today is Thursday, June 28, the 179th day of 2007. There are 186 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:
On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife, Sophie, were assassinated in Sarajevo by a Serb nationalist — the event that triggered World War I.

On this date:
In 1491, England's King Henry VIII was born at Greenwich.

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, although her actual existence is a matter of historical debate.

In 1836, the fourth president of the United States, James Madison, died in Montpelier, Va.

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

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

In 1939, Pan American Airways began regular trans-Atlantic air service.

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

In 1978, the Supreme Court ordered the University of California-Davis Medical School to admit Allan Bakke, a white man who argued he'd been a victim of reverse racial discrimination.

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

Ten years ago: President Clinton, unable to meet his own July 4 deadline for campaign finance reform, blamed the inaction on Congress in his weekly radio address. In a wild rematch, Evander Holyfield retained the WBA heavyweight boxing championship after his opponent, Mike Tyson, was disqualified for biting Holyfield's ear during the third round of their fight in Las Vegas.

Five years ago: WorldCom Inc. began laying off 17,000 employees worldwide after disclosing accounting irregularities that later forced it into bankruptcy protection. Xerox Corp. announced it had improperly reported $1.9 billion in revenue over the previous five years and would restate those financial results.

One year ago: Thousands of Israeli troops backed by tanks penetrated the Gaza Strip to pressure Islamic militants into releasing a kidnapped soldier. "Miracle on Ice" coach Herb Brooks and Patrick Roy, the NHL's winningest goaltender, were among four honorees elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame. Star Jones Reynolds was booted from "The View," one day after surprising ABC and Barbara Walters by saying on the air that she wouldn't be returning to the daytime talk show in the fall.

Thought for Today: "The glory of each generation is to make its own precedents." — Belva Ann Bennett Lockwood, American social reformer (1830-1917).

Today In History

Since I feel so strongly about remember our past, I decided to add the "Today In History" section to the Andernation Blog! Thanks for stopping by!

Today is Wednesday, June 27, the 178th day of 2007. There are 187 days left in the year.

Fifty years ago, on June 27, 1957, more than 500 people were killed when Hurricane Audrey slammed through coastal Louisiana and Texas.

On this date:

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

In 1846, New York and Boston were linked by telegraph wires.

In 1893, the New York stock market crashed.

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

In 1950, the U.N. Security Council passed a resolution calling on member nations to help South Korea repel an invasion from the North.

In 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York's Greenwich Village; patrons fought back in clashes considered the birth of the gay rights movement.

In 1977, the Supreme Court, in Bates v. State Bar of Arizona, struck down state laws and bar association rules that prohibited lawyers from advertising their fees for routine services.

In 1977, the Republic of Djibouti became independent of France.

In 1986, the International Court of Justice at The Hague ruled that the United States had broken international law and violated the sovereignty of Nicaragua by aiding the contras.

In 1991, Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, the first black to sit on the nation's highest court, announced his retirement.

Ten years ago: The Supreme Court threw out a key part of the Brady gun-control law, saying the federal government could not make local police decide whether people were fit to buy handguns. However, the court left intact the five-day waiting period for gun purchases.

Five years ago: In a landmark church-state decision, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that tuition vouchers were constitutional. The Group of Eight nations concluded a two-day summit in Alberta, Canada, by announcing aid packages for Russia and Africa. John Entwistle, the bass player who co-founded The Who, was found dead in a Las Vegas hotel room; he was 57.

One year ago: A constitutional amendment to ban desecration of the American flag died in a Senate cliffhanger, falling one vote short of the 67 needed to send it to states for ratification. Surgeon General Richard Carmona issued a report saying breathing any amount of someone else's tobacco smoke harms nonsmokers. "Railroad Killer" Angel Maturino Resendiz, linked to 15 murders, was executed in Texas for the slaying of physician Claudia Benton in 1998.

Thought for Today: "Real education should educate us out of self into something far finer — into selflessness which links us with all humanity." — Viscountess Nancy Astor, American-born British politician (1879-1964).

Courtesy: Yahoo News