Today is Monday, June 20, the 171st day of 2005. There are 194 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History:
On June 20, 1782, Congress approved the Great Seal of the United States.
On this date:
In 1756, in India, a group of British soldiers was imprisoned in a suffocating cell that gained notoriety as the “Black Hole of Calcutta”; most died.
In 1837, Queen Victoria acceded to the British throne following the death of her uncle, King William IV.
In 1863, West Virginia became the 35th state.
In 1893, a jury in New Bedford, Mass., found Lizzie Borden innocent of the ax murders of her father and stepmother.
In 1898, during the Spanish-American War, the U.S. cruiser Charleston captured the Spanish-ruled island of Guam.
In 1943, race-related rioting erupted in Detroit; federal troops were sent in two days later to quell the violence that resulted in more than 30 deaths.
In 1947, Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel was shot dead at the Beverly Hills, Calif., mansion of his girlfriend, Virginia Hill, apparently at the order of mob associates.
In 1963, the United States and Soviet Union signed an agreement to set up a “hot line” between the two superpowers.
In 1967, boxer Muhammad Ali was convicted in Houston of violating Selective Service laws by refusing to be drafted. (Ali’s conviction was ultimately overturned by the Supreme Court).
In 1975, the Steven Spielberg shark thriller “Jaws” was first released.
Ten years ago: U.S. Air Force Captain Jim Wang, a radar officer, was cleared of wrongdoing in a friendly fire attack on two U.S. helicopters over northern Iraq in 1994 that resulted in 26 deaths.
Five years ago: After a furious last-minute lobbying blitz by the Clinton administration, the Senate voted 57-42 to approve legislation making it easier for federal prosecutors to try hate crimes, attaching the measure to a defense authorization bill. (However, the House stripped the hate crimes provision from the defense bill the following October.)
One year ago: The Arab satellite TV network Al-Jazeera aired a videotape from al-Qaida-linked militants showing a South Korean hostage begging for his life and pleading with his government to withdraw troops from Iraq. Retief Goosen captured his second U.S. Open Golf championship in four years at Shinnecock Hills.
Today’s Birthdays: Actress Olympia Dukakis is 74. Actor James Tolkan is 74. Actor Danny Aiello is 72. Actor John Mahoney is 65. Movie director Stephen Frears is 64. Singer-songwriter Brian Wilson is 63. Actor John McCook is 60. Singer Anne Murray is 60. TV personality Bob Vila is 59. Musician Andre Watts is 59. Actress Candy Clark is 58. Tina Sinatra is 57. Rhythm-and-blues singer Lionel Richie is 56. Actor John Goodman is 53. Singer Cyndi Lauper is 52. Rock musician Michael Anthony (Van Halen) is 51. Musician John Taylor is 45. Rock musician Mark DeGliantoni is 43. Rock musician Murphy Karges (Sugar Ray) is 38. Actress Nicole Kidman is 38. Movie director Robert Rodriguez is 37. Actor Josh Lucas is 34. Actor Peter Paige is 31.
Thought for Today: “Love your enemy — it’ll drive him nuts.” — Anonymous.
