Today is Thursday, June 20th, the 172nd day of 2024. There are 194 days left this year.
Today’s History Highlights:
On June 20, 1893, a jury in New Bedford, Massachusetts, found Lizzie Borden not guilty of murdering her father and stepmother with an axe.
On this date:
In 1782, Congress approved the Great Seal of the United States, featuring a bald eagle.
Queen Victoria ascended to the British throne in 1837 upon the death of her uncle, King William IV.
In 1863, West Virginia became the 35th state.
In 1943, race-related riots broke out in Detroit, and federal troops were sent in to quell the riots two days later, leaving more than 30 people dead.
In 1944, during World War II, the Japanese Navy defeated the American fleet in the Battle of the Philippine Sea and then retreated after suffering heavy losses.
In 1947, gangster Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel was shot to death in the home of his girlfriend, Virginia Hill, apparently on the orders of fellow gangsters.
In 1967, boxer Muhammad Ali was convicted in Houston of violating the draft by refusing to serve in the military and was sentenced to five years in prison. (Ali’s conviction was eventually overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.)
In 1972, three days after the Watergate arrests, President Richard Nixon met with his chief of staff, H.R. Haldeman, at the White House. A secret recording of the meeting contains an infamous 18-and-a-half minute gap.
In 1974, Paramount Pictures released the film noir Chinatown, starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway.
In 1990, South African black nationalist Nelson Mandela and his wife Winnie arrived in New York City for a ticker-tape parade in their honor at the start of an eight-city tour of the United States.
In 2014, the Obama administration granted a host of new benefits to same-sex couples, including those living in states where same-sex marriage is illegal, ranging from Social Security and veterans benefits to work leave to care for a sick spouse.
In 2016, a divided U.S. Supreme Court gave police more power, ruling 5-3 that in some cases evidence of a crime can be used against a defendant even if police acted dishonestly or illegally in obtaining it.
The country’s youngest children are getting the chance to receive the COVID-19 vaccine for the first time in 2022. About 18 million children under the age of five are now eligible for the shot, and vaccinations have begun in several locations.
Today’s birthdays: Actor Bonnie Bartlett is 95. Actor James Tolkan is 93. Director Stephen Frears is 83. Singer-songwriter Brian Wilson is 82. Actor John McCook is 81. Singer Anne Murray is 79. Television personality Bob Villa is 78. Actor Candy Clark is 77. Producer Tina Sinatra is 76. R&B singer Lionel Richie is 75. Actor John Goodman is 72. Rock musician Michael Anthony is 70. Rock musician John Taylor is 64. Rock musician Mark Delli Antoni is 62. Christian rock musician Jerome Fontamillas (Switchfoot) is 57. Actor Nicole Kidman is 57. Country/bluegrass singer and musician Dan Tyminski is 57. Film director Robert Rodriguez is 56 years old. Actor Peter Page is 55 years old. Actor Josh Lucas is 53 years old. Rock musician Jordie White (aka Twiggy Ramirez) is 53 years old. Rock singer Chino Moreno (Deftones) is 51 years old. Country folk singer and songwriter Amos Lee is 47 years old. Country singer Chuck Wicks is 45 years old. Actor Tika Sumpter is 44 years old. Actor and singer Alisan Porter is 43 years old. US Olympic beach volleyball gold medalist April Ross is 42 years old. Christian rock musician Chris Dudley (Anders) is 41 years old. Rock singer Grace Potter (Grace Potter & The Nocturnals) is 41 years old. Actor Mark Sohl is 38 years old. Actor Dreama Walker is 38 years old. Actor Chris Mintz-Plasse is 35 years old. Actress Maria Lark is 27 years old.
