Associated Press
On June 15, 1215, England’s King John put his seal to the Magna Carta at Runnymede, granting his barons more liberty.
On this date in:
1775 George Washington was appointed head of the Continental Army.
1836 Arkansas became the 25th state.
1844 Charles Goodyear received a patent for a process to strengthen rubber.
1849 James Polk, the 11th president of the United States, died in Nashville, Tenn., at age 53.
1864 Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton signed an order establishing a military burial ground, which became Arlington National Cemetery.
1902 The 20th Century Limited, an express passenger train between New York and Chicago, began service.
1904 More than 1,000 people died when fire erupted aboard the steamboat General Slocum in New York City’s East River.
1923 Baseball Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig made his major league debut with the New York Yankees.
1969 The variety show “Hee Haw” premiered on CBS.
1978 King Hussein of Jordan married 26-year-old American Lisa Halaby, who became Queen Noor.
1991 Mount Pinatubo in the northern Philippines exploded in one of the biggest volcanic eruptions of the 20th century, killing about 800 people.
1992 Vice President Dan Quayle erroneously instructed a Trenton, N.J., elementary school student to spell potato as “potatoe” during a spelling bee.
1994 Israel and the Vatican established full diplomatic relations.
1995 During his murder trial, O.J. Simpson struggled to don a pair of gloves that prosecutors said were worn by the killer of Simpson’s ex-wife, Nicole, and her friend, Ronald Goldman.
1996 Singer Ella Fitzgerald died at age 78.
2003 A jury in Houston convicted accounting firm Arthur Andersen of obstruction of justice.
2006 A divided Supreme Court made it easier for police to barge into homes and seize evidence without knocking or waiting.
2006 Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates said he would transition from day-to-day responsibilities at the company to concentrate on the charitable work of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
2007 Bob Barker ended his 35-year run as host of the CBS game show “The Price Is Right.”
Today’s Birthdays:
Actor Neil Patrick Harris (“How I Met Your Mother”) turns 42 years old today.
Billy Williams, Baseball Hall of Famer, 77
Mike Holmgren, Football coach, 67
Simon Callow, Actor, 66
Russell Hitchcock, Singer (Air Supply), 66
Steve Walsh, Rock singer (Kansas), 64
Jim Belushi Actor, comedian (“According to Jim”), 61
Julie Hagerty, Actress (“Airplane!”), 60
Wade Boggs, Baseball Hall of Famer, 57
Helen Hunt, Actress (“Mad About You”), 52
Courteney Cox, Actress (“Friends,” “Cougar Town”), 51
Ice Cube Actor, rapper, 46
Leah Remini, Actress (“King of Queens”), 45
T-Bone Willy, Rock musician (Save Ferris), 43
Elizabeth Reaser, Actress, 40
San Francisco Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum turns 31 years old today.