Today In History

Today in History: Thursday, June  30, 2016
AP Highlight in History:
On June 30, 1934, Adolf Hitler began his “blood purge” of political and military leaders in Germany in what came to be known as “The Night of the Long Knives.”
AP Photo
On this date in:
1859 French acrobat Blondin crossed Niagara Falls on a tightrope as 5,000 spectators watched.
1908 An asteroid exploded above Tunguska in Siberia, leaving 800 square miles of scorched or blown-down trees.
1917 Jazz singer Lena Horne was born in Brooklyn, N.Y.
1921 President Warren G. Harding appointed former President William Howard Taft chief justice of the United States.
1936 The novel “Gone with the Wind” by Margaret Mitchell was published.
1963 Pope Paul VI was crowned the 262nd head of the Roman Catholic Church.
AP Photo
1971 The 26th Amendment to the Constitution, lowering the minimum voting age to 18, was ratified as Ohio became the 38th state to approve it.
1971 The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that the government could not prevent The New York Times or the Washington Post from publishing the Pentagon Papers.
1994 The U.S. Figure Skating Association stripped Tonya Harding of the national championship and banned her from the organization for life for an attack on rival Nancy Kerrigan.
2001 Doctors implanted a dual-purpose pacemaker in Vice President Dick Cheney’s chest.
2002 Brazil defeated Germany 2-0 in Yokohama, Japan for its record fifth World Cup title.
2004 The international Cassini spacecraft entered Saturn’s orbit after a nearly seven-year journey.
2005 Spain legalized gay marriage.
Today’s Birthdays:
Olympic gold-medal swimmer Michael Phelps turns 31 years old today.
AP Photo/Matt York
Name Profession Age
Stanley Clarke Jazz bassist 65
Tubby Smith College basketball coach 65
David Alan Grier Actor, comedian 60
Vincent D’Onofrio Actor (“Law and Order: Criminal Intent”) 57
Rupert Graves Actor 53
Monica Potter Actress 45
Fantasia R&B singer (“American Idol”) 32
Boxer Mike Tyson turns 50 years old today.
AP Photo/Richard Shotwell

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