Today is Monday, June 8, the 159th day of 2015. There are 206 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History:
On June 8, 1915, U.S. Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan resigned over what he viewed as President Woodrow Wilson’s overly bellicose attitude toward Germany following the sinking of the RMS Lusitania.
On this date:
In A.D. 632, the prophet Muhammad died in Medina.
In 1845, Andrew Jackson, seventh president of the United States, died in Nashville, Tennessee.
In 1864, Abraham Lincoln was nominated for another term as president during the National Union (Republican) Party’s convention in Baltimore.
In 1912, the ballet “Daphnis et Chloe” was premiered by the Ballets Russes in Paris.
In 1948, the “Texaco Star Theater” made its debut on NBC-TV with Milton Berle guest-hosting the first program. (Berle was later named the show’s permanent host.)
In 1953, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that restaurants in the District of Columbia could not refuse to serve blacks. Eight tornadoes struck Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, killing 126 people.
In 1967, 34 U.S. servicemen were killed when Israel attacked the USS Liberty, a Navy intelligence-gathering ship in the Mediterranean. (Israel later said the Liberty had been mistaken for an Egyptian vessel.)
In 1972, during the Vietnam War, an Associated Press photographer captured the image of 9-year-old Phan Thi Kim Phuc (fahn thee kihm fook) as she ran naked and severely burned from the scene of a South Vietnamese napalm attack.
In 1978, a jury in Clark County, Nevada, ruled the so-called “Mormon will,” purportedly written by the late billionaire Howard Hughes, was a forgery.
In 1982, President Ronald Reagan became the first American chief executive to address a joint session of the British Parliament.
In 1987, Fawn Hall began testifying at the Iran-Contra hearings, describing how, as secretary to National Security aide Oliver L. North, she helped to shred some documents and spirit away others.
In 1995, U.S. Marines rescued Capt. Scott O’Grady, whose F-16C fighter jet had been shot down by Bosnian Serbs on June 2. Mickey Mantle received a liver transplant at a Dallas hospital; however, the baseball great died two months later.
Ten years ago: The Senate confirmed California judge Janice Rogers Brown for the federal appeals court, ending a two-year battle. Former Boston Bruins star Cam Neely, the late Valeri Kharlamov and Murray Costello were named to the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Five years ago: In several high-profile Republican primaries, Meg Whitman won the nomination for California governor while Carly Fiorina got the nod to oppose three-term Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer; in Nevada, Sharron Angle won the right to oppose Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. (All three ended up losing their respective contests.) In South Carolina, political unknown Alvin Greene won the Democratic primary to challenge U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint (Greene lost in November).
One year ago: Gunmen stormed an airport terminal in Karachi, Pakistan, in an attack that left at least 29 people dead, including the assailants (the Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility). A married couple shot and killed two Las Vegas police officers and an armed bystander who attempted to intervene; the couple then took their own lives. Pope Francis welcomed the Israeli and Palestinian presidents to the Vatican for a remarkable evening of peace prayers. Rafael Nadal won the French Open title for the ninth time, and the fifth time in a row, by beating Novak Djokovic 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-4. “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” won the Tony Award for best musical; “All the Way” was crowned best play. Miss Nevada Nia Sanchez was crowned Miss USA.
Today’s Birthdays: Former first lady Barbara Bush is 90. Actor-comedian Jerry Stiller is 88. Actress Millicent Martin is 81. Actor James Darren is 79. Actor Bernie Casey is 76. Singer Nancy Sinatra is 75. Singer Chuck Negron is 73. Musician Boz Scaggs is 71. Author Sara Paretsky is 68. Actress Sonia Braga is 65. Actress Kathy Baker is 65. Country musician Tony Rice is 64. Rock singer Bonnie Tyler is 64. Actor Griffin Dunne is 60. “Dilbert” creator Scott Adams is 58. Actor-director Keenen Ivory Wayans is 57. Singer Mick Hucknall (Simply Red) is 55. Musician Nick Rhodes (Duran Duran) is 53. Rhythm-and-blues singer Doris Pearson (Five Star) is 49. Actress Julianna Margulies is 48. Actor Dan Futterman is 48. Actor David Sutcliffe is 46. Actor Kent Faulcon is 45. Rhythm-and-blues singer Nicci Gilbert is 45. Actress Kelli Williams is 45. Former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., is 45. Actor Mark Feuerstein is 44. Contemporary Christian musician Mike Scheuchzer (MercyMe) is 40. Actor Eion Bailey is 39. Tennis player Lindsay Davenport is 39. Rapper Kanye (KAHN’-yay) West is 38. TV personality/actress Maria Menounos is 37. Country singer/songwriter Sturgill Simpson is 37. Blues-rock musician Derek Trucks (The Derek Trucks Band) is 36. Rock singer Alex Band (The Calling) is 34. Folk-bluegrass singer-musician Sara Watkins (Nickel Creek) is 34. Tennis player Kim Clijsters is 32. Actress Torrey DeVitto is 31.
Thought for Today: “Don’t talk about what you have done or what you are going to do.” — President Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826).
