Today in History

Today is Saturday, June 9, the 161st day of 2012. There are 205 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On June 9, 1972, heavy rains triggered record flooding in the Black Hills of South Dakota; the resulting disaster left at least 238 people dead and $164 million in damage.

On this date:

In A.D. 68, the Roman Emperor Nero committed suicide, ending a 13-year reign.

In 1870, author Charles Dickens died in Gad's Hill Place, England.

In 1909, Alice Huyler Ramsey, 22, set out from New York in a Maxwell DA on a journey to become the first woman to drive across the United States. (Ramsey and three female companions arrived in San Francisco on Aug. 7.)

In 1911, Carrie (sometimes spelled "Carry") A. Nation, the hatchet-wielding temperance crusader, died in Leavenworth, Kan., at age 64.

In 1940, during World War II, Norway decided to surrender to the Nazis, effective at midnight.

In 1949, Georgia Neese Clark was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate to be the first female Treasurer of the United States.

In 1954, during the Senate-Army Hearings, Army special counsel Joseph N. Welch berated Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy for verbally attacking a member of Welch's law firm, Fred Fisher, asking McCarthy: "Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?"

In 1969, the Senate confirmed Warren Burger to be the new chief justice of the United States, succeeding Earl Warren.

In 1973, Secretariat became horse racing's first Triple Crown winner in 25 years by winning the Belmont Stakes.

In 1978, leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints struck down a 148-year-old policy of excluding black men from the Mormon priesthood.

In 1985, American educator Thomas Sutherland was kidnapped in Lebanon; he was released in November 1991 along with fellow hostage Terry Waite.

In 1986, the Rogers Commission released its report on the Challenger disaster, criticizing NASA and rocket-builder Morton Thiokol for management problems leading to the explosion that claimed the lives of seven astronauts.

Ten years ago: President Jacques Chirac's mainstream right prevailed in a first round of elections for France's 577-seat National Assembly. Thousands of Russian soccer fans rioted in Moscow after their country's loss to Japan in the World Cup. Albert Costa won the French Open over fellow Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero, 6-1, 6-0, 4-6, 6-3. Se Ri Pak won the LPGA Championship to become the youngest woman to claim four major championships.

Five years ago: President George W. Bush, denounced by anti-American protesters on the streets of Rome, defended his humanitarian record as he met at the Vatican with Pope Benedict XVI, who expressed concern about "the worrisome situation in Iraq." A day after being ordered back to jail, Paris Hilton said she wouldn't appeal her sentence for a probation violation. Rags to Riches became the first filly to win the Belmont Stakes since 1905. Justine Henin claimed her third consecutive French Open title with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Ana Ivanovic.

One year ago: The entire top echelon of Newt Gingrich's presidential campaign resigned in a mass exodus that left his bid for the Republican nomination in tatters; the former House speaker vowed defiantly to remain a candidate. Alabama passed a tough law against illegal immigration, requiring schools to find out if students were in the country lawfully and making it a crime to knowingly give an illegal immigrant a ride. (Federal courts have since blocked parts of the law.)

Today's Birthdays: Actress Mona Freeman is 86. Media analyst Marvin Kalb is 82. Actor Joe Santos is 81. Sports commentator Dick Vitale is 73. Author Letty Cottin Pogrebin is 73. Rock musician Jon Lord is 71. Mystery author Patricia Cornwell is 56. Actor Michael J. Fox is 51. Writer-producer Aaron Sorkin is 51. Actor Johnny Depp is 49. Actress Gloria Reuben is 48. Rock musician Dean Felber (Hootie & the Blowfish) is 45. Rock musician Dean Dinning is 45. Musician Ed Simons is 42. Country musician Shade Deggs (Cole Deggs and the Lonesome) is 38. Bluegrass singer-musician Jamie Dailey (Dailey & Vincent) is 37. Actress Michaela Conlin is 34. Actress Natalie Portman is 31. Actress Mae Whitman is 24.

Thought for Today: "Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he isn't. A sense of humor was provided to console him for what he is." -- Horace Walpole, English author (1717-1797).

Copyright 2012, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.