Today in History

Today is Sunday, June 3, the 155th day of 2012. There are 211 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On June 3, 1937, Edward, The Duke of Windsor, who had abdicated the British throne, married Wallis Warfield Simpson in a private ceremony in Monts, France.

On this date:

In 1621, the Dutch West India Co. received its charter for a trade monopoly in parts of the Americas and Africa.

In 1808, Confederate President Jefferson Davis was born in Christian County, Ky.

In 1861, Illinois Sen. Stephen A. Douglas, the Democratic presidential nominee in the 1860 election, died in Chicago of typhoid fever; he was 48.

In 1888, the poem "Casey at the Bat," by Ernest Lawrence Thayer, was first published in the San Francisco Daily Examiner.

In 1948, the 200-inch reflecting Hale Telescope at the Palomar Mountain Observatory in California was dedicated.

In 1962, Air France Flight 007, a U.S.-bound Boeing 707, crashed while attempting to take off from Orly Airport near Paris; all but two of the 132 people aboard were killed.

In 1963, Pope John XXIII died at age 81; he was succeeded by Pope Paul VI.

In 1965, astronaut Edward White became the first American to "walk" in space during the flight of Gemini 4.

In 1972, Sally J. Priesand was ordained as America's first female rabbi at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, Ohio.

In 1982, Israel's ambassador to Britain, Shlomo Argov, was shot and critically wounded outside a London hotel. The assassination attempt was followed by Israel's invasion of Lebanon.

In 1989, Iran's spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, died. Chinese army troops began their sweep of Beijing to crush student-led pro-democracy demonstrations. SkyDome (now called Rogers Centre) opened in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

In 1992, Democratic presidential candidate Bill Clinton appeared on "The Arsenio Hall Show," where he played "Heartbreak Hotel" on the saxophone.

Ten years ago: President George W. Bush, in Little Rock, Ark., to promote his welfare initiative, said intelligence agencies and the FBI needed to do a better job tracking and catching terrorists, emphasizing pursuit of "this shadowy enemy." A rock concert at Buckingham Palace celebrated Queen Elizabeth II's 50 years on the throne. Movie mogul Lew Wasserman died in Beverly Hills, Calif., at age 89.

Five years ago: After attending the MTV Movie Awards, Paris Hilton reported to jail to serve a 45-day sentence for a probation violation in an alcohol-related reckless driving case. (Hilton was released after three days for what were termed psychological problems, but the sentencing judge ordered her back to jail, where she remained for another 21/2 weeks.)

One year ago: Former Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards admitted he had "done wrong" and hurt others but strongly denied breaking the law after federal prosecutors charged him with using $925,000 in under-the-table campaign contributions to hide his mistress and baby during his 2008 White House run. Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh was wounded when rebel rockets barraged his palace; he later went to Saudi Arabia for treatment. Physician-assisted suicide advocate Dr. Jack Kevorkian died at a Michigan hospital at 83. Actor James Arness ("Gunsmoke"), 88, died in Brentwood, Calif.

Today's Birthdays: TV producer Chuck Barris is 83. Actress Irma P. Hall is 77. Author Larry McMurtry is 76. Rock singer Ian Hunter (Mott The Hoople) is 73. Singer Eddie Holman is 66. Actor Tristan Rogers is 66. Musician Too Slim (Riders in the Sky) is 64. Rock musician Richard Moore is 63. Singer Suzi Quatro is 62. Singer Deneice Williams is 61. Singer Dan Hill is 58. Actress Suzie Plakson is 54. Actor Scott Valentine is 54. Rock musician Kerry King (Slayer) is 48. Rock singer-musician Mike Gordon is 47. TV host Anderson Cooper is 45. Country singer Jamie O'Neal is 44. Singers Gabriel and Ariel Hernandez (No Mercy) are 41. Actor Vik Sahay is 41. Actress Nikki M. James is 31. Tennis player Rafael Nadal is 26. Actress-singer Lalaine is 25.

Thought for Today: "Never be haughty to the humble; never be humble to the haughty." -- Jefferson Davis, Confederate president (1808-1889).

Copyright 2012, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.