Today in History

Today is Thursday, June 13, the 164th day of 2013. There are 201 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On June 13, 1983, the U.S. space probe Pioneer 10, launched in 1972, became the first spacecraft to leave the solar system as it crossed the orbit of Neptune.

On this date:

In 1842, Queen Victoria became the first British monarch to ride on a train, traveling from Slough Railway Station to Paddington in 25 minutes.

In 1886, King Ludwig II of Bavaria drowned in Lake Starnberg.

In 1927, aviation hero Charles Lindbergh was honored with a ticker-tape parade in New York City.

In 1935, James Braddock claimed the title of world heavyweight boxing champion from Max Baer in a 15-round fight in Long Island City, N.Y.

In 1942, the first of two four-man Nazi sabotage teams arrived in the United States during World War II. (The eight were arrested after one of them went to U.S. authorities; six of the saboteurs were executed.)

In 1944, Germany began launching flying-bomb attacks against Britain during World War II.

In 1957, the Mayflower II, a replica of the ship that brought the Pilgrims to America in 1620, arrived at Plymouth, Mass., after a nearly two-month journey from England.

In 1966, the Supreme Court ruled in Miranda v. Arizona that criminal suspects had to be informed of their constitutional right to consult with an attorney and to remain silent.

In 1971, The New York Times began publishing excerpts of the Pentagon Papers, a secret study of America's involvement in Vietnam from 1945 to 1967 that had been leaked to the paper by military analyst Daniel Ellsberg.

In 1981, a scare occurred during a parade in London when a teenager fired six blank shots at Queen Elizabeth II.

In 1993, Canada's Progressive Conservative Party chose Defense Minister Kim Campbell to succeed Brian Mulroney as prime minister; she was the first woman to hold the post. Astronaut Donald K. "Deke" Slayton died in League City, Texas, at age 69.

In 1996, the 81-day-old Freemen standoff ended as 16 remaining members of the anti-government group surrendered to the FBI and left their Montana ranch.

Ten years ago: U.S. forces killed 27 Iraqi fighters after the Iraqis attacked an American tank patrol north of Baghdad. Israel broadened its campaign against Palestinian militants, saying it would strike political as well as military leaders who targeted Israel with terrorism. Hundreds of pro-cleric militants and security forces in Tehran clashed with Iranians throughout the capital.

Five years ago: Tim Russert, moderator of NBC's "Meet the Press," died suddenly while preparing for his weekly broadcast; he was 58. Rising water from the Cedar River forced the evacuation of a hospital in downtown Cedar Rapids, Iowa; in Des Moines, officials issued a voluntary evacuation order for much of downtown and other areas bordering the Des Moines River. Pope Benedict XVI took President George W. Bush on a rare stroll through the lush grounds of the Vatican Gardens during the leaders' third visit together. R. Kelly was acquitted of all charges in his child pornography trial in Chicago, ending a six-year ordeal for the R&B superstar.

One year ago: Federal prosecutors dropped all charges against former Democratic vice-presidential candidate John Edwards after his corruption trial ended the previous month in a deadlocked jury. A Houston jury convicted a man of shooting to death his neighbor during a confrontation outside the neighbor's home two years earlier, rejecting his claim that he was within his rights under Texas' version of a stand-your-ground law. (Raul Rodriguez was later sentenced to 40 years in prison for killing Kelly Danaher.) Matt Cain pitched the 22nd perfect game in major league history and the first for the Giants, striking out a career-high 14 batters and getting help from two running catches to beat the Houston Astros 10-0.

Today's Birthdays: Actor Bob McGrath is 81. Artist Christo is 78. Magician Siegfried (Siegfried & Roy) is 74. Singer Bobby Freeman is 73. Actor Malcolm McDowell is 70. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is 69. Singer Dennis Locorriere is 64. Actor Richard Thomas is 62. Actor Jonathan Hogan is 62. Actor Stellan Skarsgard is 62. Comedian Tim Allen is 60. Actress Ally Sheedy is 51. TV anchor Hannah Storm is 51. Rock musician Paul deLisle (Smash Mouth) is 50. Actress Lisa Vidal is 48. Singer David Gray is 45. Rhythm-and-blues singer Deniece Pearson (Five Star) is 45. Rock musician Soren Rasted (Aqua) is 44. Actor Jamie Walters is 44. Singer-musician Rivers Cuomo (Weezer) is 43. Country singer Susan Haynes is 41. Actor Steve-O is 39. Country singer Jason Michael Carroll is 35. Actor Ethan Embry is 35. Actor Chris Evans is 32. Actress Sarah Schaub is 30. Singer Raz B is 28. Actress Kat Dennings is 27. Actress Mary-Kate Olsen is 27. Actress Ashley Olsen is 27.

Thought for Today: "The penalty of success is to be bored by people who used to snub you." -- Viscountess Astor, American-born English politician (1879-1964).

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