Today in History

Today is Saturday, June 22, the 173rd day of 2013. There are 192 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On June 22, 1944, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, more popularly known as the "GI Bill of Rights."

On this date:

In 1611, English explorer Henry Hudson, his son and several other people were set adrift in present-day Hudson Bay by mutineers aboard the Discovery; their fate remains unknown.

In 1870, the United States Department of Justice was created.

In 1911, Britain's King George V was crowned at Westminster Abbey.

In 1937, Joe Louis began his reign as world heavyweight boxing champion by knocking out Jim Braddock in the eighth round of their fight in Chicago.

In 1938, Joe Louis knocked out Max Schmeling in the first round of their rematch at Yankee Stadium.

In 1940, during World War II, Adolf Hitler gained a stunning victory as France was forced to sign an armistice eight days after German forces overran Paris.

In 1943, federal troops put down race-related rioting in Detroit that claimed more than 30 lives.

In 1962, Air France Flight 117, a Boeing 707, crashed while on approach to Guadeloupe, killing all 113 people on board.

In 1970, President Richard Nixon signed an extension of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that lowered the minimum voting age to 18.

In 1977, John N. Mitchell became the first former U.S. Attorney General to go to prison as he began serving a sentence for his role in the Watergate cover-up. (He was released 19 months later.)

In 1988, gay rights activist Leonard Matlovich, discharged from the U.S. Air Force because of his homosexuality, died at age 44.

In 1993, former first lady Pat Nixon died in Park Ridge, N.J., at age 81.

Ten years ago: Iraq re-entered the world oil market with its first shipment of crude since the U.S.-led invasion, but sabotage and looting along its largest pipeline delayed the flow of freshly pumped oil.

Five years ago: Anthony Bologna and his sons, Michael and Matthew, were shot to death in a San Francisco intersection. (Police said the suspected gunman, Edwin Ramos, mistook the Bolognas for rival gang members; Ramos was later sentenced to three consecutive life sentences in prison without possibility of parole after being convicted of three counts of first-degree murder.) Zimbabwe's opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, withdrew from a presidential runoff against Robert Mugabe. Acerbic standup comedian and satirist George Carlin died in Santa, Monica, Calif., at age 71. Comedian Dody Goodman died in Englewood, N.J., at age 93.

One year ago: Ex-Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky was convicted by a jury in Bellefonte, Pa., on 45 counts of sexually assaulting 10 boys over 15 years. (Sandusky is appealing a 30- to 60-year state prison sentence.) Monsignor William Lynn, a Roman Catholic church official in Philadelphia, was convicted of child endangerment but acquitted of conspiracy in a groundbreaking clergy-abuse trial, becoming the first U.S. church official convicted of a crime for mishandling abuse claims. (Lynn was sentenced to three to six years in prison.) Heavily armed Taliban gunmen stormed a lakeside hotel near Kabul, killing 18 people during a 12-hour rampage.

Today's Birthdays: Actor Ralph Waite is 85. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., is 80. Singer-actor Kris Kristofferson is 77. Movie director John Korty is 77. Actor Michael Lerner is 72. Actor Klaus Maria Brandauer is 70. Broadcast journalist Brit Hume is 70. Singer Peter Asher (Peter and Gordon) is 69. Actor Andrew Rubin is 67. Actor David L. Lander is 66. Singer Howard "Eddie" Kaylan is 66. Singer-musician Todd Rundgren is 65. Actress Meryl Streep is 64. Actress Lindsay Wagner is 64. Singer Alan Osmond is 64. Actor Murphy Cross is 63. Actor Graham Greene is 61. Pop singer Cyndi Lauper is 60. Actor Chris Lemmon is 59. Rock musician Derek Forbes is 57. Actor Tim Russ is 57. Rock musician Garry Beers (INXS) is 56. Actor-producer-writer Bruce Campbell is 55. Rock musician Alan Anton (Cowboy Junkies) is 54. Actress Tracy Pollan is 53. Environmental activist Erin Brockovich is 53. Rock singer-musician Jimmy Somerville is 52. Author Dan Brown is 49. Rock singer-musician Mike Edwards (Jesus Jones) is 49. Rock singer Steven Page is 43. Actor Michael Trucco is 43. Actress Mary Lynn Rajskub is 42. TV personality Carson Daly is 40. Rock musician Chris Traynor is 40. Country musician Jimmy Wallace is 40. Actor Donald Faison is 39. Actress Alicia Goranson is 39. TV personality/actor Jai Rodriguez is 34. Actress Lindsay Ridgeway is 28.

Thought for Today: "To understand is hard. Once one understands, action is easy." -- Sun Yat-sen, Chinese statesman (1866-1925).

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