Today in History

Today is Sunday, June 23, the 174th day of 2013. There are 191 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On June 23, 1888, abolitionist Frederick Douglass received one vote from the Kentucky delegation at the Republican convention in Chicago, effectively making him the first black candidate to have his name placed in nomination for U.S. president. (The nomination went to Benjamin Harrison.)

On this date:

In 1757, forces of the East India Company led by Robert Clive won the Battle of Plassey, which effectively marked the beginning of British colonial rule in India.

In 1812, Britain, unaware that America had declared war against it five days earlier, rescinded its policy on neutral shipping, a major issue of contention between the two countries.

In 1860, a congressional resolution authorized creation of the United States Government Printing Office, which opened the following year.

In 1931, aviators Wiley Post and Harold Gatty took off from New York on a round-the-world flight that lasted eight days and 15 hours.

In 1938, the Civil Aeronautics Authority was established.

In 1947, the Senate joined the House in overriding President Harry S. Truman's veto of the Taft-Hartley Act, designed to limit the power of organized labor.

In 1956, Gamal Abdel Nasser was elected president of Egypt.

In 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson and Soviet Premier Alexei Kosygin held the first of two meetings at Glassboro State College in New Jersey.

In 1969, Warren E. Burger was sworn in as chief justice of the United States by the man he was succeeding, Earl Warren.

In 1972, President Richard Nixon and White House chief of staff H.R. Haldeman discussed a plan to use the CIA to obstruct the FBI's Watergate investigation. (Revelation of the tape recording of this conversation sparked Nixon's resignation.) President Nixon signed into law Title IX, which barred discrimination on the basis of sex for "any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance."

In 1988, James E. Hansen, a climatologist at the Goddard Institute for Space Studies, told a Senate panel that global warming of the earth caused by the "greenhouse effect" was a reality.

In 1993, in a case that drew widespread attention, Lorena Bobbitt of Prince William County, Va., sexually mutilated her husband, John, after he'd allegedly raped her. (John Bobbitt was later acquitted of marital sexual assault; Lorena Bobbitt was later acquitted of malicious wounding by reason of insanity.) Canada's Senate ratified the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Ten years ago: A divided Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, allowed the nation's colleges and universities to select students based in part on race, as long as race was not the determining factor. The Supreme Court said the government could require public libraries to equip computers with anti-pornography filters. Democrat Howard Dean formally announced his presidential campaign. Maynard Jackson Jr., the first black mayor of Atlanta, died in Arlington, Va., at age 65.

Five years ago: Outraged at the turmoil in Zimbabwe, the U.N. Security Council declared that a fair presidential vote was impossible because of a "campaign of violence" waged by President Robert Mugabe's government. Seattle's Felix Hernandez hit the first grand slam by an American League pitcher in 37 years, then departed with a sprained ankle before he could qualify for a win in the Mariners' 5-2 victory over the New York Mets.

One year ago: Syria and Turkey desperately sought to ease tensions following an incident in which Syria shot down a Turkish reconnaissance plane, saying the plane had entered its airspace. Ashton Eaton broke the world record in the decathlon, finishing with 9,039 points at the U.S. Olympic trials in Eugene, Ore. The Daytime Emmys showered "General Hospital" with five trophies, including best drama; NBC's "Today" show won as best morning show and the syndicated "Jeopardy!" was named best game show.

Today's Birthdays: Singer Diana Trask is 73. Musical conductor James Levine is 70. Rhythm-and-blues singer Rosetta Hightower (The Orlons) is 69. Actor Ted Shackelford is 67. Actor Bryan Brown is 66. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is 65. Actor Jim Metzler is 62. "American Idol" ex-judge Randy Jackson is 57. Actress Frances McDormand is 56. Rock musician Steve Shelley (Sonic Youth) is 51. Actor Paul La Greca is 51. Rhythm-and-blues singer Chico DeBarge is 43. Actress Selma Blair is 41. Rock singer KT Tunstall is 38. Rhythm-and-blues singer Virgo Williams (Ghostowns DJs) is 38. Singer-songwriter Jason Mraz is 36. Actress Melissa Rauch is 33. Rock singer Duffy is 29. Country singer Katie Armiger is 22.

Thought for Today: "Suffering without understanding in this life is a heap worse than suffering when you have at least the grain of an idea what it's all for." -- Mary Ellen Chase, American author (1887-1973).

Copyright 2013, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.