Today in History

Today is Thursday, June 5, the 156th day of 2014. There are 209 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On June 5, 2004, Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th president of the United States, died in Los Angeles at age 93 after a long struggle with Alzheimer's disease.

On this date:

In 1794, Congress passed the Neutrality Act, which prohibited Americans from taking part in any military action against a country that was at peace with the United States.

In 1884, Civil War hero Gen. William T. Sherman refused the Republican presidential nomination, saying, "I will not accept if nominated and will not serve if elected."

In 1933, the United States went off the gold standard.

In 1947, Secretary of State George C. Marshall gave a speech at Harvard University in which he outlined an aid program for Europe that came to be known as The Marshall Plan.

In 1950, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Henderson v. United States, struck down racially segregated railroad dining cars.

In 1963, Britain's Secretary of State for War, John Profumo, resigned after acknowledging an affair with call girl Christine Keeler, who was also involved with a Soviet spy, and lying to Parliament about it.

In 1964, The Rolling Stones performed the first concert of their first U.S. tour at Swing Auditorium in San Bernardino, California.

In 1967, war erupted in the Mideast as Israel raided military aircraft parked on the ground in Egypt; Syria, Jordan and Iraq entered the conflict.

In 1968, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated in Los Angeles' Ambassador Hotel after claiming victory in California's Democratic presidential primary. Gunman Sirhan Bishara Sirhan was immediately arrested.

In 1976, 14 people were killed when the Teton Dam in Idaho burst.

In 1981, the Centers for Disease Control reported that five homosexuals in Los Angeles had come down with a rare kind of pneumonia; they were the first recognized cases of what later became known as AIDS.

In 1999, jazz and pop singer Mel Torme died in Los Angeles at age 73. The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, the first devoted to any women's sport, opened in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Ten years ago: The nuclear submarine USS Jimmy Carter (SSN-23) was christened in Groton, Connecticut, in the presence of the former president and his wife, Rosalynn, who cracked a bottle of champagne against the sail. Smarty Jones lost his Triple Crown bid when 36-to-1 shot Birdstone ran him down near the finish of a thrilling Belmont Stakes. Anastasia Myskina beat Elena Dementieva 6-1, 6-2 to win the French Open.

Five years ago: President Barack Obama, while visiting Germany, became the first U.S. president to tour the Buchenwald concentration camp, where he honored the 56,000 who died at the hands of the Nazis. Ex-CIA operative and Watergate burglar Bernard Barker died in suburban Miami at age 92.

One year ago: The British newspaper The Guardian reported the National Security Agency was collecting the telephone records of millions of American customers of Verizon under a top secret court order. President Barack Obama named Susan Rice as his national security adviser and nominated Samantha Power to replace Rice as United Nations ambassador. U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, accused of killing 16 Afghan civilians, many of them sleeping women and children, pleaded guilty to murder at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, to avoid the death penalty. In Philadelphia, six people were killed when a brick wall being taken down collapsed onto an adjacent thrift store. Carrie Underwood won video of the year at the CMT Music Awards for "Blown Away"; Miranda Lambert and Florida Georgia Line were the night's top winners with two awards apiece.

Today's Birthdays: Actor-singer Bill Hayes is 89. Broadcast journalist Bill Moyers is 80. Former Canadian Prime Minister Joe Clark is 75. Author Margaret Drabble is 75. Country singer Don Reid (The Statler Brothers) is 69. Rock musician Fred Stone (AKA Fred Stewart) (Sly and the Family Stone) is 68. Rock singer Laurie Anderson is 67. Country singer Gail Davies is 66. Author Ken Follett is 65. Financial guru Suze Orman is 63. Rock musician Nicko McBrain (Iron Maiden) is 62. Jazz musician Kenny G is 58. Rock singer Richard Butler (Psychedelic Furs) is 58. Actor Jeff Garlin is 52. Actress Karen Sillas is 51. Actor Ron Livingston is 47. Singer Brian McKnight is 45. Rock musician Claus Norreen (Aqua) is 44. Actor Mark Wahlberg is 43. Actor Chad Allen is 40. Rock musician P-Nut (311) is 40. Actress Navi Rawat (RO'-waht) is 37. Actress Liza Weil is 37. Rock musician Pete Wentz (Fall Out Boy) is 35. Rock musician Seb Lefebvre (Simple Plan) is 33. Actress Amanda Crew is 28. Actress Sophie Lowe (TV: "Once Upon a Time in Wonderland") is 24.

Thought for Today: "I know in my heart that man is good. That what is right will always eventually triumph. And there's purpose and worth to each and every life." -- President Ronald Reagan (1911-2004).

Copyright 2014, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.