Today in History

Today in History

Today is Saturday, June 3, the 154th day of 2017. There are 211 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On June 3, 2016, Muhammad Ali, the heavyweight boxing champion whose fast fists and irrepressible personality transcended sports and captivated the world, died at a hospital in Scottsdale, Arizona, at age 74.

On this date:

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

In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the National Defense Act of 1916, which, among other things, created the Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC).

In 1924, author Franz Kafka, 40, died near Vienna.

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

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

In 1955, convicted murderer Barbara Graham, 31, was executed in the gas chamber at San Quentin State Prison in California, as were Jack Santo and Emmett Perkins, for the 1953 slaying of Mabel Monahan.

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

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

In 1977, the United States and Cuba agreed to set up diplomatic interests sections in each other's countries; Cuba also announced the immediate release of 10 Americans jailed on drug charges.

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.

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

Ten 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.)

Five years ago: A Dana Air MD-83 jetliner carrying 153 people crashed on the outskirts of Lagos, Nigeria, killing everyone on board and at least 10 people on the ground. The River Thames became a royal highway as Queen Elizabeth II led a motley but majestic flotilla of more than 1,000 vessels to mark her Diamond Jubilee. Tiger Woods birdied three of his last four holes to win the Memorial, closing with a 5-under 67. Olivia Culpo, a 20-year-old cellist from Rhode Island, won the Miss USA crown in Las Vegas.

One year ago: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was quoted in The Wall Street Journal as saying that U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel, who was presiding over a lawsuit brought by former Trump University students, had an "absolute conflict" in handling the case because he was "of Mexican heritage."

Today's Birthdays: The president of Cuba, Raul Castro, is 86. Actress Irma P. Hall is 82. Author Larry McMurtry is 81. Rock singer Ian Hunter (Mott The Hoople) is 78. Actress Penelope Wilton is 71. Singer Eddie Holman is 71. Actor Tristan Rogers is 71. Musician Too Slim (Riders in the Sky) is 69. Rock musician Richard Moore is 68. Singer Suzi Quatro is 67. Singer Deneice Williams is 66. Singer Dan Hill is 63. Actress Suzie Plakson is 59. Actor Scott Valentine is 59. Rock musician Kerry King (Slayer) is 53. Actor James Purefoy is 53. Rock singer-musician Mike Gordon is 52. TV host Anderson Cooper is 50. Country singer Jamie O'Neal is 49. Writer-director Tate Taylor is 38. Singers Ariel and Gabriel Hernandez (No Mercy) are 46. Actor Vik Sahay is 46. Rhythm-and-blues singer Lyfe Jennings is 44. Actress Arianne Zucker is 43. Actress Nikki M. James is 36. Tennis player Rafael Nadal is 31. Actor Josh Segarra is 31. Actress-singer Lalaine is 30. Actor Sean Berdy is 24.

Thought for Today: "Silence is golden when you can't think of a good answer." -- Muhammad Ali (1942-2016).