Today in History

Today is Monday, June 11, the 162nd day of 2018. There are 203 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On June 11, 1776, the Continental Congress formed a committee to draft a Declaration of Independence calling for freedom from Britain.

On this date:

In 1509, England's King Henry VIII married his first wife, Catherine of Aragon.

In 1770, Captain James Cook, commander of the British ship Endeavour, "discovered" the Great Barrier Reef off Australia by running onto it.

In 1919, Sir Barton won the Belmont Stakes, becoming horse racing's first Triple Crown winner.

In 1938, Johnny Vander Meer pitched the first of two consecutive no-hitters as he led the Cincinnati Reds to a 3-0 victory over the Boston Bees. (Four days later, Vander Meer refused to give up a hit to the Brooklyn Dodgers, who lost, 6-0.)

In 1942, the United States and the Soviet Union signed a lend-lease agreement to aid the Soviet war effort in World War II.

In 1947, the government announced the end of sugar rationing for households and "institutional users" (e.g., restaurants and hotels) as of midnight.

In 1955, in motor racing's worst disaster, more than 80 people were killed during the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France when two of the cars collided and crashed into spectators.

In 1962, three prisoners at Alcatraz in San Francisco Bay staged an escape, leaving the island on a makeshift raft; they were never found or heard from again.

In 1978, Joseph Freeman Jr. became the first black priest ordained in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

In 1985, Karen Ann Quinlan, the comatose patient whose case prompted a historic right-to-die court decision, died in Morris Plains, New Jersey, at age 31.

In 1993, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that people who commit "hate crimes" motivated by bigotry may be sentenced to extra punishment; the court also ruled religious groups had a constitutional right to sacrifice animals in worship services. The Steven Spielberg science-fiction film "Jurassic Park" opened in wide release two days after its world premiere in Washington, D.C.

In 2001, Timothy McVeigh, 33, was executed by injection at the federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana, for the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing that killed 168 people.

Ten years ago: President George W. Bush, during a visit to Germany, raised the possibility of a military strike to thwart Tehran's presumed nuclear weapons ambitions; Chancellor Angela Merkel joined Bush in urging further sanctions against Iran if it failed to suspend its nuclear enrichment program. For his part, Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called Bush a "wicked man." Four Boy Scouts were killed when a tornado hit the Little Sioux Scout Ranch near Blencoe, Iowa.

Five years ago: A parade of FBI and intelligence officials briefed the entire House on the government's years-long collection of phone records and Internet usage, saying it was necessary for protecting Americans, and did not trample on their privacy rights. The American Civil Liberties Union and its New York chapter sued the federal government, asking a court to demand that the Obama administration end the program and purge the records it had collected. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks got into a bench-clearing brawl in the seventh inning that resulted in six ejections before the Dodgers won the game at home, 5-3.

One year ago: Supporters of LGBT rights marched and rallied in the nation's capital and dozens of other U.S. cities, celebrating gains but angry over threats posed by the administration of President Donald Trump. "Dear Evan Hansen," the heartfelt musical about young outsiders, took the best new musical trophy at the Tony Awards along with five other statuettes. The Stanley Cup returned to Pittsburgh after the Penguins defeated the Nashville Predators 2-0 in Game 6. Rafael Nadal won his record 10th French Open title by dominating 2015 champion Stan Wawrinka 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 in the final.

Today's Birthdays: Former U.S. Rep. Charles B. Rangel, D-N.Y., is 88. Comedian Johnny Brown is 81. International Motorsports Hall of Famer Jackie Stewart is 79. Singer Joey Dee is 78. Actress Adrienne Barbeau is 73. Rock musician Frank Beard (ZZ Top) is 69. Animal rights activist Ingrid Newkirk is 69. Rock singer Donnie Van Zant is 66. Actor Peter Bergman is 65. South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard is 65. Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Montana is 62. Actor Hugh Laurie is 59. TV personality Mehmet Oz, M.D., is 58. Singer Gioia Bruno (Expose) is 55. Rock musician Dan Lavery (Tonic) is 52. Country singer-songwriter Bruce Robison is 52. Actress Clare Carey is 51. Actor Peter Dinklage is 49. Country musician Smilin' Jay McDowell is 49. Actor Lenny Jacobson is 44. Rock musician Tai Anderson (Third Day) is 42. Actor Joshua Jackson is 40. Americana musician Gabe Witcher (Punch Brothers) is 40. Christian rock musician Ryan Shrout is 38. Actor Shia LaBeouf is 32.

Thought for Today: "Neither in the life of the individual nor in that of mankind is it desirable to know the future." -- Jakob Burckhardt, Swiss historian (1818-1897).