Today in History

Today is Friday, June 29, the 180th day of 2018. There are 185 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On June 29, 1927, the first trans-Pacific airplane flight was completed as U.S. Army Air Corps Lt. Lester J. Maitland and Lt. Albert F. Hegenberger arrived at Wheeler Field in Hawaii aboard the Bird of Paradise, an Atlantic-Fokker C-2, after flying 2,400 miles from Oakland, California, in 25 hours, 50 minutes.

On this date:

In 1520, Montezuma II, the ninth and last emperor of the Aztecs, died in Tenochtitlan under unclear circumstances (some say he was killed by his own subjects; others, by the Spanish).

In 1613, London's original Globe Theatre, where many of Shakespeare's plays were performed, was destroyed by a fire sparked by a cannon shot during a performance of "Henry VIII."

In 1767, Britain approved the Townshend Revenue Act, which imposed import duties on glass, paint, oil, lead, paper and tea shipped to the American colonies. (Colonists bitterly protested, prompting Parliament to repeal the duties -- except for tea.)

In 1880, France annexed Tahiti, which became a French colony on December 30, 1880.

In 1936, entertainer and songwriter George M. Cohan was presented with the Congressional Gold Medal by President Franklin D. Roosevelt for his contributions to building American morale during World War I.

In 1941, Polish statesman, pianist and composer Ignacy Jan Paderewski died in New York at age 80.

In 1956, actress Marilyn Monroe married playwright Arthur Miller in a civil ceremony in White Plains, New York. (The couple also wed in a Jewish ceremony on July 1; the marriage lasted 4 1/2 years).

In 1967, actress Jayne Mansfield, 34, was killed along with her boyfriend, Sam Brody, and their driver, Ronnie Harrison, when their car slammed into the rear of a tractor-trailer on a highway in Slidell, Louisiana; three children riding in the back, including Mansfield's 3-year-old daughter, Mariska Hargitay, survived. Jerusalem was re-unified as Israel removed barricades separating the Old City from the Israeli sector.

In 1978, actor Bob Crane of "Hogan's Heroes" fame was found bludgeoned to death in an apartment in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he was appearing in a play; he was 49.

In 1988, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Morrison v. Olson, upheld the independent counsel law in a 7-1 decision (the sole dissenter was Justice Antonin Scalia).

In 1995, the space shuttle Atlantis and the Russian Mir space station linked in orbit, beginning a historic five-day voyage as a single ship. A department store in Seoul (sohl), South Korea, collapsed, killing at least 500 people. Actress Lana Turner died in Century City, California, at age 74.

In 2003, actress Katharine Hepburn died in Old Saybrook, Connecticut, at age 96.

Ten years ago: Zimbabwe's longtime ruler Robert Mugabe was sworn in as president for a sixth term after a widely discredited runoff in which he was the only candidate. Two weeks away from her 20th birthday, Inbee Park became the youngest winner of the U.S. Women's Open by closing with a 2-under 71 at Interlachen in Edina, Minnesota. Spain won the European Championship 1-0 over Germany for its first major title in 44 years.

Five years ago: Paying tribute to his personal hero, President Barack Obama met privately in Johannesburg, South Africa, with Nelson Mandela's family as the world anxiously awaited news on the condition of the hospitalized 94-year-old anti-apartheid leader. (Mandela was discharged from the hospital on September 1, 2013; he died the following December.)

One year ago: A scaled-back version of President Donald Trump's travel ban took effect, stripped of provisions that brought protests and chaos at airports worldwide in January. South Korea's new leader, Moon Jae-in, dined with President Trump at the White House as part of an effort to reassure Washington that he would coordinate closely on dealing with the North Korean threat. President Trump nominated Indiana's health commissioner, Dr. Jerome Adams, to serve as the next U.S. surgeon general.

Today's Birthdays: Movie producer Robert Evans is 88. Songwriter L. Russell Brown is 78. Singer-songwriter Garland Jeffreys is 75. Actor Gary Busey is 74. Comedian Richard Lewis is 71. Actor-turned-politican-turned-radio personality Fred Grandy is 70. Rock musician Ian Paice (Deep Purple) is 70. Singer Don Dokken (Dokken) is 65. Rock singer Colin Hay (Men At Work) is 65. Actress Maria Conchita Alonso is 63. Actress Kimberlin Brown (TV: "The Bold and the Beautiful") is 57. Actress Sharon Lawrence is 57. Actress Amanda Donohoe is 56. Actress Judith Hoag is 55. Violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter is 55. Rhythm and blues singer Stedman Pearson (Five Star) is 54. Actress Kathleen Wilhoite is 54. Producer-writer Matthew Weiner is 53. Musician Dale Baker is 52. Actress Melora Hardin is 51. Actor Brian D'Arcy James is 50. Actress Christina Chang is 47. Rap DJ Shadow is 46. Actor-dancer Will Kemp is 41. Actress Zuleikha Robinson is 41. Country musician Todd Sansom (Marshall Dyllon) is 40. Singer Nicole Scherzinger is 40. Comedian-writer Colin Jost is 36. Actress Lily Rabe is 36. Rhythm and blues singer Aundrea Fimbres is 35. Actress Camila Mendes (TV: "Riverdale") is 24.

Thought for Today: "A hypocrite is a person who -- but who isn't?" -- Don Marquis, American journalist-author (1878-1937).