Today in History

Today is Tuesday, June 26, the 177th day of 2018. There are 188 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On June 26, 1948, the Berlin Airlift began in earnest after the Soviet Union cut off land and water routes to the isolated western sector of Berlin.

On this date:

In 1483, Richard III began his reign as King of England (he was crowned the following month at Westminster Abbey).

In 1541, Francisco Pizarro, Spanish conqueror of Peru, was slain in Lima by rival conquistadors.

In 1870, the first section of Atlantic City, New Jersey's Boardwalk was opened to the public.

In 1917, the first troops of the American Expeditionary Force deployed to France during World War I landed in St. Nazaire.

In 1925, Charles Chaplin's classic comedy "The Gold Rush" premiered at Grauman's Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood.

In 1936, President Franklin D. Roosevelt was nominated for a second term of office by delegates to the Democratic national convention in Philadelphia.

In 1959, President Dwight D. Eisenhower joined Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in ceremonies officially opening the St. Lawrence Seaway. Swedish boxer Ingemar Johansson knocked out Floyd Patterson in the third round of their match at New York's Yankee Stadium to win the heavyweight title.

In 1963, President John F. Kennedy visited West Berlin, where he delivered his famous speech expressing solidarity with the city's residents, declaring: "Ich bin ein Berliner" (I am a Berliner).

In 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson announced his choice of Abe Fortas to succeed the retiring Earl Warren as chief justice of the United States (however, Fortas later withdrew in the face of stiff Senate opposition).

In 1977, 42 people were killed when a fire sent toxic smoke pouring through the Maury County Jail in Columbia, Tennessee. Elvis Presley performed his last concert at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis.

In 1988, three people were killed when a new Airbus A320 jetliner carrying more than 130 people crashed into a forest during a demonstration at an air show in Mulhouse, France.

In 1993, President Bill Clinton announced the U.S. had launched missiles against Iraqi targets because of "compelling evidence" Iraq had plotted to assassinate former President George H.W. Bush.

Ten years ago: The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a handgun ban in the District of Columbia as it affirmed, 5-4, that an individual right to gun ownership existed. Juan Alvarez, who triggered a 2005 rail disaster in Glendale, California, by parking a sport-utility vehicle on the tracks, was convicted of 11 counts of first-degree murder. (Alvarez was later sentenced to 11 consecutive life terms.)

Five years ago: In deciding its first cases on the issue, the U.S. Supreme Court gave the nation's legally married gay couples equal federal footing with all other married Americans and also cleared the way for same-sex marriages to resume in California. New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez was arrested in the shooting death of Odin Lloyd; Hernandez was convicted of first-degree murder. Seven-time champion Roger Federer was stunned by 116th-ranked Sergiy Stakhovsky in the second round of Wimbledon, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 7-5, 7-6 (5); third-seeded Maria Sharapova was knocked out by the 131st-ranked qualifier, losing 6-3, 6-4 to Michelle Larcher de Brito of Portugal.

One year ago: President Donald Trump welcomed India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the White House as the two leaders heralded an increasingly close strategic partnership. The Supreme Court said President Trump could forge ahead with a limited version of his ban on travel from six mostly Muslim countries. Helmsman Peter Burling and Emirates Team New Zealand won the America's Cup with a resounding romp against software tycoon Larry Ellison's two-time defending champion Oracle Team USA. Teemu Selanne and Paul Kariya, a dynamic duo in Anaheim for several years, were elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame. Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook capped his historic season at the NBA's inaugural awards show, winning the 2016-17 Most Valuable Player award.

Today's Birthdays: Jazz musician-film composer Dave Grusin is 84. Actor Josef Sommer is 84. Singer Billy Davis Jr. is 80. Rock singer Georgie Fame is 75. Actor Clive Francis is 72. Rhythm and blues singer Brenda Holloway is 72. Actor Michael Paul Chan is 68. Actor Robert Davi is 67. Singer-musician Mick Jones is 63. Actor Gedde Watanabe is 63. Rock singer Chris Isaak is 62. Rock singer Patty Smyth is 61. Singer Terri Nunn (Berlin) is 59. U.S. Bicycling Hall of Famer Greg LeMond is 57. Rock singer Harriet Wheeler (The Sundays) is 55. Country musician Eddie Perez (The Mavericks) is 50. Rock musician Colin Greenwood (Radiohead) is 49. Writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson is 48. Actor Sean Hayes is 48. Actor Matt Letscher is 48. Actor Chris O'Donnell is 48. Actor Nick Offerman is 48. Actress Rebecca Budig is 45. Retired MLB All-Star Derek Jeter is 44. Contemporary Christian musician Jeff Frankenstein (Newsboys) is 44. Country singer Gretchen Wilson is 44. Rock musician Nathan Followill (Kings of Leon) is 39. Pop-rock singer-musician Ryan Tedder (OneRepublic) is 39. Actor-musician Jason Schwartzman is 38. Actress Aubrey Plaza is 34. Actress-singer Jennette McCurdy is 26. Actress-singer Ariana Grande is 25.

Thought for Today: "Nothing is improbable until it moves into the past tense." -- George Ade, American writer (1866-1944).