Today in History

Today is Monday, June 22, the 174th day of 2020. There are 192 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On June 22, 1940, during World War II, Adolf Hitler gained a stunning victory as France was forced to sign an armistice eight days after German forces overran Paris.

On this date:

In 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte abdicated for a second time as Emperor of the French.

In 1911, Britain's King George V was crowned at Westminster Abbey.

In 1941, Nazi Germany launched Operation Barbarossa, a massive invasion of the Soviet Union.

In 1944, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, more popularly known as the "GI Bill of Rights."

In 1945, the World War II battle for Okinawa ended with an Allied victory.

In 1969, singer-actress Judy Garland died in London at age 47.

In 1970, President Richard Nixon signed an extension of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that lowered the minimum voting age to 18.

In 1977, John N. Mitchell became the first former U.S. Attorney General to go to prison as he began serving a sentence for his role in the Watergate cover-up. (He was released 19 months later.)

In 1981, Mark David Chapman pleaded guilty to killing rock star John Lennon. Abolhassan Bani-Sadr was deposed as president of Iran.

In 1987, actor-dancer Fred Astaire died in Los Angeles at age 88.

In 1992, the U.S. Supreme Court, in R.A.V. v. City of St. Paul, unanimously ruled that "hate crime" laws that banned cross burning and similar expressions of racial bias violated free-speech rights.

In 2012, ex-Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky was convicted by a jury in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, on 45 counts of sexually assaulting 10 boys over 15 years.

Ten years ago: White House Budget Director Peter Orszag announced he was stepping down. South Carolina Republicans chose Nikki Haley, a tea party favorite, to run for governor (she went on to win a runoff and the general election). Dino Ciccarelli, Cammi Granato and Angela James were elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame as players; Jimmy Devellano and the late Daryl "Doc" Seaman were elected as builders. South Africa became the first host nation not to advance in 80 years of World Cup play.

Five years ago: The Obama administration released a report on global warming that said failure to act on climate change could cause an estimated 57,000 deaths a year in the United States from poor air quality by 2100. South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley said the Confederate flag should be removed from the grounds of the state capitol, reversing her position on the divisive symbol amid growing calls for it to be removed. Oscar-winning film composer James Horner, 61, was killed in the crash of his plane in Los Padres National Forest. Italian actress Laura Antonelli, 73, died in Rome.

One year ago: Novelist Judith Krantz, whose steamy tales of the rich and beautiful included "Scruples" and Princess Daisy," died at her Southern California home at the age of 91. Officials at the Santa Anita race track banned Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer after a fourth horse from his stable died at the track; it was the 30th horse death overall since the racing season began at the California track in December. North Carolina's state lottery reported a record payout after the winning numbers in a Pick 4 game turned up as "0-0-0-0;" there were about 2,000 winning tickets worth either $2,500 or $5,000.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Prunella Scales (TV: "Fawlty Towers") is 88. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., is 87. Singer-actor Kris Kristofferson is 84. Movie director John Korty is 84. Actor Michael Lerner is 79. Actor Klaus Maria Brandauer is 77. Fox News analyst Brit Hume is 77. Singer Peter Asher (Peter and Gordon) is 76. Actor David L. Lander is 73. Singer Howard "Eddie" Kaylan is 73. Singer-musician Todd Rundgren is 72. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., is 71. Actress Meryl Streep is 71. Actress Lindsay Wagner is 71. Singer Alan Osmond is 71. Actor Murphy Cross is 70. Actor Graham Greene is 68. Pop singer Cyndi Lauper is 67. Actor Chris Lemmon is 66. Rock musician Derek Forbes is 64. Actor Tim Russ is 64. Rock musician Garry Beers (INXS) is 63. Actor-producer-writer Bruce Campbell is 62. Rock musician Alan Anton (Cowboy Junkies) is 61. Actress Tracy Pollan is 60. Environmental activist Erin Brockovich is 60. Rock singer-musician Jimmy Somerville is 59. Basketball Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler is 58. Actress Amy Brenneman is 56. Author Dan Brown is 56. Rock singer-musician Mike Edwards (Jesus Jones) is 56. Rock singer Steven Page is 50. Actor Michael Trucco is 50. Actress Mary Lynn Rajskub is 49. TV personality Carson Daly is 47. Rock musician Chris Traynor is 47. Country musician Jimmy Wallace is 47. Actor Donald Faison is 46. Actress Alicia Goranson is 46. Actor-comedian Mike O'Brien (TV: "Saturday Night Live") is 44. TV personality/actor Jai Rodriguez is 41. Americana singer-songwriter John Moreland is 35. Actress Lindsay Ridgeway is 35. Pop singer Dina Hansen (Fifth Harmony) (TV: "The X Factor") is 23.