Today in History

Today is Sunday, June 6, the 157th day of 2021. There are 208 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On June 6, 1944, during World War II, Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy, France, on "D-Day" as they began the liberation of German-occupied Western Europe.

On this date:

In 1816, a snowstorm struck the northeastern U.S., heralding what would become known as the "Year Without a Summer."

In 1918, U.S. Marines suffered heavy casualties as they launched their eventually successful counteroffensive against German troops in the World War I Battle of Belleau Wood in France.

In 1934, the Securities and Exchange Commission was established.

In 1939, the first Little League game was played as Lundy Lumber defeated Lycoming Dairy 23-8 in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

In 1966, Black activist James Meredith was shot and wounded as he walked along a Mississippi highway to encourage Black voter registration.

In 1968, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy died at Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles, 25 1/2 hours after he was shot by Sirhan Bishara Sirhan.

In 1977, a sharply divided U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Louisiana law imposing an automatic death sentence on defendants convicted of the first-degree murder of a police officer.

In 1978, California voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 13, a primary ballot initiative calling for major cuts in property taxes.

In 1982, Israeli forces invaded Lebanon to drive Palestine Liberation Organization fighters out of the country. (The Israelis withdrew in June 1985.)

In 1989, burial services were held for Iran's spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Washington state Democrat Tom Foley succeeded Jim Wright as House speaker.

In 2001, Democrats formally assumed control of the U.S. Senate after the decision of Vermont Republican James Jeffords to become an independent.

In 2005, the Supreme Court ruled, 6-3, that people who smoked marijuana because their doctors recommended it to ease pain could be prosecuted for violating federal drug laws.

Ten years ago: After days of denials, New York Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner confessed that he had tweeted a photo of his bulging underpants to a woman and admitted to "inappropriate" exchanges with six women before and after getting married; Weiner apologized for lying but said he would not resign (which he ended up doing). The Bowl Championship Series stripped Southern California of its 2004 title after the Trojans were hit with heavy NCAA sanctions for rules violations committed during the 2004 and '05 seasons.

Five years ago: A jury in Los Angeles returned a death sentence for Lonnie Franklin Jr., the serial killer known as the "Grim Sleeper" who murdered nine women and a teenage girl over several decades. Theresa Saldana, the "Raging Bull" actor who survived a stalker's brutal attack to become a crime victims' advocate and reclaimed her acting career with "The Commish" and other TV shows, died in Los Angeles at 61.

One year ago: Tens of thousands rallied in cities from Australia to Europe to honor George Floyd and voice support for the Black Lives Matter movement. Massive, peaceful protests took place nationwide to demand police reform, as services for George Floyd were held in North Carolina, near his birthplace. Thousands of people again took to the streets and parks of New York City to protest police brutality; police pulled back on enforcing an 8 p.m. curfew that had led to confrontations. Police in Seattle used flash bang devices and pepper spray to disperse a crowd of protesters on the ninth consecutive day of George Floyd protests in the city. Brazil's government stopped publishing a running total of coronavirus deaths and infections; the country's last official numbers showed that it had the third-highest number of deaths in the world. The coronavirus pandemic and its lockdowns left Omaha Beach in Normandy largely deserted for the observance of the D-Day anniversary.

Today's Birthdays: Singer-songwriter Gary "U.S." Bonds is 82. Country singer Joe Stampley is 78. Jazz musician Monty Alexander is 77. Actor Robert Englund is 74. Folk singer Holly Near is 72. Singer Dwight Twilley is 70. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., is 69. Playwright-actor Harvey Fierstein is 69. Comedian Sandra Bernhard is 66. International Tennis Hall of Famer Bjorn Borg is 65. Actor Amanda Pays is 62. Comedian Colin Quinn is 62. Record producer Jimmy Jam is 62. Rock musician Steve Vai is 61. Rock singer-musician Tom Araya (Slayer) is 60. Actor Jason Isaacs is 58. Actor Anthony Starke is 58. Rock musician Sean Yseult (White Zombie) is 55. Actor Max Casella is 54. Actor Paul Giamatti is 54. R&B singer Damion Hall (Guy) is 53. Rock musician James "Munky" Shaffer (Korn) is 51. TV correspondent Natalie Morales is 49. Country singer Lisa Brokop is 48. Rapper-rocker Uncle Kracker is 47. Actor Sonya Walger is 47. Actor Staci Keanan is 46. Jazz singer Somi is 45. Actor Amber Borycki is 38. Actor Aubrey Anderson-Emmons is 14.