Today in History

Today is Tuesday, July 13, the 194th day of 2021. There are 171 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On July 13, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson nominated Thurgood Marshall to be U.S. Solicitor General; Marshall became the first Black jurist appointed to the post. (Two years later, Johnson nominated Marshall to the U.S. Supreme Court.)

On this date:

In 1787, the Congress of the Confederation adopted the Northwest Ordinance, which established a government in the Northwest Territory, an area corresponding to the present-day Midwest and Upper Midwest.

In 1863, deadly rioting against the Civil War military draft erupted in New York City. (The insurrection was put down three days later.)

In 1886, Father Edward Joseph Flanagan, the founder of Boys Town, was born in County Roscommon, Ireland.

In 1939, Frank Sinatra made his first commercial recording, "From the Bottom of My Heart" and "Melancholy Mood," with Harry James and his Orchestra for the Brunswick label.

In 1972, George McGovern received the Democratic presidential nomination at the party's convention in Miami Beach.

In 1973, former presidential aide Alexander P. Butterfield revealed to Senate Watergate Committee staff members the existence of President Richard Nixon's secret White House taping system. (Butterfield's public revelation came three days later.)

In 1974, the Senate Watergate Committee proposed sweeping reforms in an effort to prevent another Watergate scandal.

In 1985, "Live Aid," an international rock concert in London, Philadelphia, Moscow and Sydney, took place to raise money for Africa's starving people.

In 1999, Angel Maturino Resendiz, suspected of being the "Railroad Killer," surrendered in El Paso, Texas. (Resendiz was executed in 2006.)

In 2006, Israel imposed a naval blockade against Lebanon and blasted the Beirut airport and army air bases; Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets into Israel.

In 2010, New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner died in Tampa, Florida, nine days after turning 80.

In 2013, a jury in Sanford, Florida, cleared neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman of all charges in the shooting of Trayvon Martin, the Black teenager whose killing unleashed furious debate over racial profiling, self-defense and equal justice.

Ten years ago: California became the first state in the nation to add lessons about gays and lesbians to social studies classes in public schools under a measure signed by Gov. Jerry Brown. Three coordinated bombings in India's busy financial capital killed 26 people in the worst terror attack in the country since the 2008 Mumbai siege.

Five years ago: With emotions running raw, President Barack Obama met privately at the White House with elected officials, law enforcement leaders and members of the Black Lives Matter movement with the goal of getting them to work together to curb violence and build trust. Theresa May entered No. 10 Downing Street as Britain's new prime minister following a bittersweet exit by David Cameron, who resigned after voters rejected his appeal to stay in the European Union.

One year ago: California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered bars and indoor dining shut down as the coronavirus swept the state with new ferocity; the shutdown also affected indoor religious services, gyms and hair and nail salons. School officials in Los Angeles and San Diego said they wouldn't bring students back to classrooms for the start of the new school year; New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said schools could open in areas where the coronavirus was under control. The Treasury Department said the federal government had incurred the biggest monthly budget deficit in history in June -- $864 billion -- as spending to combat the coronavirus recession exploded, and job losses cut into tax revenues. Washington's NFL franchise dropped the "Redskins" name and Indian head logo amid pressure from sponsors; the move followed decades of criticism that the name and logo were offensive to Native Americans. (As new names were considered, the team would be known as the Washington Football Team.) The body of former "Glee" star Naya Rivera was found in Southern California's Lake Piru, five days after she went missing while boating with her 4-year-old son. (An autopsy confirmed that she died from accidental drowning.)

Today's Birthdays: Game show announcer Johnny Gilbert (TV: "Jeopardy!") is 93. Actor Patrick Stewart is 81. Actor Harrison Ford is 79. Singer-guitarist Roger McGuinn (The Byrds) is 79. Actor-comedian Cheech Marin is 75. Actor Daphne Maxwell Reid is 73. Actor Didi Conn is 70. Actor Gil Birmingham is 68. Singer Louise Mandrell is 67. Rock musician Mark "The Animal" Mendoza (Twisted Sister) is 65. Actor-director Cameron Crowe is 64. Former tennis player Anders Jarryd is 60. Comedian Tom Kenny is 59. Country singer-songwriter Victoria Shaw is 59. Bluegrass singer Rhonda Vincent is 59. Actor Kenny Johnson is 58. Roots singer/songwriter Paul Thorn is 57. Country singer Neil Thrasher is 56. Actor Ken Jeong is 52. Singer Deborah Cox is 48. Actor Ashley Scott is 44. Rock musician Will Champion (Coldplay) is 43. Actor Fran Kranz is 40. Actor Aya Cash is 39. St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina is 39. Actor Colton Haynes is 33. Actor Steven R. McQueen is 33. Soul singer Leon Bridges is 32. Actor Hayley Erin ("General Hospital") is 27. Actor Kyle Harrison Breitkopf is 16.