Today in History

Today is Tuesday, June 14, the 165th day of 2022. There are 200 days left in the year. This is Flag Day.

Today's Highlight in History:

On June 14, 1775, the Continental Army, forerunner of the United States Army, was created.

On this date:

In 1777, the Second Continental Congress approved the design of the original American flag.

In 1846, a group of U.S. settlers in Sonoma proclaimed the Republic of California.

In 1911, the British ocean liner RMS Olympic set out on its maiden voyage for New York, arriving one week later. (The ship's captain was Edward John Smith, who went on to command the ill-fated RMS Titanic the following year.)

In 1919, John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown embarked on the first non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean. (Flying a Vickers Vimy biplane bomber, they took off from St. Johns, Newfoundland, Canada and arrived 16 1/2 hours later in Clifden, Ireland.)

In 1940, German troops entered Paris during World War II; the same day, the Nazis began transporting prisoners to the Auschwitz concentration camp in German-occupied Poland.

In 1943, the U.S. Supreme Court, in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette, ruled 6-3 that public school students could not be forced to salute the flag of the United States.

In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a measure adding the phrase "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance.

In 1967, California Gov. Ronald Reagan signed a bill liberalizing his state's abortion law.

In 1972, the Environmental Protection Agency ordered a ban on domestic use of the pesticide DDT, to take effect at year's end.

In 1982, Argentine forces surrendered to British troops on the disputed Falkland Islands.

In 1993, President Bill Clinton nominated Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.

In 2005, Michelle Wie, 15, became the first female player to qualify for an adult male U.S. Golf Association championship, tying for first place in a 36-hole U.S. Amateur Public Links sectional qualifying tournament.

Ten years ago: In dueling speeches in the battleground state of Ohio, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, speaking in Cincinnati, described the Obama administration as the very "enemy" of people who create jobs; President Barack Obama, going second in Cleveland, asked the nation to buy into his vision for four more years or face a return to the recession-era "mistakes of the past."

Five years ago: A rifle-wielding gunman opened fire on Republican lawmakers at a congressional baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia, wounding House Whip Steve Scalise and several others; the assailant died in a battle with police. Fire ripped through the 24-story Grenfell Tower in West London, killing 71 people.

One year ago: Joe Biden used his first appearance as president at the NATO summit in Brussels to call on Russian President Vladimir Putin to step back from provocative actions targeting the U.S. and allies. U.S. health officials announced a one-year ban on bringing in dogs from more than 100 countries where rabies was still a problem. The Senate voted to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson to the nation's second most powerful court, the federal appeals court in Washington, D.C. (Jackson would win Senate confirmation to the Supreme Court in April 2022.)

Today's Birthdays: Actor Marla Gibbs is 91. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., is 83. Country-rock musician Spooner Oldham is 79. Rock singer Rod Argent (The Zombies; Argent) is 77. Former President Donald Trump is 76. Singer Janet Lennon (The Lennon Sisters) is 76. Rock musician Barry Melton is 75. Actor Will Patton is 68. Olympic gold medal speed skater Eric Heiden is 64. Jazz musician Marcus Miller is 63. Singer Boy George is 61. Rock musician Chris DeGarmo is 59. Actor Traylor Howard is 56. Actor Yasmine Bleeth is 54. Actor Faizon Love is 54. Actor Stephen Wallem is 54. International Tennis Hall of Famer Steffi Graf is 53. Actor Sullivan Stapleton is 45. Screenwriter Diablo Cody is 44. Classical pianist Lang Lang is 40. Actor Lawrence Saint-Victor is 40. Actor Torrance Coombs is 39. Actor J.R. Martinez is 39. Actor-singer Kevin McHale is 34. Actor Lucy Hale is 33. Pop singer Jesy Nelson (Little Mix) is 31. Country singer Joel Crouse is 30. Actor Daryl Sabara is 30.