Today in History

Today is Wednesday, June 9, the 160th day of 2021. There are 205 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On June 9, 1969, the Senate confirmed Warren Burger to be the new chief justice of the United States, succeeding Earl Warren.

On this date:

In 1588, construction began on the present-day Rialto Bridge in Venice, Italy, with the laying of the first stone; the structure was completed in 1591.

In 1870, author Charles Dickens died in Gad's Hill Place, England.

In 1940, during World War II, Norway decided to surrender to the Nazis, effective at midnight.

In 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Current Tax Payment Act of 1943, which reintroduced federal income tax withholding from paychecks.

In 1954, during the Senate Army-McCarthy hearings, Army special counsel Joseph N. Welch berated Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy, R-Wis., asking: "Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?"

In 1972, heavy rains triggered record flooding in the Black Hills of South Dakota; the resulting disaster left at least 238 people dead and $164 million in damage.

In 1973, Secretariat won the Belmont Stakes, becoming horse racing's first Triple Crown winner in 25 years.

In 1978, leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints struck down a 148-year-old policy of excluding black men from the Mormon priesthood.

In 1980, comedian Richard Pryor suffered almost fatal burns at his San Fernando Valley, California, home while freebasing cocaine.

In 1983, Britain's Conservatives, led by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, won a decisive election victory.

In 2004, the body of Ronald Reagan arrived in Washington to lie in state in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda before the 40th president's funeral.

In 2008, retail gas prices rose above $4 per gallon.

Ten years ago: The entire top echelon of Newt Gingrich's presidential campaign resigned in a mass exodus that left his bid for the Republican nomination in tatters; the former House speaker vowed defiantly to remain a candidate. (Gingrich would remain in the race until May 2012.) Alabama passed a tough law against illegal immigration, requiring schools to find out if students were in the country lawfully and making it a crime to knowingly give an illegal immigrant a ride. (Federal courts later blocked parts of the law.)

Five years ago: President Barack Obama endorsed Hillary Clinton to succeed him and urged Democrats in a web video to line up behind her.

One year ago: Hundreds of mourners packed a Houston church for the funeral of George Floyd, a Black man whose death during a Minneapolis arrest inspired a worldwide reckoning over racial injustice. In a primary election plagued by hours-long lines, voting machine malfunctions and provisional ballot shortages, Georgia Democrats chose Jon Ossoff to face Republican Sen. David Perdue in November. (Perdue finished 88,000 votes ahead of Ossoff in November, forcing a January runoff that was won by Ossoff.) The Senate unanimously confirmed Gen. Charles Brown Jr. as chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force, making him the first Black officer to lead one of the nation's military services. The Paramount Network said it was dropping the long-running reality series "Cops" after 33 seasons on the air.

Today's Birthdays: Comedian Jackie Mason is 93. Media analyst Marvin Kalb is 91. Former baseball manager and player Bill Virdon is 90. Sports commentator Dick Vitale is 82. Author Letty Cottin Pogrebin is 82. Rock musician Mick Box (Uriah Heep) is 74. Retired MLB All-Star Dave Parker is 70. Film composer James Newton Howard is 70. Mystery author Patricia Cornwell is 65. Actor Michael J. Fox is 60. Writer-producer Aaron Sorkin is 60. Actor Johnny Depp is 58. Actor Gloria Reuben is 57. Gospel singer-actress Tamela Mann is 55. Rock musician Dean Felber (Hootie & the Blowfish) is 54. Rock musician Dean Dinning is 54. Musician Ed Simons is 51. Actor Keesha Sharp is 48. Bluegrass singer-musician Jamie Dailey (Dailey & Vincent) is 46. Actor Michaela Conlin is 43. Actor Natalie Portman is 40. Actor Mae Whitman is 33. Actor Lucien Laviscount is 29.