This day in history

[June 11, 2010]  (AP)  Today is Friday, June 11, the 162nd day of 2010. There are 203 days left in the year.

Today's highlights in history:

On June 11, 1776, the Continental Congress formed a committee to draft a Declaration of Independence calling for freedom from Britain.

On this date:

In 1509, England's King Henry VIII married his first wife, Catherine of Aragon.

In 1770, Captain James Cook, commander of the British ship Endeavour, discovered the Great Barrier Reef off Australia by running onto it.

In 1910, voters in Oklahoma chose Oklahoma City to be the state's capital over Guthrie (which had been the territorial capital) and Shawnee. French ocean explorer and environmentalist Jacques-Yves Cousteau was born in Saint-Andre-de-Cubzac, France.

In 1919, Sir Barton won the Belmont Stakes, becoming horse racing's first Triple Crown winner.

In 1947, the government announced the end of household and institutional sugar rationing, to take effect the next day.

In 1959, the Saunders-Roe Nautical 1, the first operational hovercraft, was publicly demonstrated off the southern coast of England.

In 1963, a Buddhist monk (Thich Quang Duc) set himself afire on a Saigon street to protest the government of South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem.

In 1970, the United States presence in Libya came to an end as the last detachment left Wheelus Air Base. (The anniversary of this event is celebrated as a holiday in Libya.)

In 1977, Seattle Slew won the Belmont Stakes, capturing the Triple Crown.

In 1985, Karen Ann Quinlan, the comatose patient whose case prompted a historic right-to-die court decision, died in Morris Plains, N.J., at age 31.

Ten years ago: A day after the death of Syrian President Hafez Assad, his son, Bashar, was unanimously nominated by Syria's ruling Baath Party to succeed his father. An unruly group of men doused women with water and groped them in New York's Central Park; some of the assaults were captured on home video. Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil won his second French Open title, beating Magnus Norman 6-2, 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (6).

Five years ago: The first tropical storm of the 2005 season, Arlene, sloshed ashore in the Florida Panhandle. The world's richest countries agreed in London to write off more than $40 billion of debt owed by the poorest nations. French journalist Florence Aubenas and her Iraqi assistant were freed after more than five months as hostages in Iraq. Afleet Alex won the Belmont Stakes by seven lengths.

One year ago: With swine flu reported in more than 70 nations, the World Health Organization declared the first global flu pandemic in 41 years. The NCAA placed Alabama's football program and 15 other of the school's athletic teams on three years' probation for major violations due to misuse of free textbooks, stripping the Crimson Tide of 21 football wins over a three-year period.

Today's birthdays: Opera singer Rise (REE'-suh) Stevens is 97. Actor Gene Wilder is 77. Actor Chad Everett is 73. Comedian Johnny Brown is 73. International Motorsports Hall of Famer Jackie Stewart is 71. Singer Joey Dee is 70. Actress Adrienne Barbeau is 65. Rock musician Frank Beard (ZZ Top) is 61. Animal rights activist and PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk is 61. Rock singer Donnie Van Zant is 58. Actor Peter Bergman is 57. Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Montana is 54. Actor Hugh Laurie ("House, M.D.") is 51. Singer Gioia (JOY'-ah) Bruno (Expose) is 47. Country singer-songwriter Bruce Robison is 44. Actor Peter Dinklage is 41. Country musician Smilin' Jay McDowell is 41. Rock musician Dan Lavery (Tonic) is 41. Rock musician Tai Anderson (Third Day) is 34. Actor Joshua Jackson is 32. Christian rock musician Ryan Shrout is 30. Actor Shia LaBeouf (SHY'-uh luh-BUF') is 24.

Thought for today: "Neither in the life of the individual nor in that of mankind is it desirable to know the future." -- Jakob Burckhardt (YAH'-kawb BUHRK'-hart), Swiss historian (1818-1897)

[Associated Press]

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.