 Today's highlight in history:
On June 5, 1968, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated in Los
Angeles' Ambassador Hotel after claiming victory in California's
Democratic presidential primary. Gunman Sirhan Bishara Sirhan was
immediately arrested.
On this date:
In 1794, Congress passed the Neutrality Act, which prohibited
Americans from taking part in any military action against a country
that was at peace with the United States.
In 1884, Civil War hero General William T. Sherman refused the
Republican presidential nomination, saying, "I will not accept if
nominated and will not serve if elected."
In 1912, U.S. Marines landed in Cuba at the order of President
William Howard Taft to ensure order and protect U.S. interests.
In 1916, the Arab Revolt against Turkish Ottoman rule began during
World War I.
In 1933, the United States went off the gold standard.
In 1940, during the World War II Battle of France, Germany attacked
French forces along the Somme line.
In 1947, Secretary of State George C. Marshall gave a speech at
Harvard University in which he outlined an aid program for Europe
that came to be known as The Marshall Plan.
In 1950, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Henderson v. United States,
struck down racially segregated railroad dining cars.
In 1967, war erupted in the Mideast as Israel raided military
aircraft parked on the ground in Egypt; Syria, Jordan and Iraq
entered the conflict.
In 1976, 14 people were killed when the Teton Dam in Idaho burst.
In 1981, the Centers for Disease Control reported that five
homosexuals in Los Angeles had come down with a rare kind of
pneumonia; they were the first recognized cases of what later became
known as AIDS.
In 2004, Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th president of the United
States, died in Los Angeles at age 93 after a long struggle with
Alzheimer's disease.
Ten years ago: Fourteen-year-old Elizabeth Smart was abducted
from her Salt Lake City home. (Smart was found alive in a Salt Lake
suburb in March 2003; her kidnappers, Brian David Mitchell and Wanda
Barzee, are serving prison sentences.) A suicide bomber killed 17
Israelis on a bus. Magic Johnson was introduced as a member of the
2002 class elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Dee Dee Ramone, bass player for the pioneer punk band the Ramones,
died in Los Angeles at age 50.
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Five years ago: Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of
staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in
prison for lying and obstructing the CIA leak investigation.
(President George W. Bush later commuted the prison sentence.) A
fourth suspect in an alleged plot to destroy New York's John F.
Kennedy International Airport surrendered to police in Trinidad.
One year ago: The departure of Yemen's battle-wounded
president, Ali Abdullah Saleh (AH'-lee ahb-DUH'-luh sah-LEH'), for
treatment in Saudi Arabia set off wild street celebrations in the
capital. Israeli troops battled hundreds of pro-Palestinian
protesters who tried to burst across Syria's frontier with the Golan
Heights, killing a reported 20 people. Rafael Nadal won his
record-equaling sixth French Open title, beating Roger Federer 7-5,
7-6 (3), 5-7, 6-1.
Today's birthdays: Actor-singer Bill Hayes is 87. Broadcast
journalist Bill Moyers is 78. Author Margaret Drabble is 73. Country
singer Don Reid (The Statler Brothers) is 67. Rock musician Fred
Stone (AKA Fred Stewart) (Sly and the Family Stone) is 66. Rock
singer Laurie Anderson is 65. Country singer Gail Davies is 64.
Author Ken Follett is 63. Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe
Biden, is 61. Financial guru Suze Orman is 61. Rock musician Nicko
McBrain (Iron Maiden) is 60. Jazz musician Kenny G is 56. Rock
singer Richard Butler (Psychedelic Furs) is 56. Actor Jeff Garlin is
50. Actress Karen Sillas is 49. Actor Ron Livingston is 45. Singer
Brian McKnight is 43. Rock musician Claus Norreen (Aqua) is 42.
Actor Mark Wahlberg is 41. Actor Chad Allen is 38. Rock musician
P-Nut (311) is 38. Actress Navi Rawat (RO'-waht) is 35. Actress Liza
Weil is 35. Rock musician Pete Wentz (Fall Out Boy) is 33. Rock
musician Seb Lefebvre (Simple Plan) is 31. Actress Amanda Crew is
26.
Thought for today: "What is objectionable, what is dangerous,
about extremists is not that they are extreme, but that they are
intolerant. The evil is not what they say about their cause, but
what they say about their opponents." -- Robert F. Kennedy,
U.S. senator (1925-1968)
[Associated Press]
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