This day in history

[June 05, 2013]  (AP)  Today is Wednesday, June 5, the 156th day of 2013. There are 209 days left in the year.

Today's highlight in history:

On June 5, 1963, Britain's Secretary of State for War, John Profumo, resigned after acknowledging an affair with a call girl, Christine Keeler (who was also involved with a Soviet spy), and lying to Parliament about it; while there was no finding of a security breach, the scandal helped bring down the Conservative government of Prime Minister Harold Macmillan.

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 Gen. William T. Sherman refused the Republican presidential nomination, saying, "I will not accept if nominated and will not serve if elected."

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 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.

In 1976, 14 people were killed when the Teton Dam in Idaho burst.

In 1993, country star Conway Twitty died in Springfield, Mo., at age 59.

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: Speaking to American soldiers in Qatar, President George W. Bush argued the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq was justified and pledged that "we'll reveal the truth" on Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction. The United States agreed to pull its ground troops away from the Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea. The New York Times' top two editors resigned in the wake of the Jayson Blair scandal.

Five years ago: Defense Secretary Robert Gates ousted Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Michael Moseley and Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne, holding them to account in a historic Pentagon shake-up after embarrassing nuclear mix-ups. Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton met privately at the Washington home of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the first such get-together since Obama clinched the Democratic presidential nomination. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the reputed mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks, told a military judge at his arraignment he welcomed the death penalty as a way to martyrdom and ridiculed the proceedings as an "inquisition." Astronauts opened up Japan's new billion-dollar space station lab, Kibo, aboard the international space station.

One year ago: Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker beat back a recall challenge, winning both the right to finish his term and a voter endorsement of his strategy to curb state spending. Jury selection began in Bellefonte, Pa., in the trial of Jerry Sandusky, the former Penn State assistant football coach charged with child sexual abuse. (Sandusky was later convicted of 45 counts and sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison.) Science-fiction author Ray Bradbury, 91, died in Los Angeles.

Today's birthdays: Actor-singer Bill Hayes is 88. Broadcast journalist Bill Moyers is 79. Former Canadian Prime Minister Joe Clark is 74. Author Margaret Drabble is 74. Country singer Don Reid (The Statler Brothers) is 68. Rock musician Fred Stone (AKA Fred Stewart) (Sly and the Family Stone) is 67. Rock singer Laurie Anderson is 66. Country singer Gail Davies is 65. Author Ken Follett is 64. Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, is 62. Financial guru Suze Orman is 62. Rock musician Nicko McBrain (Iron Maiden) is 61. Jazz musician Kenny G is 57. Rock singer Richard Butler (Psychedelic Furs) is 57. Actor Jeff Garlin is 51. Actress Karen Sillas is 50. Actor Ron Livingston is 46. Singer Brian McKnight is 44. Rock musician Claus Norreen (Aqua) is 43. Actor Mark Wahlberg is 42. Actor Chad Allen is 39. Rock musician P-Nut (311) is 39. Actress Navi Rawat (RO'-waht) is 36. Actress Liza Weil is 36. Rock musician Pete Wentz (Fall Out Boy) is 34. Rock musician Seb Lefebvre (Simple Plan) is 32. Actress Amanda Crew is 27.

Thought for today: "A lie has no leg, but a scandal has wings." -- Thomas Fuller, English clergyman (1608-1661)

[Associated Press]

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