Today in History

[DianaB]

Today is Tuesday, June 17, the 169th day of 2008. There are 197 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On June 17, 1775, the Revolutionary War Battle of Bunker Hill took place near Boston. The battle, which actually occurred on Breed's Hill, was a costly victory for the British, who suffered heavy losses while dislodging the rebels.

On this date:

In 1856, the Republican Party, meeting in Philadelphia, nominated John Charles Fremont to be its presidential candidate. Fremont ended up losing to James Buchanan.

In 1885, the Statue of Liberty arrived in New York Harbor aboard the French ship Isere.

In 1928, Amelia Earhart embarked on a trans-Atlantic flight from Newfoundland to Wales with pilots Wilmer Stultz and Louis Gordon, becoming the first woman to make the trip as a passenger.

In 1944, the Republic of Iceland was established.

In 1948, a United Air Lines DC-6 crashed near Mount Carmel, Pa., killing all 43 people on board.

In 1957, mob underboss Frank Scalice was shot to death at a produce market in New York.

In 1961, Soviet ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev defected to the West while his troupe was in Paris.

In 1963, the Supreme Court, in Abington School District v. Schempp, struck down rules requiring the recitation of the Lord's Prayer or reading of Biblical verses in public schools.

In 1971, the United States and Japan signed a treaty under which Okinawa would revert to Japanese control following America's postwar occupation.

In 1972, President Nixon's eventual downfall began with the arrest of five burglars inside Democratic national headquarters in Washington's Watergate complex.