Today in History

Today is Tuesday, June 2, the 153rd day of 2009. There are 212 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History: On June 2, 1953, Queen Elizabeth II of Britain was crowned in Westminster Abbey, 16 months after the death of her father, King George VI.

On this date: In 1886, President Grover Cleveland married Frances Folsom in a White House ceremony.

In 1897, Mark Twain, 61, was quoted by the New York Journal as saying from London that "the report of my death was an exaggeration." In 1924, Congress passed a measure that was then signed by President Calvin Coolidge granting American citizenship to all U.S.-born American Indians.

In 1941, baseball's "Iron Horse," Lou Gehrig, died in New York of a degenerative disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; he was 37.

In 1946, Italy held a referendum which resulted in the Italian monarchy being abolished in favor of a republic.

In 1966, the U.S. space probe Surveyor 1 landed on the moon and began transmitting detailed photographs of the lunar surface.

In 1969, the American destroyer USS Frank E. Evans was struck and cut in two by the Australian aircraft carrier Melbourne during naval exercises in the South China Sea; 74 crew members from the Frank E. Evans were killed.

In 1975, Vice President Nelson Rockefeller said his commission had found no widespread pattern of illegal activities at the Central Intelligence Agency.

In 1979, Pope John Paul II arrived in his native Poland on the first visit by a pope to a Communist country.

In 1986, for the first time, the public could watch the proceedings of the U.S. Senate on television as a six-week experiment of televised sessions began.

Ten years ago: South Africans went to the polls in their second post-apartheid election, giving the African National Congress a decisive victory; retiring president Nelson Mandela was succeeded by Thabo Mbeki (TAH'-boh um-BEH'-kee).

Five years ago: Three foreign aid workers and two Afghans were shot and killed in an ambush in northwestern Afghanistan in an attack claimed by resurgent Taliban militants. Software engineer Ken Jennings began his 74-game winning streak on the syndicated TV game show "Jeopardy!" One year ago: Massachusetts Sen. Edward M. Kennedy underwent 3 1/2 hours of risky and delicate surgery to cut out as much of his cancerous brain tumor as possible. Polygamist sect children began to be reunited with their parents two months after the state of Texas removed the children from the sect's ranch. The space shuttle Discovery linked up with the international space station, and the 10 space travelers immediately got ready to install the Japanese lab Kibo. Bo Diddley, 79, a founding father of rock 'n' roll, died in Archer, Fla., at age 79. Actor-director Mel Ferrer died in Santa Barbara, Calif., at age 90.

Today's Birthdays: Actor Milo O'Shea is 84. Actress-singer Sally Kellerman is 72. Actor Ron Ely is 71. Actor Stacy Keach is 68. Rock musician Charlie Watts is 68. Singer William Guest (Gladys Knight & The Pips) is 68. Actor Charles Haid is 66. Composer Marvin Hamlisch is 65. Movie director Lasse (LAH'-suh) Hallstrom is 63. Actor Jerry Mathers is 61. Actress Joanna Gleason is 59. Actor Dennis Haysbert is 55. Comedian Dana Carvey is 54. Actor Gary Grimes is 54. Rock singer Tony Hadley (Spandau Ballet) is 49. Singer Merril Bainbridge is 41. Rapper B-Real (Cypress Hill) is 39. Actress Paula Cale is 39. Actor-comedian Wayne Brady is 37. Actor Wentworth Miller is 37.

Rock musician Tim Rice-Oxley (Keane) is 33. Actor Zachary Quinto is 32. Actor Dominic Cooper is 31. Actress Nikki Cox is 31. Actor Justin Long is 31. Actor Deon Richmond is 31. Rhythm-and-blues singer Irish Grinstead (702) is 29. Rock musician Fabrizio Moretti (The Strokes) is 29. Country singer Dan Cahoon (Marshall Dyllon) is 26.

Thought for Today: "Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; truth isn't." Mark Twain (1835-1910).

(Above Advance for Use Tuesday, June 2)


Copyright 2009, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 05-24-09 0833CDT | save this article / add to your favorites list