Knicks Come Back On the Road Again, Then Have to Hang On...But Manage to Win Game 2 of the 2026 NBA Finals

 

2026 NBA Finals Update

2026 NBA Finals Game 2: New York Knicks 105, San Antonio Spurs 104

If they continue to play the way that they have been doing recently, the New York Knicks will end their championship drought in a matter of days. The Knicks have not won the NBA title since back in 1973. But they also have not been in such a commanding position in an NBA Finals series since the last time that they won it, either.

Playing on the road in San Antonio for the second straight game, once again the Knicks fell behind. And once again, they came back.

This time, they almost did it too early. They seemed to be in command of the game, overcoming what was at one point a 12-point San Antonio lead at some point in the first half to take a double-digit lead of their own at one point in the second half. 

However, they did not run away with it. In fact, the Spurs themselves mounted a comeback, as New York almost gave this one away.

Almost.

In the end, however, the Knicks did just enough to hang on, managing a very tight win by a margin of just one point. That was the difference in this game.

And yet, it seems to give the Knicks complete control of the series. This marks the 13th straight win for the Knicks, which now qualifies as the second longest winning streak in NBA playoff history. With the win, New York takes a commanding 2-0 lead in the series, as it now shifts to Madison Square Garden in New York. 

It feels like the Spurs are in serious trouble. Meanwhile, it feels like the Knicks can almost do no wrong at this point.

Of course, sports can change in an instant. You never know what is going to happen next.

That said, it feels like the Knicks are the team of destiny. Clearly, the series feels like it is theirs to lose now. 

Today Marks the Anniversary of the D-Day Invasion During World War II

 

Statue of an American Soldier at the World War II Memorial in Trenton, New Jersey

I was not around for D-Day. Hell, my parents were not even born yet for it!

Yet, much like with the rest of World War II, these events grew to the status of legend, so that you kind of grew up under their shadow, even as late as during my own childhood in the eighties, predominately.

There are times when you view these things as history, and it remains relegated to this status. The problem with that, of course, is that you cannot change history, which means that it seems like an immovable object of sorts, like the events were etched in stone.

In truth, of course, that was far from the case.

I remember the first time I watched "Saving Private Ryan:", and just beginning to really appreciate just how incredibly frightening, and far from certain, that day would have been to those who were there. Many of the soldiers were simply mowed down by Germans in what seemed almost impregnable positions (although they were, in fact, overtaken). Others, as the movie so graphically depicted, lost limbs.

All sorts of stories have endured, and lasted many decades now. Again, World War II was one of the most significant events in world history. When I think about it, and just how dramatically, and quickly, the maps changed, and how many millions of people had their lives severely effected (and sixty million people overall were killed!), and you think of all of the major battles that took place, including the bloodiest war in history between the Soviets and the Germans on the Eastern Front! How quickly technology advanced in such a short period, and all of it geared for war, with ever increasing military power, culminating in the detonation of the atomic bomb, and two of those bombs being dropped on Japan. It really is just staggering!

And D-Day was certainly not the least of these! It might sound cliche to say, but soldiers gave their life and limbs to gain a foothold on the western front of the European continent, in the fight against what my father once termed a "truly evil empire".

So, on this, the 80th anniversary of D-Day, I take a moment to recognize the sacrifice of those brave soldiers who were there on the beaches of Normandy on this day, three quarters of a century ago.

Here are some links to the story of the 80th anniversary of D-Day:



70 years after D-Day, she hears dad's stories anew Associated Press By BETH J. HARPAZ

http://news.yahoo.com/70-years-d-day-she-hears-dads-stories-165315997.html



D-Day veterans: The last voices of the longest day

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/history/dday-veterans-the-last-voices-of-the-longest-day-9464306.html



D-day landings scenes in 1944 and now – interactive by Peter Macdiarmid and Jim Powell of The Guardian, June 1, 2014:

http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/ng-interactive/2014/jun/01/d-day-landings-scenes-in-1944-and-now-interactive

June 6th: This Day in History

 

Once again, it should be reiterated, that this does not pretend to be a very extensive history of what happened on this day (nor is it the most original - the links can be found down below). If you know something that I am missing, by all means, shoot me an email or leave a comment, and let me know!

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

Jun 6, 1944: D-Day

Although the term D-Day is used routinely as military lingo for the day an operation or event will take place, for many it is also synonymous with June 6, 1944, the day the Allied powers crossed the English Channel and landed on the beaches of Normandy, France, beginning the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi control during World War II. Within three months, the northern part of France would be freed and the invasion force would be preparing to enter Germany, where they would meet up with Soviet forces moving in from the east.

With Hitler's armies in control of most of mainland Europe, the Allies knew that a successful invasion of the continent was central to winning the war. Hitler knew this too, and was expecting an assault on northwestern Europe in the spring of 1944. He hoped to repel the Allies from the coast with a strong counterattack that would delay future invasion attempts, giving him time to throw the majority of his forces into defeating the Soviet Union in the east. Once that was accomplished, he believed an all-out victory would soon be his.

On the morning of June 5, 1944, U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the supreme commander of Allied forces in Europe gave the go-ahead for Operation Overlord, the largest amphibious military operation in history. On his orders, 6,000 landing craft, ships and other vessels carrying 176,000 troops began to leave England for the trip to France. That night, 822 aircraft filled with parachutists headed for drop zones in Normandy. An additional 13,000 aircraft were mobilized to provide air cover and support for the invasion.

By dawn on June 6, 18,000 parachutists were already on the ground; the land invasions began at 6:30 a.m. The British and Canadians overcame light opposition to capture Gold, Juno and Sword beaches; so did the Americans at Utah. The task was much tougher at Omaha beach, however, where 2,000 troops were lost and it was only through the tenacity and quick-wittedness of troops on the ground that the objective was achieved. By day's end, 155,000 Allied troops--Americans, British and Canadians--had successfully stormed Normandy’s beaches.

For their part, the Germans suffered from confusion in the ranks and the absence of celebrated commander Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, who was away on leave. At first, Hitler, believing that the invasion was a feint designed to distract the Germans from a coming attack north of the Seine River, refused to release nearby divisions to join the counterattack and reinforcements had to be called from further afield, causing delays. He also hesitated in calling for armored divisions to help in the defense. In addition, the Germans were hampered by effective Allied air support, which took out many key bridges and forced the Germans to take long detours, as well as efficient Allied naval support, which helped protect advancing Allied troops.

Though it did not go off exactly as planned, as later claimed by British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery--for example, the Allies were able to land only fractions of the supplies and vehicles they had intended in France--D-Day was a decided success. By the end of June, the Allies had 850,000 men and 150,000 vehicles in Normandy and were poised to continue their march across Europe.

The heroism and bravery displayed by troops from the Allied countries on D-Day has served as inspiration for several films, most famously The Longest Day (1962) and Saving Private Ryan (1998). It was also depicted in the HBO mini-series Band of Brothers (2001).
















Jun 6, 1977: Vance affirms Carter's interest in human rights

In the face of recent Soviet crackdowns on human rights activists, Secretary of State Cyrus Vance assures skeptics in the United States that the administration of President Jimmy Carter will hold the Soviet Union accountable for its actions.  

On June 1, 1977 the Soviets charged Anatoly Shcharansky, a computer expert and leader of the human rights movement in Russia, with treason and arrested him. Shcharansky was a leading member of the so-called "Helsinki group" in the Soviet Union, a collection of dissidents whose goal was to monitor the Soviet government's compliance with the 1975 Helsinki accords between the United States and Russia. One part of those accords had been a statement that recognized the right of all people to enjoy basic human rights. Shcharansky and other Soviet dissidents, as well as international human rights groups such as Amnesty International, argued that the Soviets had never complied with this part of the accords. When Jimmy Carter entered the presidency in 1977, he stressed his commitment to human rights and particularly condemned the Soviet Union for its refusal to allow Russian Jews to emigrate. Many in the West saw Shcharansky's arrest as a direct challenge to Carter's emphasis on human rights.  

Just a few days after Shcharansky was charged with treason, Secretary of State Vance met with members of the U.S. commission on human rights, headed by Representative Dante Fascell. They were skeptical of the Carter administration's commitment to pushing the issue of human rights with the Soviets, particularly in the face of the recent crackdowns on dissent in Russia. A recently released report prepared by the Carter White House indicated that the Soviets were not complying with the human rights sections of the Helsinki accords. Vance assured the commission that "The United States will not back down with respect to its position on human rights." The Carter record on this matter, however, remained mixed. While the president publicly condemned Russia's human rights policies, and sometimes even instigated sanctions (such as a halt on the sale of computer equipment to the Soviet Union), he was never as aggressive with the Soviets as he was with smaller and less powerful nations, such as Guatemala and El Salvador.

On this day in 1002, German King Henry II the Saint was crowned. In 1859 on this day in Australia, Queensland was established as a separate colony from New South Wales (recognized as Queensland Day). A massive cyclone on this day in 1882 in the Arabian Sea near Bombay, India, drowned an estimated 100,000 people. In 1906 on this day, the Paris Métro Line 5 was inaugurated with a first section from Place d'Italie to the Gare d'Orléans (today known as Gare d'Austerlitz). The eruption of Novarupta in Alaska began on this day in 1912. It would become the second largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century. On this day in 1944 during World War II, the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France, by Allied forces opposing Axis rule over Europe took place. An estimated 150,000 Allied Expeditionary Force landed and stormed the Normandy beaches on that day. In 1960 on this day during the apartheid era of white supremacy in South Africa, the Ingquza Hill massacre took place.  This was a significant incident during the Pondoland Revolt. In 1962, the Beatles met their producer George Martin for the first time. Then, they recorded "Besame Mucho" with Peter Best on drums.

Here's a more detailed look at events that transpired on this date throughout history:

• On this day in 1002, German King Henry II the Saint was crowned.

1242 - 24 wagonloads of Talmudic books burned in Paris

1391 - Inhabitants of Seville, Spain, massacres 5,000 Jews

1513 - Battle at Novara: Habsburgers vs Valois

1520 - France & England sign treaty of Scotland

1523 - Gustav Vasa is elected King of Sweden, marking the end of the Kalmar Union.

• 1536 - Mexico begins its inquisition

1639 - Massachusetts grants 500 acres of land to erect a gunpowder mill

1654 - Queen Christina of Sweden resigns & converts to Catholicism

1660 - Denmark & Sweden sign peace treaty

1664 - New Amsterdam renamed New York

1665 - Battle at Monte Carlo: English & Portuguese army beat Spain

1673 - France & Brandenburg sign peace treaty

1683 - The Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, England, opens as the world's first university museum.

1716 - 1st slaves arrive in Louisiana

1744 - France & Prussia sign peace treaty

1752 - 3rd great fire in Moscow in 2 weeks; 1/3 of city destroyed

• 1772 - Haitian explorer Jean Baptiste-Pointe Dusable settles Chicago

1795 - Fire destroy 1/3 of Copenhagen; 18,000 injured

1801 - Peace of Badajoz: Spain-Portugal

1809 - Sweden declares independence, constitutional monarchy established with a new constituion empowering Riksdag after 20 years of absolute monarchy

• 1813 - US invasion of Canada halted at Stoney Creek (Ont)

1816 - 10" snowfall in New England, "year without a summer" (Mount Tambora)

1831 - 2nd national black convention (Phila)

1832 - The barricades fall and the Paris student uprisings of 1832 end.

1844 - Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) forms in London

Fashion Designer Levi StraussFashion Designer Levi Strauss 1850 - Levi Strauss make his 1st pair of blue jeans

• In 1859 on this day in Australia, Queensland was established as a separate colony from New South Wales (recognized as Queensland Day).

1861 - Lincoln's cabinet declares Union government will pay for expenses once states have mobilized volunteers

1862 - Battle of Memphis-city is surrendered

1862 - Battle of Port Royal, SC (Port Royal Ferry)

1862 - Skirmish at Harrisonburg, PA

1863 - Battle of Milliken's Bend, LA & Williamsport, MD

1864 - Battle of Lake Chicot, AR (Dutch Bayou)

1875 - Netherlands goes on the gold standard

• A massive cyclone on this day in 1882 in the Arabian Sea near Bombay, India, drowned an estimated 100,000 people.

1882 - Electric iron patented by Henry W Seely, NYC

1882 - The Shewan forces of Menelik defeat the Gojjame army in the Battle of Embabo. The Shewans capture Negus Tekle Haymanot of Gojjam, and heir victory leads to a Shewan hegemony over the territories south of the Abay River.

1885 - 19th Belmont: Paul Duffy aboard Tyrant wins in 2:43

1885 - Opera "Lakmé" is produced (Paris)

1889 - Great Fire in Seattle destroys 25 downtown blocks

1890 - United States Polo Association forms, NYC

1892 - Chicago South Side Elevated Railroad opens (1st 3.6 miles)

1896 - 21st Preakness: Henry Griffin aboard Margrave wins in 1:51

1896 - Frank Samuelsen and George Harbo leave NY harbor to row across Atlantic; their 55 day record for rowing was not broken for 114 year

1904 - National Tuberculosis Association organized, Atlantic City, NJ

1905 - French Foreign minister Delcasse resigns on German request

• In 1906 on this day, the Paris Métro Line 5 was inaugurated with a first section from Place d'Italie to the Gare d'Orléans (today known as Gare d'Austerlitz).

1911 - Nicaragua signs treaty turning over customs to US (not ratified)

• The eruption of Novarupta in Alaska began on this day in 1912. It would become the second largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century.

1913 - Rabbit Maranville, is thrown out trying to steal home 3 times

1914 - 1st air flight out of sight of land (Scotland to Norway)

1916 - Voters in East Cleveland approves women suffrage

1918 - Battle of Belleau Wood, 1st US victory of WW I

1919 - Assent is given to an Act to amend the Canadian Currency Act, 1910

1919 - Finland declares war on bolsheviks

1919 - The Republic of Prekmurje ends.

1920 - Gen Wrangel opens offensive against red Army

1921 - Detroit Stars' Bill Gatewood pitches the 1st no-hitter in Negro League history, defeating the Cuban Stars 4-0

1921 - Southwark Bridge in London is opened to traffic by King George V and Queen Mary.

1924 - 28th US Golf Open: Cyril Walker shoots a 297 at Oakland Hills CC Mich

1925 - Walter Percy Chrysler founded Chrysler Corp (Iacocca is 8 months old)

1926 - Egyptian government of Adly Pasha forms

1931 - "There Ought To Be A Moonlight Saving Time" by Guy Lombardo hits #1

1931 - Yanks turn triple-play but lose 7-5 to Indians

1932 - Carlos Davila coup against pres Juan Montero of Chile

1932 - Ijsselmeervogels soccer team forms in Spakenburg

1932 - US Federal gas tax enacted

1932 - The Revenue Act of 1932 is enacted, creating the first gas tax in the United States, at a rate of 1 cent per US gallon (1/4 ¢/L) sold.

1933 - 1st drive-in theater opens (Camden NJ)

1933 - US Employment Service created

1934 - Securities & Exchange Commission established

1934 - Yankee Myrl Hoag hits 6 singles in one game

1936 - 40th US Golf Open: Tony Manero shoots a 282 at Baltusrol GC NJ

1936 - 68th Belmont: James Stout aboard Granville wins in 2:30

1936 - Aviation gasoline 1st produced commercially Paulsboro NJ

1937 - Phillies trailing 8-2 to St Louis, forfeit game

Father of Psychology Sigmund FreudFather of Psychology Sigmund Freud 1938 - Sigmund Freud arrives in London

1939 - NY Giants beat Reds 17-3, with 5 HRs in 4th inning

1939 - NY supreme court justice J F Crater legally declared dead

1941 - 1st navy vessel constructed as mine layer Terror launched

1941 - Giants use plastic batting helmets for 1st time

1942 - 1st nylon parachute jump (Hartford Ct-Adeline Gray)

1942 - 74th Belmont: Eddie Arcaro aboard Shut Out wins in 2:29.2

1942 - Japanese forces retreat, ending Battle of Midway

1942 - Japanese troop land on Kiska, Aleutians

1944 - 82nd Airborne division D-day-landing at Ste Mere Eglise

1944 - Baseball cancels all games honoring D-Day invasion

Statue of an American Soldier at the World War II Memorial in Trenton, New Jersey

• On this day in 1944 during World War II, the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France, by Allied forces opposing Axis rule over Europe took place. An estimated 150,000 Allied Expeditionary Force landed and stormed the Normandy beaches on that day.

1944 - Nazi troops executed 96 prisoners by firing squad

1944 - Theodore Roosevelt Jr receives congressional medal of honor

1944 - U-955, U-970, U-629, U-373 sink in Gulf of Biskaje

1944 - Alaska Airlines commences operations.

1945 - "Free People" premieres in Amsterdam

1946 - 11 Basketball of America Association teams meet to schedule 1st season

1946 - Henry Morgan is 1st to take off shirt on TV

1946 - Martin Kresses begins publishing "Eric the Viking" comic strip

1946 - The Basketball Association of America is formed in New York City.

1947 - Treaty drawn for establishment of Intl Patent Institute

1949 - "It Pays To Be Ignorant" game show debut on CBS-TV

1949 - WKY (now KTVY) TV channel 4 in Oklahoma City, OK (NBC) 1st broadcast

1950 - German DR & Poland sign treaty about Oder-Neisse border

1950 - Turkey: The Adhan in Arabic is legalized.

1954 - Patty Berg wins LPGA Triangle Round Robin Golf Tournament

1955 - Bill Haley & Comets' "Rock Around the Clock" hits #1

1956 - David Marshall, Singapore's first Chief Minister, resigns.

1958 - Ozzie Virgil is 1st black to play as a Tiger

French President Charles de GaulleFrench President Charles de Gaulle 1958 - Premier Charles de Gaulle says Algeria will always be French

1960 - Roy Orbison releases "Only the Lonely"

Flag of South Africa during the apartheid era

•  In 1960 on this day during the apartheid era of white supremacy in South Africa, the Ingquza Hill massacre took place.  This was a significant incident during the Pondoland Revolt.

    

• In 1962, the Beatles met their producer George Martin for the first time. Then, they recorded "Besame Mucho" with Peter Best on drums.

1963 - Gasunie established

1964 - 96th Belmont: Manuel Ycaza aboard Quadrangle wins in 2:28.6

1964 - Beatles arrive in Netherlands

1964 - Under a temporary order, the rocket launches at Cuxhaven, Germany, are terminated, though they never resume.

1965 - Kathy Whitworth wins LPGA Blue Grass Golf Invitational

1965 - Yankees Tom Tresh bangs 3 consecutive HRs beating White Sox 12-0

1966 - Activist James Meredith wounded by white sniper in Mississippi

1966 - Gemini 9 completes 45 orbits after rendezvous with "angry alligator"

1966 - NFL & AFL announce their merger

1966 - Stokely Carmichael launches "Black Power" movement

TV Personality, Comedian and Composer Steve AllenTV Personality, Comedian and Composer Steve Allen 1967 - Israeli troops occupy Gaza

1968 - WKHA TV channel 35 in Hazard, KY (PBS) begins broadcasting

1968 - Senator Robert Kennedy dies from his wounds after he was shot the previous night.

1969 - Joe Namath resigns from NFL after Pete Rozelle, football commissioner, said he must sell his stake in a bar

1970 - 102nd Belmont: John Rotz aboard High Echelon wins in 2:34

1971 - "Ed Sullivan Show" last broadcasts on CBS-TV

1971 - Air West filght 706 collides with Navy Phantom jet over LA, 50 die

1971 - John Lennon & Yoko Ono unannounced appearance at Fillmore East in NYC

1971 - Kathy Whitworth wins LPGA Lady Carling Golf Open

1971 - Soyuz 11 takes 3 cosmonauts to Salyut 1 space station

1971 - WHAE (now WGNX) TV channel 46 in Atlanta, GA (CBN) begins broadcasting

1971 - Willie Mays hits record 22nd & last extra inning HR

1972 - David Bowie releases "Rise & Fall of Ziggy Stardust"

1972 - Explosion at world's largest coal mine kills 427 (Wankie, Rhodesia)

1972 - Gold hits record $60 an ounce in London

Artist & Musician Yoko OnoArtist & Musician Yoko Ono 1972 - US bombs Haiphong, North-Vietnam; 1000s killed

1974 - 47th National Spelling Bee: Julie Ann Junkin wins spelling hydrophyte

1974 - A new Instrument of Government is promulgated making Sweden a parliamentary monarchy.

1975 - British voters decide to remain in Common Market

1975 - Nolan Ryan's bid for 2nd no-hitter broken in 6th inning

1975 - Provisional Revolutionary Government of South Vietnam established

1976 - 30th NBA Championship: Boston Celtics beat Phoenix Suns, 4 games to 2

1976 - Pat Bradley wins LPGA Girl Talk Golf Classic

1977 - "Washington Post" reports US has developed neutron bomb

1977 - Doobie Brothers sponsor a Golf Classic & Concert for United Way

1977 - Joseph L Howze installed as bishop of Roman Catholic diocese (Miss)

1977 - Supreme Court tosses out automatic death penalty laws

1978 - Proposition 13 cuts California property taxes 57%

1979 - 200th running of horse's Derby in England

1979 - Royal Air Force receives 1st F-16

1979 - Willie Horton becomes 43rd player to hit 300 HRs in the majors

1981 - 113th Belmont: George Martens aboard Summing wins in 2:29

1981 - 51st French Womens Tennis: Hana Mandlikova beats Sylvia Hanika (62 64)

1981 - Maya Yang Lin wins competition to design the Vietnam War Memorial

1981 - A passenger train travelling between Mansi and Saharsa, India, jumps the tracks at a bridge crossing the Bagmati river. The government places the official death toll at 268 plus another 300 missing; however, it is generally believed that the actual figure is closer to 1,000 killed.

1982 - 30,000 Israeli troops invade Lebanon to drive out PLO

1982 - 36th Tony Awards: Life & Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby & Nine win

1982 - 52nd French Mens Tennis: Mats Wilander beats G Vilas (16 76 60 64)

1982 - Bernard Glassman, installed as abbot of Zen Center of NY

1982 - Joanne Carner wins LPGA McDonald 's Golf Classic

1983 - 17th Music City News Country Awards: Marty Robbins & Roy Acuff

1983 - Bottle with note of June 9, 1910 found in Queensland

1983 - Emmy 10th Daytime Award presentation - Susan Lucci loses for 4th time

Chinese Communist Party Leader Deng XiaopingChinese Communist Party Leader Deng Xiaoping 1983 - Li Xiannian becomes pres/Deng Xiaoping supreme commander of China PR

1983 - Nicaragua expels 3 US diplomats

1983 - Twins draft pitcher Tim Belcher #1

1984 - 1,200 die in Sikh "Golden Temple" uprising India

1985 - 55th French Womens Tennis: Chris Evert beats Navratilova (63 67 75)

1985 - 58th National Spelling Bee: Balu Natarajan wins spelling milieu

1985 - Body of Nazi concentration camp doctor Dr Josef Mengele located & exhumed

1985 - Dutch 2nd Chamber accepts "status" of Aruba

1985 - Soyuz T-13 carries 2 cosmonauts to Salyut 7 space station

1986 - Jurgen Schull sets world discus record (74.07 m)

1986 - Kathy Ormsby, a 21-year-old member of NC State track team jumps off a bridge permanently paralyzing herself

1987 - 119th Belmont: Craig Perret aboard Bet Twice wins in 2:28.2

1987 - 57th French Womens Tennis Open: Steffi Graf beats M Navratilova (6-4 4-6 8-6)

1987 - NY Yankees play their 13,000th game

1988 - 22nd Music City News Country Awards: Randy Travis & Statler Brothers

Tennis Player Steffi GrafTennis Player Steffi Graf 1988 - 3 giant turtles found in Bronx sewage plant

1988 - George H W Bush makes campaign promise to support reparations for WW II to Japanese-American internees (promise broken, May 1989)

1989 - Mets turn their 1st triple play in 7 years but lose to Cubs 8-4

1990 - 2nd International Rock Awards

1990 - For 2nd time this season, Cecil Fielder belts 3 home runs in a game

1990 - Stump Merrill replaces Bucky Dent as NY Yankee manager

1991 - Albert Belle is shipped to minors for not running out a ground ball

1991 - Dana Plato receives 6 yr suspended sentence for robbing a video store

1991 - NBC announces Jay Leno will replace Johnny Carson on May 25, 1992

1991 - Test Cricket debut of Graeme Hick, v West Indies at Headingley

1992 - 124th Belmont: Eddie Delahoussaye aboard AP Indy wins in 2:26

1992 - 62nd French Womens Tennis Open: Monica Seles beats Steffi Graf (6-2 3-6 10-8)

1992 - Ben Vereen suffers injuries when hit by a car

1992 - NY Met Eddie Murray sets RBI record by a switch hitter

1992 - WLAF World Bowl 2: Sacramento beats Orlando 21-17 (Montreal)

1993 - 47th Tony Awards: Angels in America & Kiss of the Spider Woman win

1993 - 63rd French Mens Tennis: S Bruguera beats Jim Courier (64 26 62 36 63)

1993 - 6th Children's Miracle Network Telethon

1993 - Jane Geddes wins LPGA Oldsmobile Golf Classic

1993 - Punsalmaagiyn Otsjirbat recognized as president of Mongolia

1993 - Ramiro de Leon Carpio elected pres of Guatemala

1994 - 28th Music City News Country Awards: Alan Jackson & Ray Stevens

1994 - 6.0 earthquake/avalanche destroys Toez Colombia (about 1000 killed)

1994 - Brian Lara scores 501 not out for Warwickshire vs Durham

1994 - CD-councillor H Selhorst arrested for hard-drugs trade

1994 - Cricketer Brian Lara hits record 501 not out/390 runs in 1 day

1994 - Tupolev-154M crashes at Xian China, 160 killed

1994 - Warwickshire score 4 for 810 declared against Durham

1998 - 130th Belmont: Gary Stevens aboard Victory Gallop wins in 2:29

1998 - 68th French Womens Tennis:

1999 - 53rd Tony Awards: Fosse & Side Man win

1999 - In Australian Rules Football, Tony Lockett breaks the record for career goals, previously 1299 by Gordon Coventry and which had stood since 1937.

1999 - At the Putim maximum security prison in Brazil, 345 prisoners run from the main gate in the largest jailbreak in Brazilian history, marking the 10th escape for the three-year-old facility. In the ensuing manhunt, two fugitives are killed and five innocent bystanders are accidentally jailed.

2002 - Eastern Mediterranean Event. A near-Earth asteroid estimated at 10 metres diameter explodes over the Mediterranean Sea between Greece and Libya. The resulting explosion is estimated to have a force of 26 kilotons, slightly more powerful than the Nagasaki atomic bomb.

2004 - 58th Tony Awards: Avenue Q & I Am My Own Wife win

2004 - Tamil is established as a Classical language by the President of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam in a joint sitting of the two houses of the Indian Parliament.

2005 - The United States Supreme Court votes to ban medical marijuana in Gonzales v. Raich.

2009 - 141st Belmont: Kent Desormeaux aboard Summer Bird wins in 2:27.54

2012 - Transit of Venus (between Earth & Sun) occurs

2012 - The Solar Impulse completes the world's first intercontinental flight powered by the sun

Singer Carrie UnderwoodSinger Carrie Underwood 2012 - 46th CMT Music Awards: Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert & Luke Bryan wins

2013 - Kevin Barry's City of Bohane wins the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award

1674 - Sivaji crowned himself King of India.   1813 - The U.S. invasion of Canada was halted at Stony Creek, Ontario.   1833 - Andrew Jackson became the first U.S. president to ride in a train. It was a B&O passenger train.   1844 - The Young Men's Christian Association was founded in London.   1882 - The first electric iron was patented by H.W. Seely.   1890 - The United States Polo Association was formed in New York City, NY.   1904 - The National Tuberculosis Association was formed in Atlantic City, NJ.   1924 - The German Reichtag accepted the Dawes Plan. It was an American plan to help Germany pay off its war debts.   1925 - Chrysler Corporation was founded by Walter Percy Chrysler.   1932 - In the U.S., the first federal tax on gasoline went into effect. It was a penny per gallon.   1933 - In Camden, NJ, the first drive-in movie theater opened.   1934 - U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Securities Exchange Act, which established the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).   1936 - The first helicopter was tested in a building in Berlin, Germany.   1941 - The U.S. government authorized the seizure of foreign ships in U.S. ports.   1942 - The first nylon parachute jump was made by Adeline Gray in Hartford, CT.   1942 - Japanese forces retreated in the World War II Battle of Midway. The battle had begun on June 4.   1944 - The D-Day invasion of Europe took place on the beaches of Normandy, France. 400,000 Allied American, British and Canadian troops were involved.   1946 - The Basketball Association of America was formed in New York City, NY.   1968 - U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy died at 1:44am in Los Angeles after being shot by Sirhan Sirhan. Kennedy was was shot the evening before while campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination.   1971 - "The Ed Sullivan Show" aired for the last time. It was canceled after 23 years on the air. Gladys Knight and the Pips were the musical guests on show.   1978 - "20/20" debuted on ABC.   1982 - Israel invaded southern Lebanon in an effort to drive PLO guerrillas out of Beirut.   1985 - The body of Nazi war criminal Dr. Josef Mengele was located and exhumed near Sao Paolo, Brazil. Mengele was known as the "Angel of Death."   1985 - The U.S. Senate authorized nonmilitary aid to the Contras. The vote authorized $38 million over two years.   1993 - Mongolia held its first direct presidential elections.   2005 - The United States Supreme Court ruled that federal authorities could prosecute sick people who smoke marijuana on doctor's orders. The ruling concluded that state medical marijuana laws did not protect uses from the federal ban on the drug.

1844 The Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) was founded in London. 1933 The first drive-in movie theater opened in Camden, New Jersey. 1934 The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) was established to protect investors and maintain the integrity of the securities markets. 1944 Thousands of Allied troops invaded the beaches of Normandy, France, on D-Day. 1982 Israel invaded Lebanon to drive out the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). 2001 Vermont Republican Senator James Jeffords left the party to become an independent, handing control of the Senate back to the Democrats. 2002 President Bush proposed a new Cabinet department: The Department of Homeland Security.   

The following links are to web sites that were used to complete this blog entry:

http://www.historyorb.com/today/events.php

http://on-this-day.com/onthisday/thedays/alldays/jun06.htm

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory

A Visit to the Cathedrale Saint- Benigne in Dijon

The first really major landmark that we visited on this trip to Dijon was the Cathedrale Saint- Benigne, right in the downtown. 

It is a national monument. A historic church which was constructed between 1280 and 1325. During the French Revolution, this church became the seat of the Diocese of Dijon.  It has been the seat of the succeeding Archbishopric of Dijon since the elevation of the diocese earlier this millennium in 2002.

Like many other old churches in France, it also has some beautiful stained glass windows, paintings, and sculptures. And on the day when we visited, it was blessedly cool, serving as a respite from the intense and relentless heat wave.

Below are some of the pictures which I took during the recent visit. Take a look:

⚽️ L'Equipe de France Looks Shaky After Ivory Coast Wins 2-1 in Friendly ⚽️

 

Okay, so first things first: I realize that this was just a friendly. That France losing this game is not deadly. it does not kill their chances of being successful for the upcoming World Cup.

Still, you kind of hope that your team looks better than France did in this one in Nantes, France. Simply put, they appeared flat and uninspired. Pretty much largely lifeless.

Not how you want to look just before the World Cup, in other words.

Of course, before I suggest that this might be shades of 2002 or 2010 (two disastrous World Cup showings for France), it bears repeating that this was just a friendly. It does not officially count for anything in terms of the actual World Cup.

But they had better play with a lot more intensity and focus, and execute much better in the upcoming weeks, or it will be another bad memory of France at the World Cup.

Yet, it did not start out like that.

Rayan Cherki struck first for France, giving them a 1-0 lead in the 45th minute.

However, Guéla Doué scored the equalizer in the 53rd minute. It was clear then that France was actually in for a tough match. 

France could not answer. Despite the talent and star power and experience, they just could not find the back of the net.

Unfortunately, Ivory Coast's Amad Diallo did find the back of the net, giving them a 2-1 lead in the 84th minute. That left France with very little time to try and salvage even a tie.

In the end, they did not manage to get a tie and lost this game. It was the first ever victory for Ivory Coast over France. Their players celebrated wildly after earning the impressive win. Meanwhile, French players could be seen looking dejected and down.

Again, now the way that you really want to look and play just before the biggest sports tournament in the world.

However, no one sounded overly worried after the loss. 

Midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni emphasized that this was all part of the preparation for the World Cup, so France remains confident:

“It’s a pity to lose, but we’re in a ‌preparation phase; we stay confident,” Tchouameni said.  

“There is no conclusion to draw from this game, even if we had won it. We will be ready.”

He was not alone in downplaying the significance of such a loss.

Defender Lucas Hernandez also had much the same kind of thing to say:

 “We always want to win, but we’re in ⁠a phase of preparation, and there were a lot of ⁠substitutions,” Hernandez said.  

“We’re in good spirits.”

However, Didier Deschamps, who won the 1998 World Cup as a member of L'Equipe de France and then won it again in 2018 serving as their coach, did not dismiss this loss quite as easily or conveniently. He did not sound like he was in a panic. Yet, neither did he simply brush this result aside as if it does not matter, either:

Deschamps, however, admitted that his side had lost control of the contest after an encouraging opening 45 minutes and warned that France would face opponents with similar qualities to Ivory Coast in the ⁠United States.  

“A defeat is never pleasant, even if we did some good things in the first half,” Deschamps said.

Deschamps did see some positives, a bit of a silver lining, while still remaining cautious:

“In the second ⁠half we made a lot of changes, but that’s ⁠no excuse. We were not as good after the break, and they brought a lot of pace.  

“We will face the same type of team on June 16.”  

The France coach said the result could prove useful ‌if it prevented his players from becoming complacent before the tournament.  

“It’s a reminder, if we needed one, not to think we’re better than we are,” he said.

Let's hope that this indeed does serve as a wakeup call. 

Below is the link to the article which I used in writing this particular entry, and from which I obtained all of the quotes used above:

Ivory Coast beats France in World Cup warning to one of the favourites by Reuters, 4 June, 2026:

Ivory Coast defeats France 2-1 in friendly ahead of the 2026 World Cup, as Manchester United’s Amad Diallo seals win.

https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2026/6/4/ivory-coast-beat-france-in-world-cup-warning-to-one-of-the-favourites

Ivory Coast beats France in World Cup warning to one of the favourites | World Cup 2026 News | Al Jazeera

June 5th: This Day in History

 

Once again, it should be reiterated, that this does not pretend to be a very extensive history of what happened on this day (nor is it the most original - the links can be found down below). If you know something that I am missing, by all means, shoot me an email or leave a comment, and let me know!

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

Jun 5, 1967: Six-Day War begins

Israel responds to an ominous build-up of Arab forces along its borders by launching simultaneous attacks against Egypt and Syria. Jordan subsequently entered the fray, but the Arab coalition was no match for Israel's proficient armed forces. In six days of fighting, Israel occupied the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt, the Golan Heights of Syria, and the West Bank and Arab sector of East Jerusalem, both previously under Jordanian rule. By the time the United Nations cease-fire took effect on June 11, Israel had more than doubled its size. The true fruits of victory came in claiming the Old City of Jerusalem from Jordan. Many wept while bent in prayer at the Western Wall of the Second Temple.  

The U.N. Security Council called for a withdrawal from all the occupied regions, but Israel declined, permanently annexing East Jerusalem and setting up military administrations in the occupied territories. Israel let it be known that Gaza, the West Bank, the Golan Heights, and the Sinai would be returned in exchange for Arab recognition of the right of Israel to exist and guarantees against future attack. Arab leaders, stinging from their defeat, met in August to discuss the future of the Middle East. They decided upon a policy of no peace, no negotiations, and no recognition of Israel, and made plans to defend zealously the rights of Palestinian Arabs in the occupied territories.  

Egypt, however, would eventually negotiate and make peace with Israel, and in 1982 the Sinai Peninsula was returned to Egypt in exchange for full diplomatic recognition of Israel. Egypt and Jordan later gave up their respective claims to the Gaza Strip and the West Bank to the Palestinians, who opened "land for peace" talks with Israel beginning in the 1990s. A permanent Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement remains elusive, as does an agreement with Syria to return the Golan Heights.
























Jun 5, 1968: Bobby Kennedy is assassinated

Senator Robert Kennedy is shot at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles after winning the California presidential primary. Immediately after he announced to his cheering supporters that the country was ready to end its fractious divisions, Kennedy was shot several times by the 22-year-old Palestinian Sirhan Sirhan. He died a day later.  

The summer of 1968 was a tempestuous time in American history. Both the Vietnam War and the anti-war movement were peaking. Martin Luther King Jr. had been assassinated in the spring, igniting riots across the country. In the face of this unrest, President Lyndon B. Johnson decided not to seek a second term in the upcoming presidential election. Robert Kennedy, John's younger brother and former U.S. Attorney General, stepped into this breach and experienced a groundswell of support.  

Kennedy was perceived by many to be the only person in American politics capable of uniting the people. He was beloved by the minority community for his integrity and devotion to the civil rights cause. After winning California's primary, Kennedy was in the position to receive the Democratic nomination and face off against Richard Nixon in the general election.  

As star athletes Rafer Johnson and Roosevelt Grier accompanied Kennedy out a rear exit of the Ambassador Hotel, Sirhan Sirhan stepped forward with a rolled up campaign poster, hiding his .22 revolver. He was only a foot away when he fired several shots at Kennedy. Grier and Johnson wrestled Sirhan to the ground, but not before five bystanders were wounded. Grier was distraught afterward and blamed himself for allowing Kennedy to be shot.  

Sirhan, who was born in Palestine, confessed to the crime at his trial and received a death sentence on March 3, 1969. However, since the California State Supreme Court invalidated all death penalty sentences in 1972, Sirhan has spent the rest of his life in prison. According to the New York Times, he has since said that he believed Kennedy was "instrumental" in the oppression of Palestinians. Hubert Humphrey ended up running for the Democrats in 1968, but lost by a small margin to Nixon.














Jun 5, 1944: Allies prepare for D-Day

On this day in 1944, more than 1,000 British bombers drop 5,000 tons of bombs on German gun batteries placed at the Normandy assault area, while 3,000 Allied ships cross the English Channel in preparation for the invasion of Normandy—D-Day.  

The day of the invasion of occupied France had been postponed repeatedly since May, mostly because of bad weather and the enormous tactical obstacles involved. Finally, despite less than ideal weather conditions—or perhaps because of them—General Eisenhower decided on June 5 to set the next day as D-Day, the launch of the largest amphibious operation in history. Ike knew that the Germans would be expecting postponements beyond the sixth, precisely because weather conditions were still poor.  

Among those Germans confident that an Allied invasion could not be pulled off on the sixth was Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, who was still debating tactics with Field Marshal Karl Rundstedt. Runstedt was convinced that the Allies would come in at the narrowest point of the Channel, between Calais and Dieppe; Rommel, following Hitler's intuition, believed it would be Normandy. Rommel's greatest fear was that German air inferiority would prevent an adequate defense on the ground; it was his plan to meet the Allies on the coast—before the Allies had a chance to come ashore. Rommel began constructing underwater obstacles and minefields, and set off for Germany to demand from Hitler personally more panzer divisions in the area.  

Bad weather and an order to conserve fuel grounded much of the German air force on June 5; consequently, its reconnaissance flights were spotty. That night, more than 1,000 British bombers unleashed a massive assault on German gun batteries on the coast. At the same time, an Allied armada headed for the Normandy beaches in Operation Neptune, an attempt to capture the port at Cherbourg. But that was not all. In order to deceive the Germans, phony operations were run; dummy parachutists and radar-jamming devices were dropped into strategically key areas so as to make German radar screens believe there was an Allied convoy already on the move. One dummy parachute drop succeeded in drawing an entire German infantry regiment away from its position just six miles from the actual Normandy landing beaches. All this effort was to scatter the German defenses and make way for Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Normandy.
















Jun 5, 1870: Constantinople burns 

A huge section of the city of Constantinople, Turkey, is set ablaze on this day in 1870. When the smoke finally cleared, 3,000 homes were destroyed and 900 people were dead.  

The fire began at a home in the Armenian section of the Valide Tchesme district. A young girl was carrying a hot piece of charcoal to her family's kitchen in an iron pan when she tripped, sending the charcoal out the window and onto the roof of an adjacent home. The fire quickly spread down Feridje Street, one of Constantinople's main thoroughfares.  

The Christian area of the city was quickly engulfed. There was a high degree of cooperation among the various ethnic groups who called the city home, but even this was no match for the high winds that drove the rapidly spreading fire. An entire square mile of the city near the Bosporus Strait was devastated. Only stone structures, mostly churches and hospitals, survived the conflagration.  

In 1887, Edmondo de Amicis published perhaps the best account of this disaster in a book called Constantinople.














Jun 5, 1933: FDR takes United States off gold standard

On June 5, 1933, the United States went off the gold standard, a monetary system in which currency is backed by gold, when Congress enacted a joint resolution nullifying the right of creditors to demand payment in gold. The United States had been on a gold standard since 1879, except for an embargo on gold exports during World War I, but bank failures during the Great Depression of the 1930s frightened the public into hoarding gold, making the policy untenable.  

Soon after taking office in March 1933, Roosevelt declared a nationwide bank moratorium in order to prevent a run on the banks by consumers lacking confidence in the economy. He also forbade banks to pay out gold or to export it. According to Keynesian economic theory, one of the best ways to fight off an economic downturn is to inflate the money supply. And increasing the amount of gold held by the Federal Reserve would in turn increase its power to inflate the money supply. Facing similar pressures, Britain had dropped the gold standard in 1931, and Roosevelt had taken note.  

On April 5, 1933, Roosevelt ordered all gold coins and gold certificates in denominations of more than $100 turned in for other money. It required all persons to deliver all gold coin, gold bullion and gold certificates owned by them to the Federal Reserve by May 1 for the set price of $20.67 per ounce. By May 10, the government had taken in $300 million of gold coin and $470 million of gold certificates. Two months later, a joint resolution of Congress abrogated the gold clauses in many public and private obligations that required the debtor to repay the creditor in gold dollars of the same weight and fineness as those borrowed. In 1934, the government price of gold was increased to $35 per ounce, effectively increasing the gold on the Federal Reserve's balance sheets by 69 percent. This increase in assets allowed the Federal Reserve to further inflate the money supply.  

The government held the $35 per ounce price until August 15, 1971, when President Richard Nixon announced that the United States would no longer convert dollars to gold at a fixed value, thus completely abandoning the gold standard. In 1974, President Gerald Ford signed legislation that permitted Americans again to own gold bullion.

On this day in 70, Titus & his Roman legions breached the middle wall of Jerusalem. Kraków, Poland, received city rights on this day in 1257. On this day in 1661, Isaac Newton was admitted as a student into Trinity College, Cambridge. In 1940 on this day during World War II, French General Charles De Gaulle became the junior Minister of Defense. At 12:16AM PST on this day in 1968, Sirhan Sirhan shot American Democratic Presidential candidate Bobby Kennedy (RFK), brother of John F. Kennedy. RFK would ultimately succomb to the wounds and die the next day. On this day in 1990 Nelson Mandela, then only recently released from prison, set out on a trip to visit various parts of the world. Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev received the 1990 Nobel Peace Prize on this day in 1991.

Here's a more detailed look at events that transpired on this date throughout history:

•  On this day in 70, Titus & his Roman legions breached the middle wall of Jerusalem.

754 - Friezen murders bishop Boniface & over 50 companions

Gate of the Wawel in Kraków, Poland

• Kraków, Poland, received city rights on this day in 1257.

1288 - Battle of Woeringen: Reinald I vs Jan I

1305 - Bordeaux's Archbishop Bertrand the Got elected Pope Clement V

1507 - England & Netherlands sign trade agreement

1625 - Spanish troops under Spinola conquer Breda

1632 - Prince Frederik Henry conquerors Roermond

Bust of Sir Isaac Newton

• On this day in 1661, Isaac Newton was admitted as a student into Trinity College, Cambridge.

1716 - England & Emperor Karel VI signs military treaty

1752 - Prince William of Orange becomes Knight of Garter

1783 - Joseph & Jacques Montgolfier make 1st public balloon flight

1794 - US Congress prohibits citizens from serving in foreign armed forces

1798 - The Battle of New Ross: The attempt to spread United Irish Rebellion into Munster is defeated.

1805 - 1st recorded tornado in "Tornado Alley" (Southern Illinois)

1806 - 1st trotter to break 3 minute mile (Yankee)

1806 - Batavian Republic becomes Kingdom of Holland

1808 - -6] Battle at Wagram: French army beats Austrians

1827 - Turks capture the Acropolis & take Athens during Greek War of Independence

Physicist & Mathematician Isaac NewtonPhysicist & Mathematician Isaac Newton 1829 - HMS Pickle captures the armed slave ship Voladora off the coast of Cuba.

1833 - Ada Lovelace (future 1st computer programmer) meets Charles Babbage

1846 - Telegraph line opens between Phila & Balt

1848 - Statue of prince Willem the Silent unveiled

1849 - Danish National Day-Denmark becomes a constitutional monarchy

1855 - Anti-foreign anti-Roman Catholic Know-Nothing Party's 1st convention

1857 - Walter Woodbury & James Page open photo studio in Batavia (Djakarta)

1861 - Federal marshals seize arms & gunpower at Du Pont works DE

1863 - Battle of Franklin's Crossing, VA (Deep Run)

1863 - CSS "Alabama" captures "Tailsman" in Mid Atlantic

1864 - Battle of Piedmont, VA (Augusta City)

1869 - 3rd Belmont: C Miller aboard Fenian wins in 3:04.25

1870 - Constantinople fire; 900 die

1872 - Republican National Convention meets (Phila)

1873 - Sultan Bargash closes slave market of Zanzibar

Inventor Charles BabbageInventor Charles Babbage 

1875 - Pacific Stock Exchange formally opens

1876 - Bananas become popular in US, at Centennial Exposition in Phila

1879 - 13th Belmont: George Evans riding Spendthrift wins in 2:42.75

1882 - Storm & floods hits Bombay; about 100,000 die

1884 - William Sherman refuses Republican presidential nomination saying "I will not accept if nominated & will not serve if elected"

1886 - 20th Belmont: Jim McLaughlin aboard Inspector B wins in 2:41

1888 - Democrats nominate Grover Cleveland for president

1888 - The Rio de la Plata Earthquake takes place.

1899 - Alfred Dreyfus acquitted

1900 - Lord Roberts' army occupies Pretoria

1907 - Automatic washer & dryer are introduced

1911 - Red Sox Joe Wood strikes out 3 pinch hitters in 9th for 5-4 win

1912 - US marines invade Cuba (3nd time)

1913 - Dutch Disability laws go into effect

1915 - 47th Belmont: George Byrne aboard The Finn wins in 2:18.6

US President Grover ClevelandUS President Grover Cleveland 1915 - Denmark amends its constitution to allow women's suffrage.

1917 - 10 million US men begin registering for draft in WW I

1920 - 1st rivet driven on Bank of Italy headquarters at 1 Powell

1920 - A's VP Thomas Shibe denies charges that baseballs are livelier

1925 - 29th US Golf Open: Willie Macfarlane shoots a 291 at Worcester CC Mass

1926 - Indians triple-play Yankees & win 15-3

1927 - 3rd French Mens Tennis: R Lacoste beats B Tilden (6-4 4-6 5-7 6-3 11-9)

1927 - Johnny Weissmuller sets 100-yard & 200-yard free-style swim record

1929 - Ramsey MacDonald forms minority Labour government in Britain

1931 - Jules Renkin becomes premier of Belgium

1931 - 66th British Golf Open: Tommy Armour shoots a 296 at Carnoustie Golf Links

1933 - Gold standard abolished

1934 - 1st formal meeting of Baker Street Irregulars (NYC)

1937 - 69th Belmont: Charley Kurtsinger aboard War Admiral wins in 2:28.6

1937 - Henry Ford initiates 32 hour work week

Ford Motor Company Founder Henry FordFord Motor Company Founder Henry Ford 1940 - 1st synthetic rubber tire exhibited Akron Oh

1940 - American Negro Theater organizes

1940 - Battle of France begins in WW II

1940 - Gen Von Bock starts German offensive in Somme

French President Charles De Gaulle

• In 1940 on this day during World War II, French General Charles De Gaulle became the junior Minister of Defense.

1940 - Gov of Suriname & Neth Antilles refuse entry to Jewish refugees

1940 - Netherlands rations petroleum

1940 - Synthetic rubber tire unveiled

1941 - Sandor Szabo beats B Nagurski in St Louis, to become wrestling champ

1942 - British offensive in North Africa under general Ritchie

1942 - Elwood Ordnance Plant near Joliet Illinois kills 54

1942 - USA declares war on Bulgaria, Hungary & Romania

1943 - 75th Belmont: Johnny Longden aboard Count Fleet wins in 2:28.2

1943 - German occupiers arrest Louvain University's chancellor

1944 - 1st B-29 bombing raid; 1 plane lost due to engine failure

1944 - 1st British gliders touched down on French soil for D-Day

1944 - Allies march into Rome

German WWII Field Marshal Erwin RommelGerman WWII Field Marshal Erwin Rommel 1944 - Field Marshal Erwin Rommel goes on vacation

1944 - General Eisenhower decides invasion set for June 6

1944 - King Victor Emmanuel abdicates the throne for his son Umberto

1945 - Benjamin Britten's opera "Peter Grimes" premieres in London

1945 - USA, UK, USSR, France declare supreme authority over Germany

1946 - Fire at LaSalle Hotel cocktail lounge kills 61 (Chicago Ill)

1947 - Sec of State George C Marshall outlines "Marshall Plan"

1948 - Phillies Richie Ashburn sets NL rookie consecut hitting streak at 23

1950 - US Supreme Court undermines legal foundations of segregation

1952 - 1st sporting event televised nationally-Walcott vs Charles boxing

1952 - Test Cricket debut of Freddie Trueman v India at Headingley

1952 - Jersey Joe Walcott beats Ezzard Charles in 15 for heavy weight boxing title

1953 - Denmark adopts a new constitution

1953 - US Senate rejects China PR membership to UN

1954 - "Your Show Of Shows," last airs on NBC-TV

Military Leader George MarshallMilitary Leader George Marshall 1954 - Pope Pius XII publishes encyclical Ecclesiae fastos

1955 - Louise Suggs wins LPGA Eastern Golf Open

1955 - NY Yankee Mickey Mantle hits 550' HR off Chicago Billy Pierce

1956 - "Milton Berle Show" last airs on NBC-TV

1956 - Fed court rules racial segregation on Montgomery buses anti-Const

1957 - NY narcotics investigator, Dr Herbert Berger, urges AMA to investigate use of stimulating drugs by athletes

1959 - Bob Dylan graduates from Hibbing High School in Minnesota

1959 - The first government of the State of Singapore is sworn in.

1960 - "George Gobel Show" last airs on CBS-TV

1960 - Joyce Ziske wins LPGA Wolverine Golf Open

1963 - Princess Marijke changes her name to Christina

1963 - State of siege proclaimed in Iran, Ayatollah Khomeini arrested

1964 - Davie Jones & King Bees debut "I Can't Help Thinking About Me"; group disbands but Davie Jones goes on to success as David Bowie

1965 - "Wooly Bully" by Sam the Sham & Pharaohs hits #2

1965 - 97th Belmont: John Sellers aboard Hail to All wins in 2:28.6

1965 - Lopez Arellano becomes president of Honduras

1966 - Cin Red Leo Cardenas hits 4 HRs in a doubleheader

1966 - Kathy Whitworth wins LPGA Clayton Federal Golf Invitational

1967 - 6 day war between Israel & Arab neighbors begin

1967 - Murderer Richard Speck sentenced to death in electric chair

1967 - WSBE TV channel 36 in Providence, RI (PBS) begins broadcasting

1967 - Royal Canadian Mint ordered to start converting 10 cent & 25 cent coins to pure nickel as soon as possible

Bust of Robert F. Kennedy

•  At 12:16AM PST on this day in 1968, Sirhan Sirhan shot American Democratic Presidential candidate Bobby Kennedy (RFK), brother of John F. Kennedy. RFK would ultimately succumb to the wounds and die the next day.

1969 - Dutch Antilles government of Kroon resigns

1969 - Race riot in Hartford Connecticut

1969 - The International communist conference begins in Moscow.

1970 - KPAX TV channel 8 in Missoula, MT (CBS) begins broadcasting

1970 - Chile becomes a member of the Berne Convention copyright treaty.

1971 - 103rd Belmont: Walter Blum aboard Pass Catcher wins in 2:30.6

1972 - "If You Had Wings" opens

1972 - UN Conference on Human Environment opens in Stockholm

1972 - Yugoslav president Tito visits USSR

1973 - 43rd French Mens Tennis: Ilse Nastase beats Nikki Pilic (63 63 60)

1974 - A's Reggie Jackson & Bill North engage in clubhouse fight at Detroit

1975 - 48th National Spelling Bee: Hugh Tosteson wins spelling incisor

1975 - British population agrees to European Common Market membership

1975 - Egypt president Sadat reopens Suez Canal (closed since 1967)

1976 - "Bigfoot" by Bro Smith hits #57

1976 - 108th Belmont: Angel Cordero Jr aboard Bold Forbes wins in 2:29

1976 - Teton Dam in Idaho burst causing $1 billion damage (14 die)

1977 - 31st NBA Championship: Port Trailblazers beat Phila 76er, 4 games to 2

1977 - 31st Tony Awards: Shadow Box & Annie win

1977 - Coup in Seychelles (National Day)

1979 - Seychelles adopts constitution

1980 - Soyuz T-2 carries 2 cosmonauts to Salyut 6 space station

1981 - Astro's Nolan Ryan passes Early Wynn as all-time walk leader (1,777)

1981 - Aid Epidemic officially begins when US Centers of Disease Control reports on pneumonia affecting 5 homosexual men

Singer-Songwriter George HarrisonSinger-Songwriter George Harrison 1981 - George Harrison releases "Somewhere in England"

1981 - TODAY/PC runs for 1st time

1982 - "Murphy's Law" by Cheri hits #39

1982 - 114th Belmont: Laffit Pincay Jr aboard Conquistador Cielo wins in 2:28

1982 - 52nd French Womens Tennis: M Navratilova beats Andrea Jaeger (76 61)

1982 - Waterfront streetcar begins operating in Seattle

1983 - 37th Tony Awards: Torch Song Trilogy & Cats win

1983 - 53rd French Mens Tennis: Yannick Noah beats Mats Wilander (62 75 76)

1983 - Alice Miller wins West Virginia LPGA Golf Classic

1984 - Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" becomes #1

1984 - Indira Gandhi orders attack on Sikh's holiest site (Golden Temple)

1986 - SD Padre Steve Garvey ejected for 1st time

1987 - "Nightline" presents its 1st "Town Meeting" the subject is AIDS & the show runs until 3:47 AM

1987 - Dwight Gooden returns from drug rehabilitation & allows wins game

1988 - 1st Children's Miracle Network Telethon raises $590,000

1988 - 58th French Mens Tennis: Mats Wilander beats Henri Leconte (75 62 61)

1988 - Kay Cottee sails into Sydney as 1st woman to circle globe alone

1988 - Laura Davies wins LPGA Jamie Farr Toledo Golf Classic

1988 - Longest champagne cork flight is 177'9 in NY

1988 - Russian orthodox church celebrates 1,000th anniversary

1989 - 23rd Music City News Country Awards: R Van Shelton & Randy Travis

1989 - Billy Smith, last original NY Islander, retires

Musician & member of the Beatles Paul McCartneyMusician & member of the Beatles Paul McCartney 1989 - Paul McCartney releases "Flowers in the Dirt"

1989 - Toronto Blue Jays Skydome stadium opens, Milwaukee Brewers win 5-3

Statue of Nelson Mandela in the gardens in front of the Union Building in Pretoria, South Africa

•  On this day in 1990 Nelson Mandela, then only recently released from prison, set out on a trip to visit various parts of the world. 

1990 - South African troops plunder Mandela's dwelling

1991 - Lesbian priest Elizabeth Carl ordained in Episcopal Church Washington DC

•  Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev received the 1990 Nobel Peace Prize on this day in 1991.

1991 - Space Shuttle STS 40 (Columbia 12) launched

1993 - "Livin' On The Edge" by Aerosmith hits #18

1993 - 125th Belmont: Julie Krone aboard Colonial Affair wins in 2:29.8

1993 - 63rd French Womens Tennis Open: Steffi Graf beats M J Fernandez (4-6 6-2 6-4)

1993 - Liberian Charles Taylors rebellion kills 550 fugitives

1993 - Somali warlord Aidids murders 23 Pakistani

1994 - "Gray's Anatomy" opens at Beaumont Theater NYC for 8 performances

1994 - 64th French Mens Tennis: S Bruguera beats A Berasategui (63 75 26 61)

1994 - 64th French Womens Tennis: A Sanchez Vicario beats M Pierce (64 64)

1994 - 7th Children's Miracle Network Telethon

Tennis Player Steffi GrafTennis Player Steffi Graf 1994 - Beth Daniel wins LPGA Oldsmobile Golf Classic

1995 - 29th Music City News Country Awards: Alan Jackson & Reba McEntire

1995 - The Bose-Einstein condensate is first created.

1996 - Howard Stern Radio Show premieres in Memphis TN on WMFS 92.9 FM

1998 - A strike begins at the General Motors parts factory in Flint, Michigan, that quickly spreads to five other assembly plants (the strike lasted seven weeks).

1999 - 131st Belmont: Jose Santos aboard Lemon Drop Kid wins in 2:27.88

2001 - U.S. Senator Jim Jeffords leaves the Republican Party, an act which shifts control of the United States Senate from the Republicans to the Democratic Party.

2001 - Tropical Storm Allison makes landfall on the upper-Texas coastline as a strong tropical storm and dumps large amounts of rain over Houston. The storm caused $5.5 billion in damages, making Allison the costliest tropical storm in U.S. history.

2003 - A severe heat wave across Pakistan and India reaches its peak, as temperatures exceed 50°C (122°F) in the region.

2004 - 136th Belmont: Edgar Prado aboard Birdstone wins in 2:27.50

2005 - 59th Tony Awards: Monty Python's Spamalot & Doubt win

2006 - Serbia declares independence from the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro.

2010 - 142nd Belmont: Mike Smith aboard Drosselmeyer wins in 2:31.57

2013 - 44 people are killed by a lightning storm in Bihar, India

2013 - Nawaz Sharif is sworn in as Prime Minister of Pakistan

2013 - 47th Country Music Association Award: George Strait, Miranda Lambert & Blake Shelton wins

1595 - Henry IV's army defeated the Spanish at the Battle of Fontaine-Francaise.   1752 - Benjamin Franklin flew a kite for the first time to demonstrate that lightning was a form of electricity.   1783 - A hot-air balloon was demonstrated by Joseph and Jacques Montgolfier. It reached a height of 1,500 feet.   1794 - The U.S. Congress prohibited citizens from serving in any foreign armed forces.   1827 - Athens fell to the Ottomans.   1851 - Harriet Beecher Stow published the first installment of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" in "The National Era."   1865 - The first safe deposit vault was opened in New York. The charge was $1.50 a year for every $1,000 that was stored.   1884 - U.S. Civil War General William T. Sherman refused the Republican presidential nomination, saying, "I will not accept if nominated and will not serve if elected."   1917 - American men began registering for the World War I draft.   1924 - Ernst F. W. Alexanderson transmitted the first facsimile message across the Atlantic Ocean.   1927 - Johnny Weissmuller set two world records in swimming events. Weissmuller set marks in the 100-yard, and 200-yard, free-style swimming competition.   1933 - President Roosevelt signed the bill that took the U.S. off of the gold standard.   1940 - During World War II, the Battle of France began when Germany began an offensive in Southern France.   1942 - In France, Pierre Laval congratulated French volunteers that were fighting in the U.S.S.R. with Germans.   1944 - The first B-29 bombing raid hit the Japanese rail line in Bangkok, Thailand.   1946 - The first medical sponges were first offered for sale in Detroit, MI.   1947 - U.S. Secretary of State George C. Marshall gave a speech at Harvard University in which he outlined the Marshall Plan.   1956 - Premier Nikita Khrushchev denounced Josef Stalin to the Soviet Communist Party Congress.   1967 - The National Hockey League (NHL) awarded three new franchises. The Minnesota North Stars (later the Dallas Stars), the California Golden Seals (no longer in existence) and the Los Angeles Kings.   1967 - The Six Day War between Israel and Egypt, Syria and Jordan began.   1973 - The first hole-in-one in the British Amateur golf championship was made by Jim Crowford.   1975 - Egypt reopened the Suez Canal to international shipping, eight years after it was closed because of the 1967 war with Israel.   1981 - In the U.S., the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported that five men in Los Angeles were suffering from a rare pneumonia found in patients with weakened immune systems. They were the first recognized cases of what came to be known as AIDS.   1986 - A federal jury in Baltimore convicted Ronald W. Pelton of selling secrets to the Soviet Union. Pelton was sentenced to three life prison terms plus 10 years.   1987 - Ted Koppel and guests discussed the topic of AIDS for four hours on ABC-TV’s "Nightline".   1998 - A strike began at a General Motors Corp. parts factory near Detroit, MI, that closed five assembly plants and idled workers across the U.S. for seven weeks.   1998 - Volkswagen AG won approval to buy Rolls-Royce Motor Cars for $700 million, outbidding BMW's $554 million offer.   1998 - C-Span reported that Bob Hope had died. The report was false and had begun with an inaccurate obituary on the Associated Press website.   1998 - A strike at a General Motors parts factory began. It lasted for seven weeks.   2001 - Amazon.com announced that it would begin selling personal computers later in the year.   2004 - The U.S.S. Jimmy Carter was christened in the U.S. Navy in Groton, CT.

1783 Joseph and Jacques Montgolfier gave the first successful balloon flight demonstration. 1884 Civil War hero Gen. William T. Sherman refused the Republican nomination for president with the words, “I will not accept if nominated and will not serve if elected.” 1933 The United States went off the gold standard. 1947 Sen. George Marshall proposed a plan (Marshall Plan) to help Europe recover financially from the effects of World War II. 1967 The Arab-Israeli Six-Day War began. 1968 Sen. Robert F. Kennedy was shot by an assassin and died the next day. 1981 The Centers for Disease Control published the first report about the disease that would later become known as AIDS. 2002 Elizabeth Smart was kidnapped from her Salt Lake City home. 2004 Former president Ronald Reagan died.

The following links are to web sites that were used to complete this blog entry:

http://www.historyorb.com/today/events.php

http://on-this-day.com/onthisday/thedays/alldays/jun05.htm

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory