World Cup 2026 Kicks Off With Two Games in Mexico

  

Another World Cup is underway. One of the world's biggest and most prestigious sporting events - perhaps second only to the Olympics - kicked off with two games in Mexico last night.

The first game was between South Africa and the home team, Mexico, which was played at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City after opening celebrations. Mexico went on to earn a convincing and impressive 2-0 win, getting off to a very good start.

However, there was violence outside of the stadium, which detracted a bit from the otherwise good news for Mexico.

The second game was played in Guadalajara, Mexico, between South Korea and Czechia. There were sections with visibly a lot of empty seats, which has been a problem - as well as a source of embarrassment - for the FIFA organizers.

Nevertheless, this game proved to be very exciting. It went back and forth, but South Korea ultimately managed an exciting 2-1 win over Czechia.

Later today, the two other host countries, Canada and the United States, will see action. Canada will take on Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto. Meanwhile, the United States will face Paraguay in Los Angeles.

Should be an interesting set of games to kick off the 2026 World Cup in those two countries. 

Dropping My Girlfriend Off at Newark Liberty International Airport

So yeah, I was back Newark Liberty International Airport.

This time, though, it was not me either heading off to somewhere, or coming back from somewhere. No, this time it was dropping my girlfriend off for her three week visit to family in Poland.

Still, I love going to the airport. There is a fascination with the international feel of such airports. All of those far-off destinations kind of give me an inner thrill. It wakes up the travel loving side of me, making me want to explore more.

Nonetheless, I feel very fortunate - blessed, really - to have been able to see as much as I have. Would like to visit more, and hope to in the future.

For now, I wish my girlfriend a wonderful trip to Poland and the very best for her visit for the next few weeks.

It feels strange to be alone for the next few weeks. 

June 12th: 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

On this day in the year 28, Gaius Carrinas had his triumphant procession through Rome. The Peasants' Revolt: in England took place on this day in 1381, as the rebels arrived at Blackheath. An insurrection delivered Paris to the Burgundians on this day in 1418. On this day in 1776 during the American Revolutionary War, Virginia adopted the Declaration of Rights. French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Russia on this day in 1812. In 1898 on this day, Philippine nationalists declared independence from Spain to US control. King Constantine of Greece abdicated his throne on this day in 1917. On this day in 1942 during the German occupation of Netherlands during World War II, Anne Frank received her diary as a birthday present while in hiding in Amsterdam. On this day in 1944 during World War II, future American President John F. Kennedy received medals for bravery achieved during his military service. In 1964 during the days of the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa, Nelson Mandela received a life sentence in prison. In 1986 on this day during the days of apartheid in South Africa, President P W Botha declared a national emergency. On this day in 1987, American President Ronald Reagan gave his famous speech from Berlin, saying, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall." It actually happened - mostly by historical accident - a little over two years later.

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

• On this day in the year 28, Gaius Carrinas had his triumphant procession through Rome.

• The Peasants' Revolt: in England took place on this day in 1381, as the rebels arrived at Blackheath.

• An insurrection delivered Paris to the Burgundians on this day in 1418.

1442 - King Alfonso V of Aragon occupies Naples

1523 - Frisian rebel leader Jancko Douwama arrested

1534 - Turkish adm Chaireddin "Barbarossa" allows Giulia Gonzaga to kidnap & plunder Naples

1552 - Land guardians of Netherlands attack Verdun

1553 - King Edward VI accept archbishop Cranmer's "42 Articles"

1560 - Battle of Okehazama: Oda Nobunaga defeats Imagawa Yoshimoto.

1653 - - 13] First Anglo-Dutch War: Battle of the Gabbard/ Battle at North Foreland, English fleet beats the Dutch

1665 - New Amsterdam renamed New York by English after Dutch pull out

1665 - England installs a municipal government in New York City

1667 - -13] Michiel de Ruyter destroys English fleet

• 1672 - French army under Gen Turenne crosses Rhine at Lobith

1673 - Charles II's brother duke James of York resigns as Lord High Admiral

1683 - Rye House plot against English king Charles II uncovered

1691 - Pope Innocent XII succeeds Alexander VIII

1701 - Act of Settlement gives English crown to Sophia, Princess of Hanover

1714 - Prussia & Russia sign secret treaty

King Charles IIKing Charles II 

• 1775 - 1st naval battle of Revolution-Unity (US) captures Margaretta (Br)

• On this day in 1776 during the American Revolutionary War, Virginia adopted the Declaration of Rights.

1787 - US Law passes providing a senator must be at least 30 years old

1792 - George Vancouver discovers site of Vancouver BC

French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte

• French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Russia on this day in 1812.

1819 - Dutch colonial troops driven out of Palembang Sumatra

Flag of Algeria

• 1830 - Beginning of the French colonization of Algeria: 34,000 French soldiers land 27 kilometers west of Algiers, at Sidi Ferruch.

1838 - Hopkins Observatory, dedicated in Williamstown, Mass

1838 - Iowa Territory forms

1840 - Meteorite hits Uden, Netherlands

1845 - George Abernethy becomes 1st governor of Oregon Country

1849 - Gas mask patented by Lewis Haslett (Louisville Ky)

1859 - Comstock Silver Lode in Nevada discovered

1860 - The State Bank of the Russian Empire is established.

1861 - Missouri Governor Claiborne Jackson calls for 50,000 volunteers to stop Federates from taking over his state

1864 - Lee sends Early into Shenandoah Valley

1864 - Skirmish at Mcafee's Cross Road Georgia, about 57 dies in battle

• 1867 - Austro-Hungarian Empire formed

1875 - 9th Belmont: Bobby Swim aboard Calvin wins in 2:42.25

1885 - Roof collapse kills 30 at murder trial in France

1889 - 88 are killed in the Armagh rail disaster near Armagh in what is now Northern Ireland.

1892 - Netherlands Society for Currency & Coin collecting forms

1896 - J.T. Hearne sets a cricket record for the earliest date of taking 100 first-class wickets in a season.

1897 - Possibly most severe quake in history strikes Assam India, shock waves felt over an area size of Europe (low mortality rate given size of earthquake, 1500 casualties)

Flag of Philippines

• In 1898 on this day, Philippine nationalists declared independence from Spain to US control.

Jun 12, 1898: Philippine independence declared

During the Spanish-American War, Filipino rebels led by Emilio Aguinaldo proclaim the independence of the Philippines after 300 years of Spanish rule. By mid-August, Filipino rebels and U.S. troops had ousted the Spanish, but Aguinaldo's hopes for independence were dashed when the United States formally annexed the Philippines as part of its peace treaty with Spain.  

The Philippines, a large island archipelago situated off Southeast Asia, was colonized by the Spanish in the latter part of the 16th century. Opposition to Spanish rule began among Filipino priests, who resented Spanish domination of the Roman Catholic churches in the islands. In the late 19th century, Filipino intellectuals and the middle class began calling for independence. In 1892, the Katipunan, a secret revolutionary society, was formed in Manila, the Philippine capital on the island of Luzon. Membership grew dramatically, and in August 1896 the Spanish uncovered the Katipunan's plans for rebellion, forcing premature action from the rebels. Revolts broke out across Luzon, and in March 1897, 28-year-old Emilio Aguinaldo became leader of the rebellion.  

By late 1897, the revolutionaries had been driven into the hills southeast of Manila, and Aguinaldo negotiated an agreement with the Spanish. In exchange for financial compensation and a promise of reform in the Philippines, Aguinaldo and his generals would accept exile in Hong Kong. The rebel leaders departed, and the Philippine Revolution temporarily was at an end.  

In April 1898, the Spanish-American War broke out over Spain's brutal suppression of a rebellion in Cuba. The first in a series of decisive U.S. victories occurred on May 1, 1898, when the U.S. Asiatic Squadron under Commodore George Dewey annihilated the Spanish Pacific fleet at the Battle of Manila Bay in the Philippines. From his exile, Aguinaldo made arrangements with U.S. authorities to return to the Philippines and assist the United States in the war against Spain. He landed on May 19, rallied his revolutionaries, and began liberating towns south of Manila. On June 12, he proclaimed Philippine independence and established a provincial government, of which he subsequently became head.  

His rebels, meanwhile, had encircled the Spanish in Manila and, with the support of Dewey's squadron in Manila Bay, would surely have conquered the Spanish. Dewey, however, was waiting for U.S. ground troops, which began landing in July and took over the Filipino positions surrounding Manila. On August 8, the Spanish commander informed the United States that he would surrender the city under two conditions: The United States was to make the advance into the capital look like a battle, and under no conditions were the Filipino rebels to be allowed into the city. On August 13, the mock Battle of Manila was staged, and the Americans kept their promise to keep the Filipinos out after the city passed into their hands.  

While the Americans occupied Manila and planned peace negotiations with Spain, Aguinaldo convened a revolutionary assembly, the Malolos, in September. They drew up a democratic constitution, the first ever in Asia, and a government was formed with Aguinaldo as president in January 1899. On February 4, what became known as the Philippine Insurrection began when Filipino rebels and U.S. troops skirmished inside American lines in Manila. Two days later, the U.S. Senate voted by one vote to ratify the Treaty of Paris with Spain. The Philippines were now a U.S. territory, acquired in exchange for $20 million in compensation to the Spanish.  

In response, Aguinaldo formally launched a new revolt--this time against the United States. The rebels, consistently defeated in the open field, turned to guerrilla warfare, and the U.S. Congress authorized the deployment of 60,000 troops to subdue them. By the end of 1899, there were 65,000 U.S. troops in the Philippines, but the war dragged on. Many anti-imperialists in the United States, such as Democratic presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan, opposed U.S. annexation of the Philippines, but in November 1900 Republican incumbent William McKinley was reelected, and the war continued.  

On March 23, 1901, in a daring operation, U.S. General Frederick Funston and a group of officers, pretending to be prisoners, surprised Aguinaldo in his stronghold in the Luzon village of Palanan and captured the rebel leader. Aguinaldo took an oath of allegiance to the United States and called for an end to the rebellion, but many of his followers fought on. During the next year, U.S. forces gradually pacified the Philippines. In an infamous episode, U.S. forces on the island of Samar retaliated against the massacre of a U.S. garrison by killing all men on the island above the age of 10. Many women and young children were also butchered. General Jacob Smith, who directed the atrocities, was court-martialed and forced to retire for turning Samar, in his words, into a "howling wilderness."  

In 1902, an American civil government took over administration of the Philippines, and the three-year Philippine insurrection was declared to be at an end. Scattered resistance, however, persisted for several years.  

More than 4,000 Americans perished suppressing the Philippines--more than 10 times the number killed in the Spanish-American War. More than 20,000 Filipino insurgents were killed, and an unknown number of civilians perished.  

In 1935, the Commonwealth of the Philippines was established with U.S. approval, and Manuel Quezon was elected the country's first president. On July 4, 1946, full independence was granted to the Republic of the Philippines by the United States.

1899 - New Richmond Tornado: the eighth deadliest tornado in U.S. history kills 117 peoples and injures around 200.

1900 - German Navy Law calls for massive increase in sea power

1903 - Niagara Falls, Ontario incorporated as a city

1903 - The Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity is founded at the University of Michigan School of Music.

1908 - Lusitania crosses Atlantic in record 4 days 15 hours (NYC)

1909 - "Shine On, Harvest Moon" by Ada Jones & Billy Murray hits #1

King Constantine of Greece abdicated his throne on this day in 1917.

Jun 12, 1917: King Constantine of Greece abdicates

On this day in 1917, King Constantine I of Greece, the foremost champion of Greek neutrality during World War I, abdicates his throne in the face of pressure from Britain and France and internal opponents—most notably Prime Minister Eleutherios Venizelos—who favored Greece's entrance into the war on the side of the Allies.  

As crown prince during the Balkan Wars of 1912-13, Constantine had led Greek troops to victory on the battlefield; he ascended to the throne in March 1913 upon the death of his father, George I. Educated in Germany and married to Sophia, a sister of Kaiser Wilhelm II, Constantine was naturally sympathetic to the Central Powers after the outbreak of World War I in the summer of 1914. For this reason, Constantine refused to honor Greece's obligation to support Serbia—its ally during both Balkan Wars—when the latter country was attacked by Bulgaria in 1914. Constantine's position was complicated, however, as Venizelos, along with the majority of the Greek government, was determinedly pro-Ally, and the British and French navies held an unwavering dominance over the Mediterranean Sea.  

Despite dedicated efforts by the British and French to woo Greece with promises of territorial gains in Turkey, Constantine maintained a position of neutrality for his country. He did allow British and French forces to disembark at Salonika as part of an operation planned in late 1914 to aid Serbia against Austro-Hungarian and Bulgarian forces. By the time the Allied forces were ready, however, Serbia had fallen and the Central Powers drew closer to the Greek border.  

By the end of 1915, Allied operations had bogged down in Salonika and failed spectacularly in the Dardanelles, and Constantine was understandably even less inclined to support the Entente. As the British cabinet was told at the time, "His Majesty's decided opinion was that Germany was winning on all points, and that there were only two possible endings to European war, either that Germany would be entirely victorious or that the war would end in a stalemate largely in favor of Germany."  

In this position, Constantine was undermined by the charismatic and ambitious Venizelos, who led the movement in favor of joining the war on the side of the Entente in the name of building a more powerful Greek nation. Constantine dismissed Venizelos in October 1915; the ex-prime minister subsequently received Allied recognition of a provisional Greek government, under Venizelos' control, in Thessalonica in 1916. Meanwhile, civil war threatened in Greece, and Constantine desperately sought promises of naval, military and financial assistance from Germany, which he did not receive.  

By the summer of 1917, the Allies had lost their patience with Constantine. On June 11, they sent an ultimatum to Athens, demanding the king's abdication. That same day, blatantly disregarding the country's neutrality, British forces blockaded Greece and the French landed their troops at Piraeus, on the Isthmus of Corinth. The following day, Constantine abdicated in favor of his second son, Alexander, who reinstated Venizelos as prime minister. On July 2, 1916, Greece declared war on the Central Powers. Over the next 18 months, some 5,000 Greek soldiers would die on the battlefields of World War I.

1917 - Secret Service extends protection of president to his family

1918 - 1st airplane bombing raid by an American unit, France

1919 - Dutch 2nd Chamber accord for equal Christian-public education

1920 - Farmer Labor Party organized (Chicago)

1922 - German Reich president Friedrich Ebert visits Munich

1923 - Harry Houdini frees himself from a straight jacket while suspended upside down, 40 feet (12 m) above ground in NYC

1925 - William DeHart Hubbard of US, sets long jump record at 25' 10 3/4"

1926 - 58th Belmont: Albert Johnson aboard Crusader wins in 2:32.2

• 1926 - Brazil leaves League of Nations

1931 - Al Capone is indicted on 5,000 counts of prohibition & perjury

1933 - Financial & Economy World conference opens (66 countries)

1934 - Black-McKeller Bill passes causes Bill Boeing empire to break up into Boeing United Aircraft [Technologies] & United Air Lines

1935 - Weapons pact ends 3 year war of Gran Chaco (Bolivia vs Paraguay)

1935 - Senator Huey Long of Louisiana spoke continually for 15½ hours in Senate's longest speech on record (150,000 words)

1936 - 1st 50 KW US radio station (Pittsburgh Pa)

Gangster Al CaponeGangster Al Capone 1937 - 41st US Golf Open: Ralph Guldahl shoots a 281 at Oakland Hills Mich

1937 - USSR executes 8 army leaders as Stalin's purge continues

• On this day in 1942 during the German occupation of Netherlands during World War II, Anne Frank received her diary as a birthday present while in hiding in Amsterdam.

Jun 12, 1942: Anne Frank receives a diary     

On this day, Anne Frank, a young Jewish girl living in Amsterdam, receives a diary for her 13th birthday. A month later, she and her family went into hiding from the Nazis in rooms behind her father's office. For two years, the Franks and four other families hid, fed and cared for by Gentile friends. The families were discovered by the Gestapo, which had been tipped off, in 1944. The Franks were taken to Auschwitz, where Anne's mother died. Friends in Amsterdam searched the rooms and found Anne's diary hidden away.  

Anne and her sister were transferred to another camp, Bergen-Belsen, where Anne died of typhus a month before the war ended.  

Anne's father survived Auschwitz and published Anne's diary in 1947 as The Diary of a Young Girl. The book has been translated into more than 60 languages.

• 1942 - Hitler orders enslavement of Slavic peoples

1942 - Tornado kills 35 in Oklahoma City

• 1943 - Himmler orders extermination of all Polish ghettos

1944 - 1st V-1 rocket assault on London

1944 - British 12th airborne batallion and the 13th & 18th Hussars attack and capture Bréville

1944 - Churchill/Marshall/Arnold visit Montgomery's HQ in Chateau de Creully

1944 - US troop march into Carentan/Caumont, Normandy

On this day in 1944 during World War II, future American President John F. Kennedy received medals for bravery achieved during his military service. 

Jun 12, 1944: John F. Kennedy receives medals

Lieutenant John F. Kennedy receives the Navy's highest honor for gallantry for his heroic actions as a gunboat pilot during World War II on this day in 1944. The future president also received a Purple Heart for wounds received during battle.  

As a young man, Kennedy had desperately wanted to go into the Navy but was originally rejected because of chronic health problems, particularly a back injury he had sustained playing football while attending Harvard. In 1941, though, his politically connected father used his influence to get Jack into the service. In 1942, Kennedy volunteered for PT (motorized torpedo) boat duty in the Pacific.  

In July 1943, according to the official Navy report, Kennedy and the crew of PT 109 were ordered into combat near the Solomon Islands. In the middle of the night on August 2, their boat was rammed by a Japanese destroyer and caught fire. Several of Kennedy's shipmates were blown overboard into a sea of burning oil. Kennedy dove in to rescue three of the crew and in the process swallowed some of the toxic mixture. (Kennedy would later blame this for chronic stomach problems.) For 12 hours, Kennedy and his crew clung to the wrecked hull, before he ordered them to abandon ship. Kennedy and the other good swimmers placed the injured on a makeshift raft, and then took turns pushing and towing the raft four miles to safety on a nearby island.  

For six days, Kennedy and his crew waited on the island for rescue. They survived by drinking coconut milk and rainwater until native islanders discovered the sailors and offered food and shelter. Every night, Kennedy tried to signal other U.S. Navy ships in the area. He also reportedly scrawled a message on a coconut husk and gestured to the islanders to take it to a nearby PT base at Rendova. On August 8, a Navy patrol boat picked up the haggard survivors.  

On June 12, 1944, while he was in the hospital recuperating from back surgery, Kennedy received the Navy and Marine Corps medal for courage, endurance and excellent leadership [that] contributed to the saving of several lives and was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service."

1945 - US 7th Marine regiment conquer summit of Kunishi Ridge, Okinawa

1950 - 2 Air France DC-4s crash near Bahrain, about 100 die

1950 - Connie Mack named Honorary Manager of the All-Star Game

1952 - USSR declares peace treaty with Japan invalid

1954 - "Girl in Pink Tights" closes at Mark Hellinger NYC after 115 perfs

1954 - 86th Belmont: Eric Guerin aboard High Gun wins in 2:30.8

1954 - Bill Haley's "Rock Around the Clock" is originally released

1961 - Dutch Lockheed Electricity "Sirius" accident at Cairo, kills 20

1962 - Laos prince Souvanna Phouma forms coalition government

1962 - USAF Maj Robert M White takes X-15 to 56,270 m

1963 - "Cleopatra" premieres in NYC

• Jun 12, 1963: Medgar Evers assassinated  In the driveway outside his home in Jackson, Mississippi, African American civil rights leader Medgar Evers is shot to death by white supremacist Byron De La Beckwith.    During World War II, Evers volunteered for the U.S. Army and participated in the Normandy invasion. In 1952, he joined the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). As a field worker for the NAACP, Evers traveled through his home state encouraging poor African Americans to register to vote and recruiting them into the civil rights movement. He was instrumental in getting witnesses and evidence for the Emmitt Till murder case, which brought national attention to the plight of African Americans in the South. On June 12, 1963, Medgar Evers was killed.    After a funeral in Jackson, he was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. President John F. Kennedy and many other leaders publicly condemned the killing. In 1964, the first trial of chief suspect Byron De La Beckwith ended with a deadlock by an all-white jury, sparking numerous protests. When a second all-white jury also failed to reach a decision, De La Beckwith was set free. Three decades later, the state of Mississippi reopened the case under pressure from civil rights leaders and Evers' family. In February 1994, a racially mixed jury in Jackson found Beckwith guilty of murder. The unrepentant white supremacist, aged 73, was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Statue of Nelson Mandela in State Parliament Square, London, UK

• In 1964 during the days of the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa, Nelson Mandela received a life sentence in prison.

1965 - "Bajour" closes at Shubert Theater NYC after 232 performances

1965 - "I Had a BaIl" closes at Martin Beck Theater NYC after 199 perfs

1965 - "What Makes Sammy Run?" closes at 84th St Theater NYC after 540 perfs

Anti-apartheid activist and South African President Nelson MandelaAnti-apartheid activist and South African President Nelson Mandela 

1965 - Beatles are awarded MBE

1965 - Morio Shigematsu runs world record marathon (2:12:00)

• 1965 - Rolling Stones release "Satisfaction"

• 1965 - South Vietnam Gen Nguyen Cao Ky succeeds Phan Huy Quat as premier

• 1965 - Big Bang theory of creation of universe is supported by announcement of discovery of new celestial bodies know as blue galaxies

1966 - Dave Clark Five sets record as they appear for 12th time on Ed Sullivan

1966 - Mickey Wright wins LPGA Bluegrass Ladies Golf Invitational

1967 - Israel wins 6 day war

1967 - Race riot in Cincinnati Ohio (300 arrested)

1967 - US Supreme Court unanimously ends laws against interracial marriages

1967 - USSR launches Venera 4 for parachute landing on Venus

1967 - Washington Senators beat Chicago White Sox 6-5 in 22 innings

1968 - "What Makes Sammy Run?" closes at 84th St Theater NYC after 540 perfs

1970 - Pitts Pirate Doc Ellis no-hits San Diego Padres, 2-0

Goddess of Pop  Cher Goddess of Pop Cher 1972 - John Lennon's political "Sometime in NYC" released including "Woman is the Nigger of the World" "Attica State" & "Luck of the Irish"

1977 - Ground-breaking ceremonies for Pres Kennedy library

1978 - David Berkowitz sentenced in NY Supreme Court to 25 yrs to life

1978 - US House of Representatives allows live radio coverage

1979 - Opening ceremony at Cambridge Buddhist Association meditation in Boston

1979 - Sanista occupies parts of Managua

1979 - Tigers fire manager Les Moss, hiring Sparky Anderson

Actor/Comedian Bill CosbyActor/Comedian Bill Cosby 1979 - Bryan Allen flew man-powered Gossamer Albatross over English Channel in a human-powered aircraft; flight took 2 hrs, 49 min

1980 - Ronald Reagan said he would submit to periodic medical tests

• 1981 - "Raiders Of The Lost Ark" starring Harrison Ford premieres

1981 - Only candidate Hassan Gouled Aptidon wins Djibouti pres election

• 1982 - 750,000 anti-nuclear demonstrators, rally in Central Park NYC

1982 - Battle of Mount Longdon Falkland Islands

1982 - Paul Simon & Art Garfunkel perform in Rotterdam

1983 - 29th LPGA Championship won by Patty Sheehan

1983 - Comet C/1983 (Sugano-Saigusa-Fujikawa) approaches 0.0628 AUs of Earth

1983 - Winston Davis takes 7-51 in Cricket World Cup match v Australia

Flag of South Africa during the apartheid era

In 1986 on this day during the days of apartheid in South Africa, President P W Botha declared a national emergency.

1987 - Central Afr Rep ex-emperor Jean-Bédell Bokassa sentenced to death

Statue of American President Ronald Reagan in Budapest

Flag of the German Democratic Republic (GDR), better known as East Germany

On this day in 1987, American President Ronald Reagan gave his famous speech from Berlin, saying, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall." It actually happened - mostly by historical accident - a little over two years later.

Jun 12, 1987: Reagan challenges Gorbachev 

On this day in 1987, in one of his most famous Cold War speeches, President Ronald Reagan challenges Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev to "tear down" the Berlin Wall, a symbol of the repressive Communist era in a divided Germany.  

In 1945, following Germany's defeat in World War II, the nation's capital, Berlin, was divided into four sections, with the Americans, British and French controlling the western region and the Soviets gaining power in the eastern region. In May 1949, the three western sections came together as the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany), with the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) being established in October of that same year. In 1952, the border between the two countries was closed and by the following year East Germans were prosecuted if they left their country without permission. In August 1961, the Berlin Wall was erected by the East German government to prevent its citizens from escaping to the West. Between 1949 and the wall's inception, it's estimated that over 2.5 million East Germans fled to the West in search of a less repressive life.  

With the wall as a backdrop, President Reagan declared to a West Berlin crowd in 1987, "There is one sign the Soviets can make that would be unmistakable, that would advance dramatically the cause of freedom and peace." He then called upon his Soviet counterpart: "Secretary General Gorbachev, if you seek peace--if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe--if you seek liberalization: come here, to this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall." Reagan then went on to ask Gorbachev to undertake serious arms reduction talks with the United States.  

Most listeners at the time viewed Reagan's speech as a dramatic appeal to Gorbachev to renew negotiations on nuclear arms reductions. It was also a reminder that despite the Soviet leader's public statements about a new relationship with the West, the U.S. wanted to see action taken to lessen Cold War tensions. Happily for Berliners, though, the speech also foreshadowed events to come: Two years later, on November 9, 1989, joyful East and West Germans did break down the infamous barrier between East and West Berlin. Germany was officially reunited on October 3, 1990.  

Gorbachev, who had been in office since 1985, stepped down from his post as Soviet leader in 1991. Reagan, who served two terms as president, from 1981 to 1989, died on June 5, 2004, at age 93.

Actor Harrison FordActor Harrison Ford 1988 - 6th Seniors Players Golf Championship: Billy Casper

1988 - Andy Hampton is 1st American to win Round of Italy

1988 - Mei-Chi Cheng wins LPGA Rochester Golf International

1988 - The Republic of Ireland beats England 1-0 at Euro88 thanks to a headed goal by Ray Houghton. This is Ireland's first competitive match at a major football tournament.

• 1991 - Boris Yelstin elected president of Russian Federation

1993 - "Three Little Pigs" by Green Jelly hits #17

1994 - -17] Pope John Paul II visits Spain

264th Pope John Paul II264th Pope John Paul II 1994 - 48th Tony Awards: Angels in America: Perestroika & Passion win

1994 - Cab Calloway suffered massive stroke at his home in White Plaines NY

1994 - Liselotte Neumann wins Minnesota LPGA Golf Classic

1996 - 3 Phila Fed Court judges overturn US indecency ban on internet

1996 - Marge Schott gives up day-to-day operations because of her numerous insensitive comments about Adolf Hitler, working women & Asians

1997 - 1st ever baseball inter-league game SF Giants beat Texas Rangers 4-3

1999 - Kosovo War: Operation Joint Guardian begins - a NATO-led United Nations peacekeeping force KFor enters the province of Kosovo in Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

2000 - Sandro Rosa do Nascimento takes hostages while robbing Bus #174 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; the highly-publicized standoff becomes a media circus and ends with the death of do Nascimento and a hostage.

Flag of Ireland

Flag of the European Union (EU)

2008 - Ireland rejects the Lisbon Treaty in a referendum, thus putting into question the reform programme of the European Union.

2009 - Protests in Iran following the presidential election.

Basketball Player Shaquille O'NealBasketball Player Shaquille O'Neal 2009 - TSC: All television broadcasts in the United States switch from analog NTSC to digital ATSC transmission.

2012 - The chemical compound NOTT-202, which is capable of selectively absorbing carbon dioxide, is created

2012 - An Australian coroner's report rules that a dingo was responsible for the death of a baby in 1980

2012 - The World Health Organization concludes that diesel exhaust causes cancer

2013 - Russia passes a law banning gay propaganda

1099 - Crusade leaders visited the Mount of Olives where they met a hermit who urged them to assault Jerusalem.   1442 - Alfonso V of Aragon was crowned King of Naples.   1665 - England installed a municipal government in New York. It was the former Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam.   1812 - Napoleon's invasion of Russia began.   1838 - The Iowa Territory was organized.   1839 - Abner Doubleday created the game of baseball, according to the legend.   1849 - The gas mask was patented by L.P. Haslett.   1897 - Carl Elsener patented his penknife. The object later became known as the Swiss army knife.   1898 - Philippine nationalists declared their independence from Spain.   1900 - The Reichstag approved a second law that would allow the expansion of the German navy.   1901 - Cuba agreed to become an American protectorate by accepting the Platt Amendment.   1912 - Lillian Russel retired from the stage and was married for the fourth time.   1918 - The first airplane bombing raid by an American unit occurred on World War I's Western Front in France.   1921 - U.S. President Warren Harding urged every young man to attend military training camp.   1923 - Harry Houdini, while suspended upside down 40 feet above the ground, escaped from a strait jacket.   1926 - Brazil quit the League of Nations in protest over plans to admit Germany.   1935 - U.S. Senator Huey Long of Louisiana made the longest speech on Senate record. The speech took 15 1/2 hours and was filled by 150,000 words.   1935 - The Chaco War was ended with a truce. Bolivia and Paraguay had been fighting since 1932.   1937 - The Soviet Union executed eight army leaders under Joseph Stalin.   1939 - The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum was dedicated in Cooperstown, New York.   1941 - In London, the Inter-Allied Declaration was signed. It was the first step towards the establishment of the United Nations.   1944 - Chinese Communist leader Mao Tse-tung announced that he would support Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek in the war against Japan.   1948 - Ben Hogan won his first U.S. Open golf classic.   1963 - "Cleopatra" starring Elizabeth Taylor, Rex Harrison, and Richard Burton premiered at the Rivoli Theatre in New York City.   1963 - Civil rights leader Medgar Evers was fatally shot in front of his home in Jackson, MS.   1967 - State laws which prohibited interracial marriages were ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court.   1971 - Tricia Nixon and Edward F. Cox were married in the White House Rose Garden.   1975 - Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was found guilty of corrupt election practices in 1971.   1979 - Bryan Allen flew the Gossamer Albatross, man powered, across the English Channel.   1981 - Major league baseball players began a 49 day strike. The issue was free-agent compensation.   1981 - "Raiders of the Lost Ark" opened in the U.S.   1982 - 75,000 people rallied against nuclear weapons in New York City's Central Park. Jackson Browne, James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen, and Linda Ronstadt were in attendance.   1985 - Wayne "The Great One" Gretsky was named winner of the NHL's Hart Trophy. The award is given to the the league Most Valuable Player.   1985 - The U.S. House of Representatives approved $27 million in aid to the Nicaraguan contras.   1986 - South Africa declared a national state of emergency. Virtually unlimited power was given to security forces and restrictions were put on news coverage of the unrest.   1987 - U.S. President Reagan publicly challenged Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall.   1990 - The parliament of the Russian Federation formally declared its sovereignty.   1991 - Russians went to the election polls and elected Boris N. Yeltsin as the president of their republic.   1991 - The Chicago Bulls won their first NBA championship. The Bulls beat the Los Angeles Lakers four games to one.   1992 - In a letter to the U.S. Senate, Russian Boris Yeltsin stated that in the early 1950's the Soviet Union had shot down nine U.S. planes and held 12 American survivors.   1996 - In Philadelphia a panel of federal judges blocked a law against indecency on the internet. The panel said that the 1996 Communications Decency Act would infringe upon the free speech rights of adults.   1997 - Interleague play began in baseball, ending a 126-year tradition of separating the major leagues until the World Series.   1997 - The U.S. Treasury Department unveiled a new $50 bill meant to be more counterfeit-resistant.   1998 - Compaq Computer paid $9 billion for Digital Equipment Corp. in largest high-tech acquisition.   1999 - NATO peacekeeping forces entered the province of Kosovo in Yugoslavia.   2003 - In Arkansas, Terry Wallis spoke for the first time in nearly 19 years. Wallis had been in a coma since July 13, 1984, after being injured in a car accident.   2009 - In the U.S., The switch from analog TV trasmission to digital was completed.

1880 John Lee Richmond pitched baseball's first perfect game. A perfect game occurs when no batter reaches a base during a complete game of at least nine innings. 1898 Emilio Aguinaldo, head of the Philippine nationalists, proclaimed independence from Spain. 1939 The Baseball Hall of Fame opened to the public in Cooperstown, New York. 1942 Anne Frank received a diary for her birthday. 1963 Civil rights leader Medgar Evers was fatally shot in front of his home in Jackson, Mississippi. 1997 Interleague play began in baseball, ending a 126-year tradition of separating the major leagues until the World Series.

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/jun12.htm

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

http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory

Trump Says That He Loves Inflation & Suggests That He Tanked Economy on Purpose (Not a Joke)

This is a picture of a magnet that was being sold at Strand's Book Store in New York City a few years ago. No, I did not buy it, but I liked it and took a picture, which I am sharing here now. 

Everyone is saying that Trump is really, noticeably losing it lately.

Frankly, I am not convinced that he ever had any real redeeming qualities worth losing to begin with. But it does appear that his behavior is spiraling out of control lately. He is saying things that are just completely off the wall crazy. 

While speaking with reporters in the Oval Office, Trump claimed that he loved inflation and suggests that he is tanking the economy on purpose.

No, really. It might sound like a joke, or that perhaps it was taken out of context, but he actually did say these things. Here is part of what he said, in his own words, as taken by a recent MSN article by Travis Gettys (see link below):

"No, I love it – the numbers were great," Trump said. "You know what I really love? I love the inflation. You know why? Because as soon as this war is over, you know, I can say it now, something you didn't know. You know, we've been taking out millions of barrels of oil, nobody knows it. You know who doesn't know about it? Iran, until right now we took out the other night 22 ships late at night with no lights because they don't have any radar because we blasted the crap out of it. We took out, that's why oil is $85 a barrel."

Then he explained how and why he tanked the economy. Temporarily, at least, according to him. Here is what he said:

"I mean, you take a look – remember when I did this?" Trump said. "I said, look, the one bad thing will be we hit the best economy we've ever hit, and I said to my people, I had Scott, I had Howard, I had Pete, I had all, I had Todd in the room. I said, the one thing we have to do now, we had just hit the highest stock market in history, highest 401ks in history. Everything was going well, and I said, I hate to do this to you guys, but Iran's going to have a nuclear weapon very soon. We have to go and attack."  

"So we hit him with the B-2 bombers, which took a lot of courage," he added. "It was totally successful. We buried it, very hard to get, but now we had to make the second move, and I said, you know, the bad part is the stock market will go down by little bit – a lot, based on predictions of experts, like 25 percent, and it was worth it to me. It was worth it not to have a nuclear weapon."

Man, this guy is freaking nuts. What an absolute loser! 

Are we finally ready as a nation to move on from this man? Can we collectively admit that he was a mistake - quite possibly the biggest mistake that this country ever made - and that he should be permanently removed from office?

Let's move on from this ugly, dark chapter in our history. Let's get out from the shadow of this small, pathetic man and become a bigger and better country for it. 

This is the link to the article which got me going on this topic, and from which I obtained all of the quotes used above:

Trump claims he tanked economy on purpose Story by Travis Gettys • June 10, 2026:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-claims-he-tanked-economy-on-purpose/ar-AA25jwBp?ocid=entnewsntp&pc=U531&cvid=6a2a24340c5d41aaaf1ab9167d344fba&ei=15

Trump claims he tanked economy on purpose

Knicks Stage Greatest Comeback in NBA Finals History Against Spurs & Take a Commanding 3-1 Series Lead

 

2026 NBA Finals Update

NY Knicks 107, San Antonio Spurs 106

Game 4 of the NBA Finals sure looked like it was going to be a Spurs blowout win. I tuned into the radio on the way to work and heard that the Knicks were down by well over 20 points. Like most people, I had assumed that San Antonio had found their rhythm and taken control of the series. With two straight road wins following their two home losses, the series would shift back to San Antonio, with the Spurs having solid momentum. 

It seemed like they might win the NBA title again, but with an all new cast this time around. Maybe even a new Spurs dynasty.

But then something happened. Little by little, the Knicks chipped away at the big lead. Bit by bit, they got it closer. From 29 points down to about 20. Then 15. Then less than 10 points. 

Suddenly, it was a close game late in Game 4.

Just like that, the Knicks held their first lead of the night late in the fourth quarter.

Then it became a close, intense game. The spurs took the lead, and things looked decidedly grim for the Knicks. Just seconds remained in the game, and they trailed by one. Jalen Brunson went for the win from downtown, a three-pointer that missed. I watched and was disappointed by the shot selection, saw it miss, then turned away briefly. Then I heard the announcers yelling that it was good.

As it turns out, OG Anunoby moved in with perfect timing to tip the ball in for what turned out to be the winning shot. Suddenly, the Knicks had the lead with less than two seconds left on the clock. 

Their defense held, and New York had completed what turned out to be the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history. Knicks head coach Mike Brown suggested that the tip by OG Anunoby was the greatest shot in franchise history. 

And who are we to argue?

Never in my lifetime have the Knicks held a 3-1 series lead in the NBA Finals. From seemingly seeing the Spurs swing the momentum in their favor to handing those Spurs a stunning loss and taking a decisive 3-1 series lead, it now feels like the New York Knicks are the team of destiny. I felt like that after they took a 2-0 series lead with two consecutive wins on the road in San Antonio, but now I am even more convinced. This kind of a win, and in the position that it puts the Knicks, just feels like it will prove to be too much for the Spurs to come back from. It would take a monumental turnaround that would actually dwarf this comeback win by the Knicks for the Spurs to take the series now. They enter each game the rest of the way facing elimination. 

What a game this one was!

June 11th: 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

It was on this day in 1184 BCE during the Trojan War that the city of Troy was sacked and burned, according to calculations by Eratosthenes. On this day in 631, Emperor Taizong of Tang, the Emperor of China, sent envoys to the Xueyantuo bearing gold and silk in order to persuade the release of enslaved Chinese prisoners who had been captured during the transition from Sui to Tang from the northern frontier; this embassy succeeded in freeing 80,000 Chinese men and women who were then returned to China. On this day in 1770, British Captain James Cook discovered the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia. On this day in 1776 in the British colonies during the American Revolutionary War of Independence, the Continental Congress created a committee to draft a Declaration of Independence from Great Britain. The committee consisted of Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston. Russian explorer Gerasim Izmailov reached Alaska.on this day in 1788. In 1798 on this day, Napoleon Bonaparte took the island of Malta. In 1895 on this day, Charles E. Duryea received the first U.S. patent granted to an American inventor for a gasoline-driven automobile.  In 1940 on this day during World War II, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill flew to Orleans. On this day in 1963, US President John F. Kennedy declared that racial segregation was morally wrong & that it was "time to act" as he stood up to segregationist Alabama Governor George Wallace. On this day in 1967, the Six-Day War in the Middle East ended. There was a battle for control over the Kampong Speu in Cambodia on this day in 1970. On this day in 1989, China issued a warrant for a Tiananmen Square dissident.

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

• It was on this day in 1184 BCE during the Trojan War that the city of Troy was sacked and burned, according to calculations by Eratosthenes. 

• On this day in 631, Emperor Taizong of Tang, the Emperor of China, sent envoys to the Xueyantuo bearing gold and silk in order to persuade the release of enslaved Chinese prisoners who had been captured during the transition from Sui to Tang from the northern frontier; this embassy succeeded in freeing 80,000 Chinese men and women who were then returned to China. 

• 758 - Abbasid Arabs and Uyghur Turks arrive simultaneously at Chang'an, the Tang Chinese capital, in order to offer tribute to the imperial court. The Arabs and Turks bicker and fight over diplomatic prominence at the gate, in order to present tribute before the other. A settlement is reached when both are allowed to enter at the same time, but through two different gates to the palace.

1231 - Harderwijk becomes a city

1345 - The megas doux Alexios Apokaukos, chief minister of the Byzantine Empire, is lynched by political prisoners.

1429 - Hundred Years' War: The start of the Battle of Jargeau.

1488 - Battle of Sauchieburn, Scotland

1517 - Sir Thomas Pert reaches Hudson Bay

1572 - Spanish co-land guardian duke of Medinaceli arrives in Lock

1578 - England grants Sir Humphrey Gilbert a patent to explore & colonize North America

1594 - Philip II recognized the rights and privileges of the local nobles and chieftains in the Philippines, which paves way to the creation of the Principalía (i.e., elite ruling class of native nobility in Spanish Philippines).

1644 - Florentine scientist describe invention of barometer

1666 - -14] Vierdaagse Sea battle (Ruyter-Monk vs Prince Ruprecht)

1676 - Battle at Öland: Danish & Dutch fleet under CM Tromp beats Sweden

1685 - James Scott, Duke of Monmouth, rebels against Catholic king James II

1690 - English king Willem III departs to Ireland

1699 - England, France & Neth agree on 2nd Extermination treaty of Spain

1726 - Cardinal Fleury succeeds duke of Bourbon as French premier

Altered picture that I took of the Benjamin Franklin Memorial in Philadelphia some years ago. 

• 1742 - Benjamin Franklin invents his Franklin stove

Picture of a statue of British explorer Captain James Cook

• On this day in 1770, British Captain James Cook discovered the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia.

1774 - Jews of Algiers escape attack of Spanish Army

  

Independence Hall in Philadelphia, PA

• On this day in 1776 in the British colonies during the American Revolutionary War of Independence, the Continental Congress created a committee to draft a Declaration of Independence from Great Britain. The committee consisted of Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston. 

1788 - 1st British ship built on Pacific coast begun at Nootka Sound, BC

•  Russian explorer Gerasim Izmailov reached Alaska.on this day in 1788.

1793 - 1st American stove patent is granted to Robert Haeterick

French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte

• In 1798 on this day, Napoleon Bonaparte took the island of Malta.

  

1816 - Gas Light Co of Baltimore founded

1825 - The first cornerstone is laid for Fort Hamilton in New York City.

1837 - The Broad Street Riot occurres in Boston, fueled by ethnic tensions between English-Americans and Irish-Americans.

1838 - Iowa Territory is organized

1859 - Comstock silver load discovered near Virginia City, Nevada

1864 - -12] Battle of Trevillian Station, VA (Central Railroad)

1864 - 300' (90 m) of Meigg's Wharf washed away in storm

1864 - Battle at Cynthiana Kentucky: Gen Hobsons unit caught

1864 - Battle of Laurel Hill, WV

American Founding Father Robert R. LivingstonAmerican Founding Father Robert R. Livingston 

1864 - Confederate warship CSS Alabama runs into harbor of Cherbourg

1866 - The Allahabad High Court (then Agra High Court) is established in India.

1870 - 1st-stone Amstel Brewery opens in Amsterdam

1876 - Republicans pick Rutherford B Hayes as presidental candidate

1878 - DC is given a new government by Congress, 3 commissioners appointed by president (change in 1974)

• 1891 - Puerto Rican flag adopted

1892 - The Limelight Department, one of the world's first film studios, is officially established in Melbourne, Australia.

1895 - 1st auto race

In 1895 on this day, Charles E. Duryea received the first U.S. patent granted to an American inventor for a gasoline-driven automobile.  

1896 - US Assay Office in Deadwood South Dakota authorized

1898 - 1st US Marines (600) land at Guantanamo Cuba during Spanish-American War

1898 - 23rd Preakness: Willie Simms aboard Sly Fox wins in 1:49.75

• 1898 - Emperor De Zong proclaims reforms in Peking

• 1900 - -12] Battle at Diamond Hill: British troops chase General Botha

• 1901 - Cook Islands annexed & proclaimed part of New Zealand

1904 - Cub's Bob Wicker no-hits NY Giants, wins in 12th on 1 hitter, 1-0

• 1904 - German Lt-Gen Lothar von Trotha lands in Swapokmund, SW-Africa

1905 - Penns Railroad debuts fastest train in world (NY-Chicago in 18 hrs)

1907 - Northants all out for 12 v Gloucestershire

1907 - George Dennett, aided by Gilbert Jessop, dismisses Northamptonshire for 12 runs, the lowest total in first-class cricket.

1911 - Tigers trailing White Sox 13-1 come back to win 16-15

1911 - UNIA founded by Garvey

1917 - King Alexander assumes the throne of Greece after his father Constantine I abdicated under pressure by allied armies occupying Athens.

Golfer Walter HagenGolfer Walter Hagen 1919 - 23rd US Golf Open: Walter Hagen shoots a 301 at Brae Burn CC Mass

1919 - 51st Belmont: J Loftus aboard Sir Barton wins in 2:17.6 & Trip Crown

1920 - Republicans nominate Warren G Harding for president

1921 - 53rd Belmont: Earl Sande aboard Grey Lag wins in 2:16.8

• 1921 - Brazil adopts women suffrage

1924 - Bene Brak Palestine founded

1924 - Koos Vorrink elected President of AJC

1927 - 59th Belmont: Earl Sande aboard Chance Shot wins in 2:32.6

1927 - Babe Ruth hits 19th & 20th of 60 HRs

1927 - Charles Lindbergh is awarded the 1st Distinguished Flying Cross

1928 - Alfred Hitchcock's 1st film, "Case Of Jonathan Drew," is released

1934 - Disarmament conference in Geneva fails

1935 - Inventor Edwin Armstrong gives the first public demonstration of FM broadcasting in the United States, at Alpine, New Jersey.

1936 - Presbyterian Church of America founded at Philadelphia

1936 - International Surrealist Exhibition opens in London, England.

Director Alfred HitchcockDirector Alfred Hitchcock 1937 - Marx Brothers' "A Day At The Races" released

1938 - 42nd US Golf Open: Ralph Guldahl shoots a 284 at Cherry Hills Denver

1938 - Cin Red Johnny Vander Meer no-hits Boston Braves, 3-0

1938 - Compton scores 1st Test Cricket ton (102 v Aust) aged 20 yrs 19 days

1938 - Earthquake in Belgium

1938 - England declare at 8 for 658 v Australia at Trent Bridge

1939 - King & Queen of England taste 1st "hot dogs" at FDR's party

1940 - Italy declares war on allies/raids Malta

Statue of soldier, author and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in Parliament Square, London

• In 1940 on this day during World War II, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill flew to Orleans

1940 - World War II: British forces bomb Genoa and Turin in Italy.

1940 - World War II: First attack of the Italian Air force on the island of Malta.

1941 - 2nd great raid on Jews of Amsterdam

• 1941 - Vichy-French planes bomb Tel Aviv, killing 20 Jews

1942 - German army defeated at El-Alamein North Africa

1942 - US & USSR sign Lend-Lease agreement during WW II

Soldier, Author and British Prime Minister Winston ChurchillSoldier, Author and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill 1943 - British invades Pantelleria (tiny island south of Sicily)

• 1943 - Heinrich Himmler orders liquidation of Polish ghettos

1944 - 15 US aircraft carriers attack Japanese bases on Marianas

1944 - 1st Serbian Orthodox cathedral in US, Cathedral of St Sava, NYC

1944 - KP gang surprise attack on Dome Arnhem jail

1947 - WW II sugar rationing finally endd in US (began May 28, 1942)

1949 - 49th US Golf Open: Cary Middlecoff shoots a 286 at Medinah CC ILL

• 1951 - Mozambique becomes an oversea province of Portugal

1951 - NY Times reports the NYC subway will auction off things found

1953 - "Amos 'n Andy," TV Comedy, also radio from '29; last aired on CBS

1953 - Test Cricket debut of Alan Davidson at Trent Bridge

1955 - 1st magnesium jet airplane flies

Golfer Ben HoganGolfer Ben Hogan 1955 - 87th Belmont: Eddie Arcaro aboard Nashua wins in 2:29

1955 - Le Mans race car accident kills 83 spectators (race continues)

1957 - 12 die in a train crash in Vroman Colo

1958 - UN Security council sends observers to Lebanon

1959 - Postmaster General bans D H Lawrence's book, Lady Chatterley's Lover (overruled by US Court of Appeals in Mar 1960)

1960 - 92nd Belmont: Bill Hartack aboard Celtic Ash wins in 2:29.2

1960 - House packed with wedding celebrants collapses killing 30 (Pakistan)

1961 - "Winston Churchill," last airs on ABC-TV

1961 - Mary Lena Faulk wins LPGA Triangle Round Robin Golf Tournament

1961 - Norm Cash becomes 1st Det Tiger to hit a ball out of Tiger Stadium

1961 - Roger Maris hits 19th & 20th of 61 HRs

• US President Kennedy accepted an honorary degree from Yale University on this day in 1962.

1962 - Brothers John and Clarence Anglin and fellow inmate Frank Morris escape from Alcatraz Island prison, the only ones to do so

1963 - Gov Wallace tries to prevent blacks registering at U of Alabama

1963 - Greek government of Karamanlis resigns

• On this day in 1963, US President John F. Kennedy declared that racial segregation was morally wrong & that it was "time to act" as he stood up to segregationist Alabama Governor George Wallace.

Jun 11, 1963: JFK faces down defiant governor  

On this day in 1963, President John F. Kennedy issues presidential proclamation 3542, forcing Alabama Governor George Wallace to comply with federal court orders allowing two African-American students to register for the summer session at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. The proclamation ordered Wallace and all persons acting in concert with him to cease and desist from obstructing justice.  

The battle between Kennedy and Wallace brought to a head the long, post-Civil War struggle between the federal government and recalcitrant southern states over the enforcement of federal desegregation laws. Kennedy, a Catholic, considered racial segregation morally wrong. As of 1963, Alabama was the only state that had not integrated its education system. From the time of his gubernatorial campaign in 1962 until this day in 1963, Wallace had boldly proclaimed that he would personally stand in front of the door of any Alabama schoolhouse that was ordered by the federal courts to admit black students. In response to Wallace's rhetoric, Kennedy sent his brother, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, on April 25 to negotiate with Wallace; the talks failed. The Kennedy brothers, having decided that they were dealing with a raving maniac, looked for an indirect solution. JFK appealed to Alabama business leaders and influential politicians to talk sense into Wallace. On May 21 and again on June 5, the U.S. district court ordered Wallace to allow the students to register on June 11. Wallace dug in and refused, hoping to force JFK to call up the National Guard, an act Wallace was sure would infuriate staunch states' rights supporters and paint JFK as a tyrant. Robert Kennedy wanted his brother to go ahead and federalize the Alabama National Guard and arrest Wallace, but the president feared that such an action would play into Wallace's hands. So, the president waited for Wallace to make the first move.  

On the morning of June 11, the day the students were expected to register, Wallace stood in front of the University of Alabama campus auditorium flanked by Alabama state troopers while cameras flashed and recorders from the press corps whirred. Kennedy, at the White House, and Deputy Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach, in Tuscaloosa, kept in touch by phone. When Wallace refused to let the students enter for registration, Katzenbach phoned Kennedy. Kennedy upped the pressure on Wallace, immediately issuing Presidential Proclamation 3542, which ordered the governor to comply, and authorizing the secretary of defense to call up the Alabama National Guard with Executive Order 11111. That afternoon, Katzenbach returned with the students and asked Wallace to step aside. Wallace, knowing he was beaten, relented, having saved face with his hard-line, anti-segregation constituency. Three days later, a third black student registered at the University of Alabama campus in Huntsville without interference.  

1964 - Chicago police break up Rolling Stones press conference

1964 - Manfred Mann record Do Wah Diddy Diddy

1964 - Queen Elizabeth orders Beatles to her birthday party, they attend

1964 - West Germany seeks talks with Czechoslovakia

1966 - "(I'm A) Road Runner" by Jr Walker & The All-Stars peaks at #20

1966 - "I Am A Rock" by Simon & Garfunkel peaks at #3

1966 - "On A Clear Day You..." closes at Mark Hellinger NYC after 280 perfs

• 1966 - "Paint It, Black" by The Rolling Stones peaks at #1

1966 - "Skyscraper" closes at Lunt Fontanne Theater NYC after 248 perfs

1966 - "Sloop John B" by The Beach Boys hit #1 in UK

1966 - French & German media mistakenly report death of Roger Daltry

• 1966 - Janis Joplin plays her 1st gig (SF)

On this day in 1967, the Six-Day War in the Middle East came to an end.

Jun 11, 1967: Six-Day War ends

The Six-Day War between Israel and its Arab neighbors ends with a United Nations-brokered cease-fire. The outnumbered Israel Defense Forces achieved a swift and decisive victory in the brief war, rolling over the Arab coalition that threatened the Jewish state and more than doubling the amount of territory under Israel's control. The greatest fruit of victory lay in seizing the Old City of Jerusalem from Jordan; thousands of Jews wept while bent in prayer at the Second Temple's Western Wall.  

Increased tensions and skirmishes along Israel's northern border with Syria were the immediate cause of the third Arab-Israeli war. In 1967, Syria intensified its bombardment of Israeli settlements across the border, and Israel struck back by shooting down six Syrian MiG fighters. After Syria alleged in May 1967 that Israel was massing troops along the border, Egypt mobilized its forces and demanded the withdrawal of the U.N. Emergency Force from the Israel-Egypt cease-fire lines of the 1956 conflict. The U.N. peacekeepers left on May 19, and three days later Egypt closed the Strait of Tiran to Israeli shipping. On May 30, Jordan signed a mutual-defense treaty with Egypt and Syria, and other Arab states, including Iraq, Kuwait, and Algeria, sent troop contingents to join the Arab coalition against Israel.  

With every sign of a pan-Arab attack in the works, Israel's government on June 4 authorized its armed forces to launch a surprise preemptive strike. On June 5, the Six-Day War began with an Israeli assault against Arab air power. In a brilliant attack, the Israeli air force caught the formidable Egyptian air force on the ground and largely destroyed the Arabs' most powerful weapon. The Israeli air force then turned against the lesser air forces of Jordan, Syria, and Iraq, and by the end of the day had decisively won air superiority.  

Beginning on June 5, Israel focused the main effort of its ground forces against Egypt's Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula. In a lightning attack, the Israelis burst through the Egyptian lines and across the Sinai. The Egyptians fought resolutely but were outflanked by the Israelis and decimated in lethal air attacks. By June 8, the Egyptian forces were defeated, and Israel held the Gaza Strip and the Sinai to the Suez Canal.  

Meanwhile, to the east of Israel, Jordan began shelling its Jewish neighbor on June 5, provoking a rapid and overwhelming response from Israeli forces. Israel overran the West Bank and on June 7 captured the Old City of East Jerusalem. The chief chaplain of the Israel Defense Forces blew a ram's horn at the Western Wall to announce the reunification of East Jerusalem with the Israeli-administered western sector.  

To the north, Israel bombarded Syria's fortified Golan Heights for two days before launching a tank and infantry assault on June 9. After a day of fierce fighting, the Syrians began a retreat from the Golan Heights on June 10. On June 11, a U.N.-brokered cease-fire took effect throughout the three combat zones, and the Six-Day War was at an end. Israel had more than doubled its size in the six days of fighting.  

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 zealously defend 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 beginning in the 1990s opened "land for peace" talks with Israel. The East Bank territory has since been returned to Jordan. In 2005, Israel left the Gaza Strip. Still, a permanent Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement remains elusive, as does an agreement with Syria to return the Golan Heights.

1967 - A J Foyt & Dan Gurney drove a Ford to victory in Le Mans

1967 - Chicago Cubs (7) & NY Mets (4) tie record of 11 HRs in a game

American Baseball Player Roger MarisAmerican Baseball Player Roger Maris 1967 - Mickey Wright wins LPGA Bluegrass Golf Invitational

1967 - Race riot in Tampa Florida; National Guard mobilizes

1967 - Mexico becomes a member of the Berne Convention copyright treaty.

  

    

• 1969 - "The Ballad Of John & Yoko" by The Beatles hit #1 in UK

1970 - US leaves Wheelus AFB Libya

• There was a battle for control over the Kampong Speu in Cambodia on this day in 1970.

Jun 11, 1970: Battle for control of Kompong Speu in Cambodia

A force of 4,000 South Vietnamese and 2,000 Cambodian soldiers battle 1,400 communist troops for control of the provincial capital of Kompong Speu, 30 miles southwest of Phnom Penh. At 50 miles inside the border, it was the deepest penetration that South Vietnamese forces had made into Cambodia since the incursion began on April 29. The town was captured by the communists on June 13, but retaken by Allied forces on June 16. South Vietnamese officials reported that 183 enemy soldiers were killed, while 4 of their own died and 22 were wounded during the fighting. Civilian casualties in Kompong Speu were estimated at 40 to 50 killed.

1971 - US & Japan sign accord to return Okinawa to Japan

1971 - US ends ban on China trade

1972 - 18th LPGA Championship won by Kathy Ahern

1972 - 31°F lowest temperature ever recorded in Cleveland in June

1972 - KPAT-AM in Berkeley CA returns from KRE

1974 - Bundy victim Georgann Hawkins disappears from UW, Seattle, Wash

1974 - Mel Stottlemyre's AL record 272nd consecutive start, without relief

1975 - 1st oil pumped from North Sea oilfield

1975 - Greece adopts constitution

1975 - One-day international cricket debut, Javed Miandad age 17 yrs 364 days

1976 - "Magnificent Marble Machine," last airs on NBC-TV

• 1976 - Anti-apartheid advocate Dumisa Ntsebeza arrested in South Africa

1976 - Australian band AC/DC begin their 1st headline tour of Britain

1976 - Beatles "Rock & Roll Music" LP is released in USA

1977 - Dutch marines rescued hostages from a Moluccan held train in Holland

1977 - ELO releases "Telephone Line"

1977 - Main Street Electrical Parade premieres in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World

Singer Olivia Newton-JohnSinger Olivia Newton-John 1978 - "Grease" starring John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John opens

1978 - Joseph Freeman Jr is 1st black priest in Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

1979 - Chuck Berry pleads guilty to income tax evasion, sentenced to 4 months

1980 - K-Ingleside streetcar converts to METRO service (SF)

1981 - Cannibal Issei Sagawa kills Dutch student

1981 - Richter Scale 6.9 magnitude Golbaf earthquake at Iran, killing at least 2,000.

1982 - Israel & Syria stop fighting in Lebanon

1982 - Larry Holmes TKOs Gerry Cooney in 13 for heavyweight boxing title

1982 - Movie "ET the Extra-Terrestrial" released (highest grossing film)

1982 - Pope John Paul II visits Argentina

1983 - "Always Something There To Remind Me" by Naked Eyes peaks at #8

264th Pope John Paul II264th Pope John Paul II 1983 - "Cool Places" by Sparks & Jane Wiedlin peaks at #49

1983 - "Faithfully" by Journey peaks at #12

1983 - "My Love" by Lionel Richie peaks at #5

1983 - "Theme From Doctor Detroit" by Devo peaks at #59

1983 - "When I'm With You" by Sheriff peaks at #61

1984 - Funeral for S Nakagawa & burial of half of his ashes

1984 - Supreme Court declares illegally obtained evidence may be admitted at trial if it could be proved that it would have been discovered legally

• 1985 - Russian space probe Vega 1 lands on Venus

1986 - Amnesty International megaconcert

1987 - Margaret Thatcher is 1st British PM in 160 years to win 3rd consecutive term

• 1988 - Freedomfest - Mandela addresses Wembley Stadium London

The flag of the People's Republic of China

• On this day in 1989, China issued a warrant for a Tiananmen Square dissident.

Jun 11, 1989: China issues warrant for Tiananmen dissident

In the wake of the Tiananmen Square massacre on June 4, China issues a warrant for a leading Chinese dissident who had taken refuge in the U.S. embassy in Beijing. The diplomatic standoff lasted for a year, and the refusal of the United States to hand the dissident over to Chinese officials was further evidence of American disapproval of China's crackdown on political protesters.  

In April and May 1989, hundreds of thousands of protesters gathered in Beijing to call for greater political democracy in communist China. On June 4, Chinese soldiers and police swarmed into the center of protest activity, Tiananmen Square, killing hundreds and arresting thousands. The Chinese government used this brutal crackdown as a pretext for issuing an arrest warrant for Fang Lizhi, an internationally respected astrophysicist and leading Chinese dissident. Although Fang had not participated in the Tiananmen Square protests, he had been a consistent advocate of greater political democracy and a persistent critic of government policies. In February 1989, more than one hundred Chinese security personnel forcibly prevented Fang from meeting with visiting President George Bush.  

In the June arrest warrant, Fang and his wife, Li Shuxian, were charged with "committing crimes of counter-revolutionary propaganda and instigation." Fang and Li immediately took refuge in the U.S. embassy. Chinese officials demanded that the American government hand over the pair, but the U.S. refused. Almost exactly one year later, Fang and Li were given free passage out of the country and they left the U.S. embassy for the first time since June 1989. The action was part of a wider effort by the Chinese government to repair some of the international damage done to its reputation in the wake of the Tiananmen Square incident. In addition to Fang and Li, hundreds of other political prisoners were also released. Fang and Li traveled to the United States and took up residence. Fang continued his dissident activities against the Chinese government and taught in both America and Great Britain.  

The incident indicated that feelings about what had occurred in Tiananmen Square ran high, both in the United States and China. For America, the brutal attack on the protesters repulsed most people and led Congress to pass economic sanctions against the Chinese government. In China, the refusal to hand over Fang and the U.S. criticisms of what the Chinese government considered to be a purely internal matter generated a tremendous amount of resentment. The issue of human rights in China continued to be a major issue in relations between the U.S. and China throughout the 1990s and into the 21st century.  

1990 - Supreme Court says law prohibiting desecration of US flag unconstitutional

1990 - UN appoints Olivia Newton-John environmental ambassador

1990 - Federal judge sentenced former national security adviser John M Poindexter to 6 months for making false statements to Congress

1991 - Microsoft releases MS DOS 5.0

1992 - Owners approve sale of Seattle Mariners to a Japanese group

1992 - Tracy Austin, 29, is youngest inductee of Intl Tennis Hall of Fame

1992 - US Olympic baseball team plays 1st exhibtion game, beat Venez 20-0

1993 - "Jurassic Park" opens, sets box office weekend record of $502 million

1993 - "Scattergories," game show; last airs on NBC-TV

1993 - "Scrabble," second run," TV Game Show; last airs on NBC-TV

1994 - "Meet The Flintstones" by The BC 52's peaks to #33

1994 - 126th Belmont: Pat Day aboard Tabasco Cat wins in 2:26.8

Singer Olivia Newton-JohnSinger Olivia Newton-John 1994 - Drunken officer shoots 7 people dead in Falun Sweden

1994 - Moshood Abiola becomes pres of Nigeria

1994 - Cbox is 39'115 long, 20'85 wide, & 8' high in Jacksonville, Fl Largest popcorn container is 6,619.76 cubic feet full of popped corn

1995 - 65th French Mens Tennis: Thomas Muster beats Michael Chang (75 62 64)

1995 - Julie Larsen wins Edina Realty LPGA Golf Classic

1995 - Rondell White has six hits & hits for the cycle in 13-innings

1996 - Bob Dole, (Sen-R-KS), resigns from US senate to run for president

1998 - Compaq Computer pays $9 billion for Digital Equipment Corporation in the largest high-tech acquisition.

2001 - Timothy McVeigh is executed for his role in the Oklahoma City bombing.

2002 - Antonio Meucci is acknowledged as the first inventor of the telephone by the United States Congress.

2004 - Cassini-Huygens makes its closest flyby of Phoebe.

2004 - Ronald Reagan's funeral is held at Washington National Cathedral.

Prime Minister of Canada Stephen HarperPrime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper 

• 2008 - Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper made an official historic apology to Canada's First Nations in regard to a residential school abuse in which children were isolated from their homes, families and cultures for a century.

2009 - A Texas mother was hit by lightning while standing in her kitchen inside her Texas home. Witnesses say the lightning came through a light fixture and struck her chest and exited her foot. Her 9-year-old son franticly called 9-1-1 to save her life. She had to spend three days in the hospital.

2011 - 143rd Belmont: Jose Valdivia Jr aboard Ruler On Ice wins in 2:30.88

2012 - Five people are killed after an ambulance hits a roadside bomb in Afghanistan

2012 - 23 people are killed after two villages are attacked in northern Nigeria

2012 - The Nobel Prize is reduced by 20% to prevent any future undermining of capital

• 2012 - Two earthquakes in Afghanistan trigger landslides that kill more than 80 people

2012 - Los Angeles Kings defeat New Jersey Devils 6-1 in game 6 to win the NHL's Stanley Cup

1346 - Charles IV of Luxembourg was elected Holy Roman Emperor in Germany.   1509 - King Henry VIII married his first of six wives, Catherine of Aragon.   1770 - Captain James Cook discovered the Great Barrier Reef off of Australia when he ran aground.   

1776 - In America, the Continental Congress formed a committee to draft a Declaration of Independence from Britain.   1798 - Napoleon Bonaparte took the island of Malta.   

1880 - Jeanette Rankin was born. She became the first woman elected to the U.S. Congress.   1889 - The Washington Business High School opened in Washington, DC. It was the first school devoted to business in the U.S.   1910 - Jacques-Yves Cousteau was born. He was the French underwater explorer that invented the Aqua-Lung diving apparatus.   1912 - Silas Christoferson became the first pilot to take off from the roof of a hotel.   1915 - British troops took Cameroon in Africa.   1919 - Sir Barton became the first horse to capture the Triple Crown when he won the Belmont Stakes in New York City.   1927 - Charles A. Lindberg was presented the first Distinguished Flying Cross.   1930 - William Beebe dove to a record-setting depth of 1,426 feet off the coast of Bermuda. He used a diving chamber called a bathysphere.  1934 - The Disarmament Conference in Geneva ended in failure.   1936 - The Presbyterian Church of America was formed in Philadelphia, PA.   1937 - Soviet leader Josef Stalin began a purge of Red Army generals.   1940 - The Italian Air Force bombed the British fortress at Malta in the Mediterranean.   1942 - The U.S. and the Soviet Union signed a lend lease agreement to aid the Soviets in their effort in World War II.   1943 - During World War II, the Italian island of Pantelleria surrendered after a heavy air bombardment.   1947 - The U.S. government announced an end to sugar rationing.   1950 - Ben Hogan returned to tournament play after a near fatal car accident. He won the U.S. Open.   1963 - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was arrested in Florida for trying to integrate restaurants.   1963 - Alabama Gov. George Wallace allowed two black students to enroll at the University of Alabama.   1967 - Israel and Syria accepted a U.N. cease-fire.   1972 - Hank Aaron tied the National League record for 14 grand-slam home runs in a career.   1973 - After a ruling by the Justice Department of the State of Pennsylvania, women were licensed to box or wrestle.   1977 - In the Netherlands, a 19-day hostage situation came to an end when Dutch marines stormed a train and a school being held by South Moluccan extremist. Two hostages and the six terrorists were killed.   1981 - The first major league baseball player's strike began. It would last for two months.   1982 - Steven Spielberg's movie "E.T." opened.   1987 - Margaret Thatcher became the first British prime minister in 160 years to win a third consecutive term of office.   1990 - The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a law that would prohibit the desecration of the American Flag.   1991 - Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines erupted. The eruption of ash and gas could be seen for more than 60 miles.   1993 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that people who commit "hate crimes" could be sentenced to extra punishment. The court also ruled in favor of religious groups saying that they indeed had a constitutional right to sacrifice animals during worship services.   1993 - Steven Spielberg's movie "Jurassic Park" opened.   1998 - Mitsubishi of America agreed to pay $34 million to end the largest sexual harassment case filed by the U.S. government. The federal lawsuit claimed that hundreds of women at a plant in Normal, IL, had endured groping and crude jokes from male workers.   1998 - Pakistan announced moratorium on nuclear testing and offered to talk with India over disputed Kashmir.

1509 King Henry VIII married his first wife, Katharine of Aragon. 1770 Capt. James Cook discovered the Great Barrier Reef off Australia . 1919 Sir Barton won the Belmont Stakes, becoming the first horse to capture the Triple Crown. 1963 Vivian Malone and James Hood successfully enrolled at the University of Alabama following Gov. George Wallace’s famous "stand in the schoolhouse door." 1977 Seattle Slew won the Belmont Stakes, capturing the Triple Crown. 2001 Timothy McVeigh, the 1995 Oklahoma City bomber, was executed.

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/jun11.htm

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

http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory