Today in History

Today is Wednesday, June 25th, the 177th day of 2008. There are 189 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History: On June 25th, 1950, war broke out in Korea as forces from the communist North invaded the South.

On this date: In 1788, Virginia ratified the U.S. Constitution.

In 1868, Congress passed an Omnibus Act allowing for the readmission of Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina to the Union.

In 1876, Lieutenant Colonel George A. Custer and his Seventh Cavalry were wiped out by Sioux and Cheyenne Indians in the Battle of the Little Bighorn in Montana.

In 1906, architect Stanford White was shot to death atop New York's Madison Square Garden, which he had designed, by millionaire Harry K. Thaw, the jealous husband of Evelyn Nesbit (Thaw was acquitted of murder by reason of insanity).

In 1938, the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 was enacted.

In 1942, some 1,000 British Royal Air Force bombers raided Bremen, Germany, during World War II.

In 1958, a four-day dedication of the Mackinac (MAK'-ih-naw) Bridge linking Michigan's upper and lower peninsulas began, almost eight months after the bridge was opened to traffic.

In 1962, the Supreme Court, in Engel v. Vitale, ruled that recital of a state-sponsored prayer in New York State public schools was unconstitutional.

In 1973, former White House Counsel John W. Dean began testifying before the Senate Watergate Committee.

In 1996, a truck bomb killed 19 Americans and injured hundreds at a U.S. military housing complex in Saudi Arabia.

Ten years ago: The Supreme Court rejected a 1997 line-item veto law as unconstitutional, and ruled that HIV-infected people are protected by the Americans With Disabilities Act. President CLinton began a nine-day trip to China in the city of Xi'an (SHEE'-ahn).

Five years ago: The music industry threatened to sue hundreds of individual computer users who were illegally sharing music files online. Former Georgia Governor Lester Maddox, a symbol of Old South segregation, died in Atlanta at age 87.

One year ago: A suicide bomber blew himself up in the midst of a gathering of U.S.-allied tribal sheiks at a Baghdad hotel, killing 13 people. Robert Zoellick (ZEL'-ik) won unanimous approval of the World Bank's board to become the institution's next president.

World Wrestling Entertainment star Chris Benoit, his wife and 7-year-old son were found dead in their Fayetteville, Georgia, home (authorities concluded that Benoit strangled his family, then killed himself). A judge in Washington, D.C., ruled in favor of a dry cleaner sued by a dissatisfied customer who was demanding 54 million dollars for his missing pants.

Today's Birthdays: Movie director Sidney Lumet (loo-MEHT') is 84. Actress June Lockhart is 83. Rhythm-and-blues singer Eddie Floyd is 73. Actress Barbara Montgomery is 69. Basketball Hall-of-Famer Willis Reed is 66. Writer-producer-director Gary David Goldberg is 64. Singer Carly Simon is 63. Rock musician Allen Lanier (Blue Oyster Cult) is 62. Rock musician Ian McDonald (Foreigner; King Crimson) is 62. Actor-comedian Jimmie Walker is 61. Actor-director Michael Lembeck is 60. TV personality Phyllis George is 59. Rock singer Tim Finn is 56. Rock musician David Paich (Toto) is 54. Actor Michael Sabatino is 53. Actor-writer-director Ricky Gervais (jer-VAYZ') is 47. Actor John Benjamin Hickey is 45.

Rock singer George Michael is 45. Actress Erica Gimpel is 44.

Basketball player Dikembe Mutombo (dih-KEHM'-bay moo-TAHM'-boh) is 42. Rapper-producer Richie Rich is 41. Rapper Candyman is 40.

Contemporary Christian musician Sean Kelly (Sixpence None the Richer) is 37. Actress Angela Kinsey (TV: "The Office") is 37.

Rock musician Mike Kroeger (Nickelback) is 36. Rock musician Mario Calire is 34. Actress Linda Cardellini is 33. Actress Busy Philipps is 29.

Thought for Today: "It is not depravity that afflicts the human race so much as a general lack of intelligence." Agnes Repplier, American writer and social critic (1858-1950).

(Above Advance for Use Wednesday, June 25th)


Copyright 2008, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 06-16-08 0900CDT | save this article / add to your favorites list