June 15, 1969. Hee Haw has been described as a country-western version of Laugh-In, composed of fast-paced sketches, silly jokes and songs. Though critics didnt like it, it had popular appeal and did wellas a syndicated show. It was cohosted by Buck Owens and Roy Clark, alternating with guest hosts. Regular performers included Louis M. Grandpa Jones, Junior Samples, Jeannine Riley, Lulu Roman, David Stringbean Akeman, Sheb Wooley, Marianne Gordon, Minnie Pearl and Gordie Tapp.
Arkansas was admitted as the 25th state in the Union on June 15, 1836.
Anniversary of King Johns sealing, in 1215, of the Magna Carta in the meadow called Ronimed between Windsor and Staines on the fifteenth day of June in the seventeenth year of our reign. This document is regarded as the first charter of English liberties and one of the most important documents in the history of political and human freedom. Four original copies of the 1215 charter survive.
On June 15, 1924, the US Congress passed legislation recognizing the citizenship of Native Americans.
Millions of filmgoers (and star Janet Leigh) avoided the showerafter this thrillers debut in 1960. Alfred Hitchcocks shocker, punctuated by shrieking violins and sudden knife attacks, juxtaposed the old-time horror of the dark gothic mansion with a new locus of fear: the isolated postwar roadside motel. Psycho led the way to the slasher films of the 1970s and later. Anthony Perkins starred as motel proprietor and bird lover Norman Bates.
June 16, 1904. Anniversary of events in Dublin recorded in James Joyces Ulysses, whose central character is Leopold Bloom.
The Battle of Bunker Hill took place near Boston on June 17, 1775.
the ballets The Firebird,Petrushka and The Rite of Spring; the choral work Symphony of Psalms; and Abraham and Isaac, A Sacred Ballet. Died at New York, NY, Apr 6, 1971.
On June 17, 1972, the arrests at the Democratic Party Headquarters in the Watergate Building in Washington, DC, took place.
June 18, 1815. Date of the decisive defeat of Emperor Napoleonand his army of 74,000 soldiers by a combined Anglo-Allied (68,000 troops) and Prussian army (70,000 troops) led by the Duke of Wellington and Marshal Blcher. The bloody battle in a gentle valley near Waterloo a municipality then annexed to the French Republic, now part of French-speaking Belgium ended the French First Empire and the career of Napoleon Bonaparte, one of the greatest commanders and statesmen in history, and ushered in half a century of international peace and stability in Europe.
June 18, 1983. Dr. Sally Ride, 32-year-old physicist and pilot, functioned as a mission specialist and became the first American woman in space when she began a six-day mission aboard the space shuttle Challenger. The near-perfect mission was launched from Cape Canaveral, FL, and landed June 24, 1983, at Edwards Air Force Base, CA.
Celebrate one of the original fast foods! Not only is sushi delicious, its also an art form meant to be appreciated and worthy of celebration. Once a means of preserving fish in Southeast Asia, sushi has now become a popular dish and experience enjoyed by people of all ages at restaurants around the world. Everyone from sushi connoisseurs to sushi novices are invited to dine on their favorite sushi items or perhaps try something new!
After much debate in Congress between hawks such as Henry Clay and John Calhoun and doves such as John Randolph, Congress issued a declaration of war on Great Britain. The action was prompted primarily by Britains violation of Americas rights on the high seas and British incitement of Indian warfare on the frontier. War was seen by some as a way to acquire Florida and Canada. The hostilities ended with the signing of the Treatyof Ghent on Dec 24, 1814, at Ghent, Belgium.
A day to recognize juggling as a sport and entertainment form.
World Wide Knit In Public Day started in 2005 as a way for knitters to come together.
Recognition of the third Sunday in June as Fathers Day occurred first at the request of Mrs John B. Dodd of Spokane, WA, on June 19, 1910. It was proclaimed for that date by the mayor of Spokane and recognizedby the governor of Washington. The idea was publicly supported by President Calvin Coolidge in 1924, but not presidentially proclaimed until 1966. It was assured of annual recognition by PL 92 278 of April 1972.
On June 19, 1865, Union General Granger informed slaves in Texas of their freedom. Juneteenth is a major celebration of African-Americanculture and heritage in the United States.
June 19, 1903. Baseball great Henry Louis Gehrig (lifetime batting average of. 341), who played in seven World Series, was born at New York, NY, and died there June 2, 1941, from the degenerative muscle disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which has become known as Lou Gehrigs disease.
June 19, 1953. Anniversary of the electrocution of the only married couple ever executed together in the US. Julius (35) and Ethel (37) Rosenberg were executed for espionage at Sing Sing Prison, Ossining, NY. Time for the execution was advanced several hours to avoid conflict with theJewish sabbath. Their conviction has been a subject of controversy over the years.
World Sauntering Day – A day to revive the lost art of Victorian sauntering and to discourage jogging, lollygagging, sashaying, fast walking and trotting.
With its tagline Dont go in the water and its ominous cello music, the Steven Spielbergdirected thriller shocked audiences on this date. Adapted from a Peter Benchley bestseller, Jaws showed a great white shark preying on the beachgoers of a New England town. It won three Oscars best editing, best sound and best original score (by John Williams) and was a blockbuster success.
On June 20, 1863, West Virginia became the 35th state in the Union, after splitting from Virginia.
June 20, 1948. The Ed Sullivan Show was officially titled Toast of the Town until 1955. It was the longest-running variety show (through 1971) and the most popular for decades. Sullivan, the host, signed all types of acts, both well-known and new, trying to have something to please everyone. Thousands of performers appeared, many making their television debut, such as Irving Berlin, Victor Borge, Hedy Lamarr, Walt Disney, Fred Astaire and Jane Powell. Two acts attracted the largest audience ofthe time: Elvis Presley and The Beatles.
On June 20, 1895, Caroline Willard Baldwin earned the first doctor of science degree at Cornell University.
In the Northern Hemisphere summer begins today with the summer solstice, at 6:34 PM, EDT. Note that in the Southern Hemisphere today is the beginning of winter. Anywhere between the equator and the Arctic Circle, the sun rises and sets farthest north on the horizon for the year and length of daylight is maximum (12 hours, 8 minutes at equator, increasing to 24 hours at the Arctic Circle).
