Today in History: June 6, D-Day in Normandy - WTOP News (2024)

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Today in History

Today is Tuesday, June 6, the 157th day of 2023. There are 208 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History:

On June 6, 1944, during World War II, Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy, France, on “D-Day” as they began the liberation of German-occupied Western Europe.

On this date:

In 1844, the Young Men’s Christian Association was founded in London.

In 1912, Novarupta, a volcano on the Alaska peninsula, began a three-day eruption, sending ash as high as 100,000 feet; it was the most powerful volcanic eruption of the 20th century and ranks among the largest in recorded history.

In 1934, the Securities and Exchange Commission was established.

In 1939, the first Little League baseball game was played as Lundy Lumber defeated Lycoming Dairy 23-8 in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

In 1968, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy died at Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles, 25 1/2 hours after he was shot by Sirhan Bishara Sirhan.

In 1977, a sharply divided U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Louisiana law imposing an automatic death sentence on defendants convicted of the first-degree murder of a police officer.

In 1982, Israeli forces invaded Lebanon to drive Palestine Liberation Organization fighters out of the country. (The Israelis withdrew in June 1985.)

In 1989, burial services were held for Iran’s spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

In 2001, Democrats assumed control of the U.S. Senate after the decision of Vermont Republican James Jeffords to become an independent.

In 2005, the Supreme Court ruled, 6-3, that people who smoked marijuana because their doctors recommended it to ease pain could be prosecuted for violating federal drug laws.

In 2006, soul musician Billy Preston died in Scottsdale, Arizona, at age 59.

In 2020, tens of thousands rallied in cities from Australia to Europe to honor George Floyd and voice support for the Black Lives Matter movement. Massive, peaceful protests took place nationwide to demand police reform.

Ten years ago: Director of National Intelligence James Clapper moved to tamp down a public uproar spurred by the disclosure of secret surveillance programs involving phone and Internet records, declassifying key details about one of the programs while insisting the efforts were legal, limited in scope and necessary to detect terrorist threats. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his wife, Lyudmila Putina, announced they were divorcing after nearly 30 years of marriage. Esther Williams, 91, the swimming champion turned actress, died in Los Angeles. Longtime soap opera actress Maxine Stuart, 94, died in Beverly Hills, California.

Five years ago: Breaking with President Donald Trump, House Speaker Paul Ryan said there was no evidence that the FBI had planted a “spy” in Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign in an effort to hurt his chances at the polls. Trump commuted the life sentence of Alice Marie Johnson, who had spent more than two decades behind bars for drug offenses; her cause had been championed by reality TV star Kim Kardashian West. Carrie Underwood continued to make history as the most decorated act at the CMT Music Awards as a new award for female video of the year gave her 18 wins overall; Blake Shelton walked away with the night’s top prize, video of the year. Hall of Fame second baseman Red Schoendienst, who also managed the St. Louis Cardinals to two pennants and a World Series championship in the 1960s, died at the age of 95.

One year ago: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson survived a no-confidence vote, securing enough support from his Conservative Party to remain in office despite a substantial rebellion that left him a weakened leader with an uncertain future. (Johnson would resign on July 7.) Russia began turning over the bodies of Ukrainian fighters killed at the Azovstal steelworks, the fortress-like plant in the destroyed city of Mariupol where their last stand became a symbol of resistance against Moscow’s invasion. The former top leader of the far-right Proud Boys extremist group and other members were charged with seditious conspiracy for what federal prosecutors said was a coordinated attack on the U.S. Capitol to stop Congress from certifying President Joe Biden’s 2020 electoral victory.

Today’s Birthdays: Singer-songwriter Gary “U.S.” Bonds is 84. Country singer Joe Stampley is 80. Jazz musician Monty Alexander is 79. Actor Robert Englund is 76. Folk singer Holly Near is 74. Singer Dwight Twilley is 72. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., is 71. Playwright-actor Harvey Fierstein (FY’-ur-steen) is 71. Comedian Sandra Bernhard is 68. International Tennis Hall of Famer Bjorn Borg is 67. Actor Amanda Pays is 64. Comedian Colin Quinn is 64. Record producer Jimmy Jam is 64. Rock musician Steve Vai is 63. Rock singer-musician Tom Araya (Slayer) is 62. Actor Jason Isaacs is 60. Actor Anthony Starke is 60. Rock musician Sean Yseult (White Zombie) is 57. Actor Max Casella is 56. Actor Paul Giamatti is 56. R&B singer Damion Hall (Guy) is 55. Rock musician James “Munky” Shaffer (Korn) is 53. TV correspondent Natalie Morales is 51. Country singer Lisa Brokop is 50. Rapper-rocker Uncle Kracker is 49. Actor Sonya Walger is 49. Former actor Staci Keanan is 48. Jazz singer Somi is 47. Actor Amber Borycki is 40. Actor Aubrey Anderson-Emmons is 16.

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