Today In History: June 9

[Seneca]

Today in history


On this date:

• In A.D. 68, the Roman Emperor Nero committed suicide.

• In 1870, author Charles Dickens died in Godshill, England.

• In 1940, Norway surrendered to the Nazis during World War II.

• In 1954, during the Senate-Army Hearings, Army special counsel Joseph N. Welch asked Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy: "Have you no sense of decency, sir?"

• In 1969, the U.S. Senate confirmed Warren Burger to be the new chief justice of the United States, succeeding Earl Warren.

• In 1973, Secretariat became horse racing's first Triple Crown winner in 25 years by winning the Belmont Stakes.

• In 1978, leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints struck down a 148-year-old policy of excluding black men from the Mormon priesthood.

• In 1980, comedian Richard Pryor suffered almost fatal burns at his San Fernando Valley, Calif., home when a mixture of "free-base" cocaine exploded.

• In 1985, American educator Thomas Sutherland was kidnapped in Lebanon; he was released in November 1991, along with fellow hostage Terry Waite.

• In 1993, as millions of Japanese watched on television, Crown Prince Naruhito wed commoner Masako Owada in an elaborate Shinto religious ceremony.

[qnr]

1. Gee, nothing boring /ever/ happens on these days in history

:)