Today in History

Today in History

Today is Monday, June 20, the 172nd day of 2016. There are 194 days left in the year. Summer arrives at 6:34 p.m. Eastern time.

Today's Highlight in History:

On June 20, 1966, the Beatles album "Yesterday and Today" was released by Capitol Records, initially with its notorious cover photo featuring the Fab Four dressed in butcher smocks while posing with chunks of meat and parts of dismembered dolls; the resulting outcry prompted Capitol to recall the albums and replace the covers with a more conventional group portrait, making the "butcher cover" a collector's item.

On this date:

In 1782, Congress approved the Great Seal of the United States, featuring the emblem of the bald eagle.

In 1791, King Louis XVI of France and his family attempted to flee in the so-called "Flight to Varennes," but were caught.

In 1837, Queen Victoria acceded to the British throne following the death of her uncle, King William IV.

In 1863, West Virginia became the 35th state.

In 1893, a jury in New Bedford, Massachusetts, found Lizzie Borden not guilty of the ax murders of her father and stepmother.

In 1921, U.S. Rep. Alice Mary Robertson, R-Okla., became the first woman to preside over a session of the House of Representatives.

In 1947, Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel was shot dead at the Beverly Hills, California, mansion of his girlfriend, Virginia Hill, apparently at the order of mob associates.

In 1967, boxer Muhammad Ali was convicted in Houston of violating Selective Service laws by refusing to be drafted. (Ali's conviction was ultimately overturned by the Supreme Court).

In 1979, ABC News correspondent Bill Stewart was shot to death in Managua, Nicaragua, by a member of President Anastasio Somoza's national guard.

In 1982, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed National Bald Eagle Day.

In 1990, South African black nationalist Nelson Mandela and his wife, Winnie, arrived in New York City for a ticker-tape parade in their honor as they began an eight-city U.S. tour.

In 2001, Houston resident Andrea Yates drowned her five children in the family bathtub, then called police. (Yates was later convicted of murder, but had her conviction overturned; she was acquitted by reason of insanity in a retrial.)

Ten years ago: The U.S. military recovered the booby-trapped bodies of two missing soldiers in Iraq. Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi announced the withdrawal of Japanese ground troops from Iraq. National Guardsmen rolled into New Orleans to reinforce a depleted police department and battle a surge in violence. Dan Rather reached an agreement with CBS News to leave the network after 44 years. The Miami Heat won their first NBA title, beating the Dallas Mavericks 95-92 in Game 6.

Five years ago: Syrian President Bashar Assad promised a national dialogue to consider political reforms, but his vague overtures to a pro-democracy uprising fell flat as protesters took to the streets shouting "Liar!" and demanding his ouster. "Jackass" star Ryan Dunn was killed in a fiery car crash near Philadelphia; he was 34. The erotic novel "Fifty Shades of Grey" by E.L. James was published by Vintage Books.

One year ago: More than 60 pizza-makers working for 18 hours completed a pie that was 1.59545 kilometers, or nearly a mile long, for Milan's world fair, Expo 2015; a Guinness World Records judge proclaimed it the world's longest pizza, topping a 1.1415-kilometer-long pie made in Spain. Max Scherzer pitched a no-hitter, losing his perfect game with two outs in the ninth inning when he hit a batter in the Washington Nationals' 6-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Today's Birthdays: Actor Martin Landau is 88. Actress Bonnie Bartlett is 87. Actress Olympia Dukakis is 85. Actor James Tolkan is 85. Actor Danny Aiello is 83. Blues musician Lazy Lester is 83. Actor John Mahoney is 76. Movie director Stephen Frears is 75. Singer-songwriter Brian Wilson is 74. Actor John McCook is 72. Singer Anne Murray is 71. TV personality Bob Vila is 70. Musician Andre Watts is 70. Actress Candy Clark is 69. Producer Tina Sinatra is 68. Rhythm-and-blues singer Lionel Richie is 67. Actor John Goodman is 64. Rock musician Michael Anthony is 62. Pop musician John Taylor is 56. Rock musician Mark degli Antoni is 54. Christian rock musician Jerome Fontamillas (Switchfoot) is 49. Rock musician Murphy Karges (Sugar Ray) is 49. Actress Nicole Kidman is 49. Country/bluegrass singer-musician Dan Tyminski is 49. Movie director Robert Rodriguez is 48. Actor Peter Paige is 47. Actor Josh Lucas is 45. Rock musician Jeordie White (AKA Twiggy Ramirez) is 45. Rock singer Chino Moreno (Deftones) is 43. Country-folk singer-songwriter Amos Lee is 39. Country singer Chuck Wicks is 37. Actress Tika Sumpter is 36. Country musician Chris Thompson (The Eli Young Band) is 36. Actress-singer Alisan Porter (Film: "Curly Sue"; TV: "The Voice") is 35. Christian rock musician Chris Dudley (Underoath) is 33. Rock singer Grace Potter (Grace Potter & the Nocturnals) is 33. Actor Mark Saul is 31. Actress Dreama Walker is 30. Actor Chris Mintz-Plasse is 27. Actress Maria Lark is 19.

Thought for Today: "Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old." -- Franz Kafka, Austrian author and poet (1883-1924).