Today in History - June 3
By The Associated Press
Tue Jun 3, 12: 01 AM ET
Today is Tuesday, June 3, the 155th day of 2008. There are 211 days left in the year.
Today's Highlight in History:
Two hundred years ago, on June 3, 1808, Jefferson Davis, the first and only president of the Confederate States of America, was born in Christian County, Ky.
In 1621, the Dutch West India Company received its charter for a trade monopoly in parts of the Americas and Africa.
In 1888, the poem "Casey at the Bat," by Ernest Lawrence Thayer, was first published, in the San Francisco Daily Examiner.
In 1935, the French liner Normandie set a record on its maiden voyage, arriving in New York after crossing the Atlantic in just four days.
In 1937, the Duke of Windsor, who had abdicated the British throne, married Wallis Warfield Simpson in Monts, France.
In 1948, the 200-inch reflecting Hale Telescope at the Palomar Mountain Observatory in California was dedicated.
In 1963, Pope John XXIII died at age 81; he was succeeded by Pope Paul VI.
In 1965, astronaut Edward White became the first American to "walk" in space, during the flight of Gemini 4.
In 1968, pop artist Andy Warhol was shot and critically wounded in his New York film studio, known as "The Factory," by Valerie Solanas, an actress and self-styled militant feminist.
In 1983, Gordon Kahl, a militant tax protester wanted in the slayings of two U.S. marshals in North Dakota, was killed in a gun battle with law enforcement officials near Smithville, Ark.
In 1989, Iran's spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, died.
Ten years ago: President Clinton urged Congress to renew normal trade benefits for China, saying good relations with Beijing were crucial amid fears of a nuclear arms race in South Asia. A high-speed train derailed in Eschede, Germany, killing 101 people.
Five years ago: World leaders closed out a summit in Evian, France, by pledging to rebuild Iraq and combat the threat of nuclear weapons in Iran and North Korea. Arab leaders pledged to renounce terror and help end violence against Israel, standing in solidarity with President Bush at a summit in Egypt. Sammy Sosa was ejected in the first inning of Chicago's 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays after umpires found cork in his shattered bat.
One year ago: After attending the MTV Movie Awards, Paris Hilton reported to jail to serve a 45-day sentence for a probation violation in an alcohol-related reckless driving case. (Hilton was released after three days behind bars for an unspecified medical condition, but a Los Angeles County judge ordered her back to jail.)
Today's Birthdays: Actor Tony Curtis is 83. TV producer Chuck Barris is 79. Actress Irma P. Hall is 73. Author Larry McMurtry is 72. Rock singer Ian Hunter (Mott The Hoople) is 69. Singer Eddie Holman is 62. Musician Too Slim (Riders in the Sky) is 60. Rock musician Richard Moore is 59. Singer Suzi Quatro is 58. Singer Deneice Williams is 57. Rock musician Billy Powell (Lynyrd Skynyrd) is 56. Singer Dan Hill is 54. Actor Scott Valentine is 50. Rock musician Kerry King (Slayer) is 44. CNN host Anderson Cooper is 41. Country singer Jamie O'Neal is 40. Singers Gabriel and Ariel Hernandez (No Mercy) are 37. Actress-singer Lalaine ("Lizzie McGuire") is 21.
Thought for Today: "Never be haughty to the humble; never be humble to the haughty." — Jefferson Davis, Confederate president (1808-1889).
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080603/...n_hi/history_1