Today is Friday, June 20, the 172nd day of 2008. There are 194 days left in the year. Summer arrives at 7:59 p.m. Eastern time.

Today's Highlight in History: On June 20, 1893, a jury in New Bedford, Mass., found Lizzie Borden innocent of the ax murders of her father and stepmother.
On this day in 1837, Victoria, the granddaughter of George III, and the niece of William IV, succeeded to the British throne, at the death of William IV who died at the age of 71 from heart failure. On June 28, 1838, her coronation took place. From May 1, 1876, till her death on January 22, 1901, she was also the first Empress of India.

During her reign, which is known as the Victorian era, Britain became one of the most important global power; it was a period of significant social, economic and technological affluence, where the British empire raeched the pinnacle of expansion. Longer than any other British monarch, her tenure as Queen lasted for 63 years and seven months.


On this date:


In 1756, a British garrison was imprisoned by the troops of the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj ud-Daulah, in the Black Hole of Calcutta; discontented over the interference of the British East India Company in the country's internal affairs, the Nawab laid a seige to the Fort William where the company was pursuing its military ambitions.However, the exact circumstances — such as the number of prisoners, originally put at 146, and how many of them died — are disputed.

In 1782, the US Congress after six years of discussion, adopted the Great Seal of the United States.

In 1819, the US vessel SS Savannah which was the first steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean, arrived at Liverpool, United Kingdom. Built in New York by the shipyard of Crockett and Fickett, though it was never a commercial success, it was to lead others to dream of bigger projects in the field of ocean travel.

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

In 1862, Barbu Catargiu, a conservative Romanian journalist and politician, and the Prime Minister of Romania was assassinated.

In 1863, West Virginia became the 35th state.

In 1877, Alexander Graham Bell widely credited with the invention of the telephone, installed the world's first commercial telephone service in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. He is remembered for many other including groundbreaking work in hydrofoils and aeronautics.

In 1893, Lizzie Borden was acquitted of murdering her stepmother and father, due to lack of substantive evidence, despite her having motive and opportunity, in a trial that became a national sensation in the United States.

In 1943, race rioting erupted in Detroit; federal troops were sent in two days later to quell the violence that resulted in more than 30 deaths.

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

In 1948, the television variety series "Toast of the Town," hosted by Ed Sullivan, debuted on CBS.

In 1963, the United States and Soviet Union signed an agreement to set up a "hot line" between the two superpowers.

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 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 in a retrial.


Ten years ago: On the eve of Father's Day, President Clinton used his weekly radio address to announce the release of the first wave of almost $60 million in prostate cancer research grants.

Five years ago: Secretary of State Colin Powell met separately with the leaders of Israel and the Palestinian Authority, praising the Israelis for efforts toward an eventual peace settlement and urging speed on the Palestinians. President Bush named Scott McClellan his new press secretary, succeeding Ari Fleischer. Wildfires fueled by high winds burned 250 homes in southern Arizona.

One year ago: For the second time, President Bush vetoed an embryonic stem cell bill as he urged scientists toward what he termed "ethically responsible" research. Sammy Sosa, playing for the Texas Rangers after a year out of baseball, hit his 600th home run, making him the fifth player to reach the milestone.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Olympia Dukakis is 77. Actor Martin Landau is 77. Actor James Tolkan is 77. Actor Danny Aiello is 75. Blues musician Lazy Lester is 75. Actor John Mahoney is 68. Movie director Stephen Frears is 67. Singer-songwriter Brian Wilson is 66. Actor John McCook is 63. Singer Anne Murray is 63. TV personality Bob Vila is 62. Musician Andre Watts is 62. Actress Candy Clark is 61. Producer Tina Sinatra is 60. Rhythm-and-blues singer Lionel Richie is 59. Actor John Goodman is 56. Rock musician Michael Anthony is 54. Musician John Taylor is 48. Rock musician Mark DeGliantoni is 46. Rock musician Murphy Karges (Sugar Ray) is 41. Actress Nicole Kidman is 41. Movie director Robert Rodriguez is 40. Actor Peter Paige is 39. Actor Josh Lucas is 37. Country-folk singer-songwriter Amos Lee is 31. Country singer Chuck Wicks is 29. Actor Chris Mintz-Plasse is 19. Actress Maria Lark (TV: "Medium") is 11.

Thought for Today: "Even the merest gesture is holy if it is filled with faith." — Franz Kafka, Austrian author and poet (1883-1924).
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