Today is Wednesday, June 22, the 174th day of 2016. There are 192 days left in the year.
Today's Highlight in History:
On June 22, 1941, during World War II, Nazi Germany launched Operation Barbarossa, a massive invasion of the Soviet Union.
On this date:
In 1611, English explorer Henry Hudson, his son and several other people were set adrift in present-day Hudson Bay by mutineers aboard the Discovery.
In 1870, the United States Department of Justice was created.
In 1911, Britain's King George V was crowned at Westminster Abbey.
In 1937, Joe Louis began his reign as world heavyweight boxing champion by knocking out Jim Braddock in the eighth round of their fight in Chicago. (A year later on this date, Louis knocked out Max Schmeling in the first round of their rematch at Yankee Stadium.)
In 1940, during World War II, Adolf Hitler gained a stunning victory as France was forced to sign an armistice eight days after German forces overran Paris.
In 1944, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, more popularly known as the "GI Bill of Rights."
In 1945, the World War II battle for Okinawa ended with an Allied victory.
In 1959, the Swedish film "Wild Strawberries," written and directed by Ingmar Bergman, opened in New York.
In 1969, singer-actress Judy Garland died in London at age 47.
In 1977, John N. Mitchell became the first former U.S. Attorney General to go to prison as he began serving a sentence for his role in the Watergate cover-up. (He was released 19 months later.)
In 1987, actor-dancer Fred Astaire died in Los Angeles at age 88.
In 1993, former first lady Pat Nixon died in Park Ridge, New Jersey, at age 81.
Ten years ago: During a visit to Hungary to commemorate the 1956 revolt against communism, President George W. Bush said war-weary Iraqis could learn from the Hungarians' long and bloody struggle against tyranny. The Bush administration confirmed it had gained access to international banking records as part of a classified program to choke off financial support for terrorism. The Red Cross admitted Israel as a member and allowed it to use a Star of David as its symbol.
Five years ago: President Barack Obama announced in a White House address that he would pull home 33,000 troops from Afghanistan by the following summer. James "Whitey" Bulger, the longtime fugitive Boston crime boss and fixture on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list, was arrested in Santa Monica, California.
One year ago: The Obama administration released a report on global warming that said failure to act on climate change could cause an estimated 57,000 deaths a year in the United States from poor air quality by 2100. South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley said the Confederate flag should be removed from the grounds of the state capitol, reversing her position on the divisive symbol amid growing calls for it to be removed. Oscar-winning film composer James Horner, 61, was killed in the crash of his plane in Los Padres National Forest. Italian actress Laura Antonelli, 73, died in Rome.
