Today is Friday, June 15, the 166th day of 2018. There are 199 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History: On June 15, 1215, England’s King John put his seal to Magna Carta (“the Great Charter”) at Runnymede.
On this date:
1520: Pope Leo X issued a papal bull in which he threatened to excommunicate Martin Luther if he did not recant his religious beliefs, a threat that was carried out the following January.
1775: The Second Continental Congress voted unanimously to appoint George Washington head of the Continental Army.
1836: Arkansas became the 25th state.
1849: James Polk, the 11th president of the United States, died in Nashville, Tennessee.
1904: More than 1,000 people died when fire erupted aboard the steamboat General Slocum in New York’s East River.
1934: President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an act making the National Guard part of the U.S. Army in the event of war or national emergency.
1944: American forces began their successful invasion of Saipan during World War II. B-29 Superfortresses carried out their first raids on Japan.
1955: The United States and Britain signed a cooperation agreement concerning atomic information for “mutual defence purposes.”
1969: The variety show “Hee Haw,” a fast-paced mixture of country music and comedy skits, debuted on CBS-TV.
1978: King Hussein of Jordan married 26-year-old American Lisa Halaby, who became Queen Noor.
1988: The baseball romantic comedy “Bull Durham,” starring Kevin Costner and Susan Sarandon, was released by Orion Pictures.
1993: Former Texas Gov. John Connally, who was wounded in the gunfire that killed President John F. Kennedy, died in Houston at age 76.
