Saturday, June 20, 2026
Saturday Morning in the Blogosphere
Important Events From This day in History June 20
1975 U.S.A. Jaws
1975 : The summer blockbuster movie "Jaws" is released about a great white shark attacking swimmers at Amity Island, a fictional summer resort town.
1893 U.S.A. Lizzie Borden
1893 : In the case of the murder of her father Andrew Jackson Borden, and her stepmother, Abby Borden despite incriminating circumstances but with no murder weapon found and no blood evidence found. A jury in New Bedford, Mass., found Lizzie Borden innocent of the ax murders of her father and stepmother. The case was is best remembered by the popular jump-rope rhyme: Lizzie Borden took an axe And gave her mother forty whacks. And when she saw what she had done She gave her father forty-one.
1923 U.S.A. Rum Smugglers
1923 : A large fleet of Seaplanes are to be mobilized in an attempt to catch rum smugglers off the Atlantic Coast, it is believed these will be more successful than current means of catching the rum runners who are equipped with very fast boats that are outrunning federal agents.
1929 U.S.A. Rum Smugglers
1929 : Exchanges of gunfire on the Detroit river between rum runners and federal agents ended with federal agents using machine guns to sink the smugglers vessel, French boats are anchored off the coast outside of US jurisdiction and the rum runners are going between shore and the ships anchored off shore carrying cases of rum.
1937 U.S.A. "Pirates of Penzance"
1937 : W2XBS (later WCBS-TV) televised the first TV operetta. The work was the "Pirates of Penzance" by Gilbert and Sullivan. The operetta became the duo's most popular creation and is still parodied in cartoons and other pop culture references today.
1947 U.S.A. Mob Killing
1947 : Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel is murdered at the Beverly Hills, Calif., mansion of his girlfriend, Virginia Hill, at the order of mob associates angered over the soaring costs of Siegel’s pet project, the Flamingo resort now costing in the region of $6,000,000 in Las Vegas, Nev. In the 1972 movie the Godfather the character of Moe Greene is heavily based on Siegel.
1956 Plane Crash
1956 : Venezuelan airliner plunges into Atlantic.
1963 Hot Line Established Between US and Soviet Union
1963 : To lessen the threat of an accidental nuclear war, the United States and the Soviet Union agree to establish a "hot line" communication system between the two nations.
1967 U.S.A. Muhammad Ali
1967 : After appearing for his scheduled induction into the U.S. Armed Forces on April 28th, 1967 in Houston, he refused three times to step forward at the call of his name. On 20th June Muhammad Ali is convicted in Houston of violating Selective Service laws by refusing to be drafted. The decision is later overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.
1976 Lebanon Evacuation over Continued Fighting
1976 : As the fighting continues to escalate in Beirut and with westerners now facing increasing danger after the murder of the American ambassador Francis Meloy. Westerners are being evacuated by the US military and taken to safety in Syria.
1977 U.S.A. Alaska Oil Pipeline
1977 : Crude oil from North Alaska begins flowing south down the trans-Alaska pipeline to the ice-free port of Valdez, Alaska.
1984 UK O'Levels and CSE's To Be Replaced By GCSE's
1984 : General Certificate of Education / GCE O-Level and CSE exams are to be abolished and replaced by a new examination for 16 year olds in Great Britain. General Certificate of Education / GCE O-Level and GCE A-Level were introduced in Great Britain replacing the older School Certificate (SC) and Higher School Certificate (HSC) in 1951. Certificate of Secondary Education (CSE) were introduced in 1965 designed for those students who were not capable of taking the "O Levels". The A-Level Examinations are still taken in the UK and are still used by most British Universities as a de facto university entrance examination, though some universities also require applicants to take separate entrance examinations.
Today in Labor History June 20, 2026
Eugene V. Debs
Friday, June 19, 2026
Important Events From This day in History June 19
1846 U.S.A. First official Game of Baseball
1846 : The first official game played under New York Knickerbockers Baseball Club rules was in 1846 in Hoboken, New Jersey, between the Knickerbockers and the New York Base Ball Club. .
1905 U.S.A. Nickelodeon
1905 : The world's first nickelodeon opened showing a silent film called The Great Train Robbery the name nickelodeon was used as it cost 5 cents or a nickel to watch the movie or live vaudeville acts.
1910 U.S.A. Fathers Day
1910 : The First Father's Day was celebrated for the first time in Spokane, Washington.
1917 UK Royal Family
1917 : During the first World War as sentiment against Germany by the British People worsened King George V ordered the British royal family to end using the German-sounding surname, Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and to take on the name Royal House of Windsor.
1923 Italy Mount Etna
1923 : Walls of lava one mile wide are descending Mount Etna towards the town of Lingauglossa in Italy, the lava is travelling slowly giving time for evacuation of the area, another flow of Lava over 50ft high and a mile wide is heading for the town of Giarre with a population of 17,000 the town will be doomed as the lava will cover all buildings in the town.2002 Australia Solo Round The World Balloon Flight
2002 : Steve Fossett sets off in his 10-story high balloon Spirit of Freedom from Northam, Western Australia on his fifth attempt at flying a balloon solo around the world.
1938 U.S.A. Train Crash
1938 : A flood in Custer Creek in Terry, Montana washes out a bridge over the Custer Creek river used by trains and when the Olympian Special came through, it crashes into the raging waters with the loss of 46 lives.1953 U.S.A. Julius and Ethel Rosenberg
1953 : Following the conviction for spying on behalf of the Soviet Union and passing U.S. atomic secrets to the Soviet Union. Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are executed at Sing Sing Prison. Spying by both sides in the Fifties was a part of the Cold War.
1968 U.S.A. The Poor Peoples March
1968 : 50,000 people participated in " The Poor Peoples March " organised by Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to address issues of economic justice. The campaign culminated on Washington, D.C. to demand economic aid be given to the poorest communities in the United States. Unlike many of Martin Luther King Jr's campaigns The Poor People’s Campaign did not focus on just poor blacks but addressed all poor people of every minority.
1970 UK Edward Heath New Prime Minister
1970 : The conservative party led by Edward Heath wins in the general election. The win was considered unusual because all the opinion polls held in the few days prior to the General Election had predicted an easy win for the Labour party led by Harold Wilson.
Today in Labor History June 19th
Tuesday, June 16, 2026
Tuesday Morning in the Blogosphere
The rise of documentary storytelling in journalism schools - E&P Magazine
Important Events From This day in History June 16th
1967 U.S.A. Monterey International Pop Music Festival
1967 : The Monterey International Pop Music Festival opens in Monterey, California, which will run for three days starts on June 16th and end on June 18th. Over 200,000 people attended, and it is often regarded as the precursor to Woodstock.
Performers at the festival included some truly great pop music legends including.
Jimi Hendrix
The Who
Ravi Shankar
Janis Joplin
Otis Redding
The Steve Miller Band
The Blues Project
The Mamas and the Papas
Simon & Garfunkel
The Byrds
The Animals
Jefferson Airplane
Grateful Dead
If you look at the list above it could easily be considered one of the great concerts of all times with so much great talent assembled in one place.
1978 U.S.A. Grease Opens
1978 : The Movie Grease, starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John opened.
1884 First US Roller Coaster
1884 : The first American roller coaster (switchback railway) in America opens at Coney Island, in Brooklyn, New York.
1933 U.S.A. First Parts Of New Deal Legislation Signed
1933 : The first of the New Deal Initiatives for US recovery (bank, rail, and industry bills and initiating farm aid) are signed into law by President Roosevelt.
1958 Hungary Uprising
1958 : The leader of the anti Soviet uprising in Hungary Imre Nagy against Soviet Rule is hung for treason after The Soviet Union took back control of the country in the preceding November after sending in 200,000 troops and 2,500 tanks to regain control.
1961 France Rudolf Nureyev Defects
1961 : Rudolf Nureyev, the world renowned dancer from the Soviet Union's Kirov Opera Ballet Company, defects during a stopover in Paris.
1965 Vietnam US Troop Increase
1965 : A further 21,000 U.S. troops are to be sent to Vietnam as part of the continuing commitment of the United States support, the total of US military personnel exceeded 540,000 by 1969.
1976 South Africa Soweto Violence
1976 : Violence has erupted in a number of South African townships including Soweto with violent clashes between black demonstrators. The violence is triggered by a march by 10,000 students carrying banners and slogans, saying "Down with Afrikaans" and "Viva Azania" (the name given to South Africa by black nationalists).
1977 Soviet Union Brezhnev Elected
1977 : Leonid Ilich Brezhnev, first secretary of the Soviet Communist Party since 1964, is elected president of the Supreme Soviet, thereby becoming both head of party and head of state.
1992 UK Diana: Her True Story Published
1992 : A controversial book has been published about Princess Diana entitled "Diana: Her True Story". The author Andrew Morton insists he has reliable sources for the the book including claims about her attempted suicide on several occasions over the last decade. But Buckingham Palace has said Princess Diana did not co-operate with the biography in any way whatsoever.
1999 Kashmir India and Pakistan Shelling
1999 : Increased artillery shelling and mortar fire between India and Pakistan along the Line of Control, in the disputed territory of Kashmir is creating an increased number of refugees who are fleeing the area.
2003 UK Tony Blair Under Pressure
2003 : The British Prime Minister is coming under increasing pressure from his own party members and the opposition for deceiving the British public for the justifications to go war with Iraq. Claims include using intelligence to justify a policy which was already settled rather than using the intelligence to form the policy. After having taken control in Iraq no evidence has been found of weapons of mass destruction and the justification given for the war now by Tony Blair is the freedom of the Iraqi people.
2006 Italy Son of Last Italian King Arrested
2006 : The son of the last Italian king, Prince Victor Emmanuel, was arrested on charges of corruption and recruiting prostitutes for a casino. Victor Emmanuel's return to Italy in 2003 marked the end of the fifty-six years of exile that the former royal family faced. Victor Emmanuel denied the charges and his family maintained his innocence, claiming the the arrested was a publicity stunt by the police.
2007 Hostages Freed in Nigeria
2007 : Abductors freed ten Indian nationals that had been held hostage for two weeks. The release came a few days after a former militia leader was released on bail, and a week after several other hostages were set free.
2008 U.S.A. Honda FCX Clarity Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cars
2008 : Honda delivers the first of 200 Honda FCX Clarity's which run on hydrogen and electricity, emitting only water vapor. They are only available on lease and in California where there are a few hydrogen fueling stations.
2009 Sweden GM Sells Saab to Koenigsegg
2009 : The car manufacturer General Motors agreed to a deal to sell the Swedish brand Saab to Koenigsegg, a small car manufacturer that only sells eighteen cars in a year. The deal came as a part of GM's effort to reorganize and downsize their brands and increase their profitability.
2011 Vancouver Fans Riot After Hockey Loss
2011 : Riots erupted on the streets of Vancouver, Canada after the city's hockey team was defeated by the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup Final. Rioters looted stores and set cars on fire and were confronted by riot police who held the mob to one part of the city. Several people were arrested and injured during the incident. Vancouver faced a similar situation in 1994 when riots erupted over the Vancouver Canucks' Stanley Cup loss to the New York Rangers.
2012 China Sends First Woman to Space
2012 : China has launched its latest space mission that would include the country's first woman astronaut. Liu Yang, a 33 year old military pilot, was a part of the crew aboard the Shenzou-9 capsule that would spend a week at the Tiangong space lab to test systems and conduct experiments.
Today in Labor History June 16th, 2026
Eugene Debs
Monday, June 15, 2026
Important Events From This day in History June 15th
2002 Arthur Andersen and Enron Accounting Practices
2002 : The accounting firm Arthur Andersen is convicted of obstruction of justice for shredding documents related to its audit of Enron. Due to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission not allowing convicted felons to audit public companies Arthur Andersen agrees to surrender its CPA licenses and its right to practice before the SEC on August 31st, 2002. The case against Arthur Anderson is reversed by the Supreme Court of the United States on May 31st, 2005, who unanimously reversed Andersen's conviction due to what it saw as serious flaws in the jury instructions. Together with the stigma and bad publicity of the case even though the conviction is overturned Arthur Andersen has not recovered (in 2002 they employed over 80,000 in 2008 they employ less than 500).
1904 U.S.A. The General Slocum
1904 : An excursion steamer The General Slocum, carrying more than 1,300 people from St. Mark's German Lutheran Church for their 17th annual Sunday school picnic burst into flames on New York's East River with the loss of over 1000 lives.
1917 U.S.A. Espionage Act is passed
1917 : The Espionage Act is passed by the U.S. Congress, creating harsh penalties for anyone found to be interfering with the United States war efforts through the sharing of information to the country's enemies. Palmer Raids Timeline
1920 U.S.A. Lynching
1920 : A mob of 5,000 people lynched three African-American men in Duluth, Minnesota, who were jailed for the alleged rape of a 17 year old white woman.
1927 U.S.A. Ku Klux Klan
1927 : The growth of the Ku Klux Klan in the southern states and the increase in floggings of Negroes including women and children by the Klan has many in the north demanding the Klan be disbanded, in the latest incident in Gainsville Georgia a woman and her son were dragged from their bed and taken out of town where they were flogged and told to leave the area or more would follow, when admitted to the hospital 82 lash marks were found on the woman's body.
1935 U.S.A. New Deal Legislation
1935 : In a rush to try and get President Roosevelt New Deal Legislation Passed both houses of Congress were called in on a Saturday.
1945 U.S.A. Judy Garland
1945 : 23-year-old Judy Garland marries director Vincente Minnelli, her second husband. The couple had one daughter, actress and singer Liza Minnelli.
1955 UK Rail Strike
1955 : The 17 day Rail Strike in the UK has ended after a settlement has been reached.
1955 U.S.A. Civil Service Workers
1955 : A 7.5% pay raise across the board for the governments civil service workers has been approved by house civil service committee.
1965 Vietnam Rolling Thunder
1965 : U.S. planes bomb targets in North Vietnam, as part of Operation Rolling Thunder, launched in March 1965.
1966 UK World's First Hovercraft Show Opens
1966 : The world's first Hovercraft Show has opened to promote export sales of hovercraft for ferry operators, and military craft.
1971 UK Free School Milk
1971 : Opposition to Education Secretary Margaret Thatcher's ("Thatcher The Milk Snatcher") plans to end free school milk for children over the age of seven is growing with many Labour-controlled local councils threatening to increase local rates to provide Free School Milk. The conservative government has said more is spent on free school milk than books in the education system and this needs to change.
1985 Lebanon Hijacking
1985 : Following the Hijacking of a TWA Boeing 727 Jet Airliner by members of the Islamic Holy War Fighters, after landing in Beirut Shot and Killed an American Marine and threatened to kill more unless demands were met.
1985 Soviet Union US Spy Charges
1985 : An American Envoy has been ordered to leave the Soviet Union following being arrested on Espionage Charges by the KGB in the continuing tit for tat expulsions by USSR and the United States.
1992 U.S.A. Dan Quayle
1992 : The US Vice President Dan Quayle instructed a Trenton, N.J., elementary school student to spell (US Spelling) potato as (UK Spelling) "potatoe" during a spelling bee.
1996 Great Britain Terrorist Bomb Manchester
1996 : The IRA detonates a massive bomb outside the Arndale shopping centre at lunch time injuring 200 mostly by flying glass, and seven are said to be in a serious condition. The IRA had issued a telephone warning at 1000 or the deaths and injuries would have been much more severe.
1998 Japanese Yen Crashes
1998 : Shares around the world suffer a major drop as the Japanese Yen trades at ¥146 to the US dollar following Friday's announcement that Japan is now technically in recession. Stocks on the Nikkei and around the world drop as investors became increasingly worried that the turmoil in Asia would hit the the rest of the worlds economies.
1999 Kosovo Mass Murders
1999 : As Yugoslav forces pull out of Kosovo as part of the agreed NATO peace plan, more evidence emerges of the mass killings committed by Serb Forces on ethnic Albanians in Kosovo. The peace plan has called for the withdrawal of Serb Forces and the disarming of the Kosovo Liberation Army KLA.
2005 China Microsoft Censors Blogs
2005 : Microsoft encountered criticism for censoring Chinese blogs. The censorship involved Microsoft's MSN service, in which Chinese bloggers were blocked from using such words as "demonstration," "democracy," "human rights," and "freedom". Scrutineers labeled the company's actions as giving concessions to the Chinese government, while Microsoft defended itself by saying that it will abide by all laws of the countries in which it operates.
2005 Aruba Natalee Holloway
2005 : Two weeks after Alabama teenager Natalee Holloway disappeared while on a spring break vacation in Aruba, police begin a detailed search and investigation into her disappearance. A number of suspects are arrested but no body is found and no charges are bought. Currently the case is still unsolved.
2006 U.S.A. Bill Gates
2006 : Bill Gates announces he will transition from day-to-day responsibilities at Microsoft to concentrate on the charitable work of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
2007 Former KKK Member Guilty of Murder
2007 : A former Ku Klux Klan member was found guilty of the 1964 murder of two African-American teens. Seventy-one year old James Seale could face life in prison when sentenced for involvement in the murders. Seale had been arrested at the time of the murders but then released due to lack of evidence.
2010 Landslides and Flooding in Bangladesh
2010 : Landslides caused by flooding in Bangladesh killed at least fifty-three people, while many more remained missing. The landslides caused by heavy rain and flooding buried many houses and buildings under mud, and many rescue efforts were stalled by mud blocking roads into the area.
2012 US To End Child Immigrant Deportation
2012 : President Obama announced that the US would immediately end the deportation of illegal immigrants who came to the country as children. The declaration means that illegal immigrants between the ages of sixteen and thirty would be eligible for work permits and could effect up to 800,000 people. Obama stated the move was the right thing to do, while Republican opponent Mitt Romney stated that it was not the correct way to address the issue.
2013 Iranians Celebrate Presidential Election
2013 : Iranian citizens celebrated in the streets of Tehran at the election of Hassan Rouhani as the president of Iran. Rouhani was elected with over fifty percent of the vote and did not have to face a run-off election. Citizens were excited by the possibility of reform from this new leader.
Today in Labor History June 15th
Police attack protesters during the Battle of Century City
Friday, June 12, 2026
Important Events From This day in History June 12
1994 USA O.J. Simpson
1994 : Nicole Brown Simpson, O.J. Simpson's ex-wife, and her friend Ron Goldman are brutally stabbed to death outside Nicole's home in Brentwood, California. OJ Simpson was later tried for the murders and although the evidence against Simpson was extensive he was found not guilty.
1917 Greece King Constantine I
1917 : King Constantine I of Greece, abdicates his throne in the face of pressure from Britain and France and internal opponents.
1922 USA Ferris Wheel
1922 : An unusual Hurricane and Tornadoes hit the New York Metropolitan Area causing billions of dollars in damage and loss of life. The storm hit suddenly and in Clasons Point a pleasure park near city Island a Ferris wheel with a large number of young riders broke away from it's mountings and crashed to the ground.
1929 Mexico Students
1929 : 2000 Students on strike take over the main building of the Mexican National University. The students held hostages and put a red flag over the building. They demanded the university rector to resign, but he refused. Eventually the students let the hostages go, but they still kept guard over the building.
1935 USA Ella Fitzgerald
1935 : At age 17, Ella Fitzgerald recorded her first songs - "Love and Kisses" and "I'll Chase the Blues Away." They came to be big hits for her.
1942 World War II Coral Sea
1942 : The news of A great Naval Battle between Naval forces from the United States and Japan in the Coral Sea between March 19th and May 9th resulted in the loss of the US aircraft carrier Lexington and 2 other US ships and the loss of 15 ships from the Japanese Navy. The naval battle is considered a major win for the US Navy.
1964 South Africa Nelson Mandela
1964 : The leader of the African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa, Nelson Mandela, is jailed for life for sabotage.
1965 Vietnam Phan Huy Quat Resigns
1965 : South Vietnamese Premier Phan Huy Quat resigns following civil unrest and a military government is put in place headed by Army General Nguyen Van Thieu.
1967 USA Interracial Marriages
1967 : Interracial marriages declared constitutional by the Supreme Court and barred Virginia and by implication other states from making interracial marriage a crime.
1975 India Indira Gandhi
1975 : Indira Gandhi , the prime minister of India, is found guilty of electoral corruption in her successful 1971 campaign. Gandhi refused to give up India's top office and later declared martial law in the country when public demonstrations threatened to topple her administration.
Today in Labor History June 12, 2026
Fifty thousand members of the Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butcher Workmen employed in meatpacking plants walked off their jobs; their demands included equalization of wages and conditions throughout US plants. – 1904
Thursday, June 11, 2026
Alma Jackson Rest in Peace
Lauren Turner brought this to my attention, I simply cannot recall Ms. Jackson working in the pressroom.
Important Events From This day in History June 11
1959 USA Naval Dirigible
1959 : A new form of transport which is a cross between an aircraft, a boat and a land vehicle, propelled on a cushion of air created by its own fan power the "Hovercraft", has it's official launch at the Solent on the South Coast of England. The Hovercraft (SRN1) which is still at the experimental level is just 29 ft long, but developers believe the technology will allow the production of full scale Hovercraft capable of speeds 50 knots and up to 300 ft long. The SRN1 Hovercraft was designed by Sir Christopher Cockerell.
1927 USA Rum Runners
1927 : The continued crackdown on Rum Runners has resulted in arrests throughout the country with many of those caught implicating local politicians and local police. During the last week alone over 20,000 cases of liquor have been seized.
1937 Unions Call for Protests
1937 : Union Men from the United Automobile Workers of America wanting to join the Pickets at steel mills in Michigan were turned back today by deputies using tear gas, the Union has now called for mass protests by all members of the Union at Monroe, Michigan.
1944 France D-Day Landings
1944 : Five days after the D-Day landing on June 6th, the five Allied landing groups, made up of some 330,000 troops, converge in Normandy.
1955 France 24 Hours Le Mans
1955 : During the 24 Hours Le Mans race a car looses control and crashes into stands filled with spectators, killing 82 people.
2009 World H1N1 influenza strain
2009 : The World Health Organization declares H1N1 influenza strain, commonly referred to as "swine flu", as a global pandemic. Due to it's highly contagious nature spreading from human to human. Most people infected suffer a mild symptoms, but the small minority who suffer more severe symptoms (less than 0.04% )are hospitalized and end up in an intensive-care unit suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome, which kills in half of all cases. Specific vaccines are developed and released in North America in late October.
1963 Alabama Governor Attempts to Stop Enrollment
1963 : Alabama Governor George Wallace trying to ensure continued segregation is forced to end his blockade of the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa and allows two African American students to enroll.
1967 Middle East Six Day War Ends
1967 : Israel and Syria agree to observe the UN mediated cease-fire ending six days of Israeli fighting against Egypt, Jordan and Syrian forces.
1979 USA John Wayne
1979 : Film star John Wayne, also known as the "Duke," died of cancer.
1987 USA Earthquake Midwest
1987 : A rare earthquake hit 14 states in the Midwest and parts of Canada stretching down to the South. The quake measured 5.0 on the Richter scale and damaged some highway overpasses, also many thousands lost telephone services. The quake lasted between 3 to 15 seconds at 6:49 PM.
1987 UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
1987 : Margaret Thatcher celebrates her third general election win after another landslide victory over the Labour Party.
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