TODAY IN HISTORY

TODAY IS TUESDAY, JUNE 20, 2017 On this day in history:

451 - Roman and Barbarian warriors brought Attila’s army to a halt at the Catalaunian Plains in eastern France. 1397 - The Union of Kalmar united Denmark, Sweden, and Norway under one monarch. 1756 - In India, 150 British soldiers were imprisoned in a cell that became known as the Black Hole of Calcutta. 1791 - King Louis XVI of France was captured while attempting to flee the country in the so-called Flight to Varennes.

1802 - French commander Nicolas Baudin arrives in Port Jackson with the intention to claim Van Diemen’s Land, but with his crew ill and ships needing repair.

1836 - Australian explorer Major Thomas Mitchell names Swan Hill.

1837 - Queen Victoria ascended the British throne following the death of her uncle, King William IV. 1898 - The U.S. Navy seized the island of Guam en route to the Philippines to fight the Spanish.

1910 - Mexican President Porfirio Diaz proclaimed martial law and arrested hundreds.

1923 - France announced it would seize the Rhineland to assist Germany in paying its war debts.

1963 - The United States and Soviet Union signed an agreement to set up a hot line communication link between the two countries.

1966 - The US Open golf tournament was broadcast in colour for the first time. 1967 - Muhammad Ali was convicted in Houston of violating Selective Service laws by refusing to be drafted. The US Supreme Court later overturned the conviction.

1977 - The Trans-Alaska Pipeline began operation. 1988 - The Australian $2 banknote is replaced by a $2 coin. 2002 - Australia agrees to ratify the International Criminal Court.

2002 - Australia agrees to ratify the International Criminal Court.