HISTORY AT A GLANCE

TODAY is Thursday, June 22, the 173rd day of 2017. There are 192 days left in the year. Highlights in history on this date:

1945 – The Battle of Okinawa comes to an end. 1957 – The Soviet Union launches an R-12 missile for the first

time (in the Kapustin Yar). 1969 – The Cuyahoga River catches fire in Cleveland, Ohio, drawing national attention to water pollution, and spurring the passing of the Clean Water Act and the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency. 1978 – Charon, a satellite of the dwarf planet Pluto, is discovered by American astronomer James W. Christy. 1986 – The controversial Hand of God goal by Diego Maradona in the quarter-finals of the 1986 FIFA World Cup match between Argentina and England. This was later followed by the Goal of the Century also by Maradona. Argentina would win 2–1 and go on to win the world cup. 1990 – Checkpoint Charlie is dismantled in Berlin. 2002 – An earthquake measuring 6.5 Mw strikes a region of northwestern Iran killing at least 261 people and injuring 1,300 others and eventually causing widespread public anger due to the slow official response. 2007 – An F5 tornado strikes Elie, Manitoba in Canada; part of the town is destroyed, but there are no fatalities or injuries. 2009 – A Washington D.C Metro train was traveling southbound at the Fort Totten station when it collided into another train sitting in the station. Nine people were killed in the collision (eight passengers and the train operator) and at least 80 others were injured. 2012 – Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo is removed from office by impeachment and succeeded by Federico Franco. 2012 – A Turkish Air Force McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II fighter plane is shot down by the Syrian Armed Forces, killing both of the plane’s pilots and worsening already-strained relations between Turkey and Syria. 2015 – The Afghan National Assembly building is attacked by gunmen after a suicide bombing. All 6 of the gunmen are killed, with 18 people injured