TODAY IN HISTORY
TODAY IS SATURDAY, JUNE 3, the 154th day of 2017. There are 211 days left in the year.
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT IN HISTORY:
On June 3, 2016, Muhammad Ali, the heavyweight boxing champion whose fast fists and irrepressible personality transcended sports and captivated the world, died at a hospital in Scottsdale, Ariz., at age 74.
In 1888, the poem “Casey at the Bat” by Ernest Lawrence Thayer was first published in the San Francisco Daily Examiner. In 1924, author Franz Kafka, 40, died near Vienna.
In 1937, Edward, The Duke of Windsor, who had abdicated the British throne, married Wallis Simpson in a private ceremony in Monts, France.
In 1948, the 200-inch reflecting Hale Telescope at the Palomar Mountain Observatory in California was dedicated.
In 1963, Pope John XXIII died at age 81; he was succeeded by Pope Paul VI.
In 1965, astronaut Edward H. White became the first American to “walk” in space during the flight of Gemini 4.
In 1977, the United States and Cuba agreed to set up diplomatic interests sections in each other’s countries; Cuba also announced the immediate release of 10 Americans jailed on drug charges.
In 1982, Israel’s ambassador to Britain, Shlomo Argov, was shot and critically wounded outside a London hotel. The assassination attempt was followed by Israel’s invasion of Lebanon.
In 1989, Iran’s spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, died. Chinese army troops began their sweep of Beijing to crush student-led pro-democracy demonstrations.
In 1992, Democratic presidential candidate Bill Clinton appeared on “The Arsenio Hall Show,” where he played “Heartbreak Hotel” on the saxophone.
TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS: The president of Cuba, Raul Castro, is 86. Actress Irma P. Hall is 82. Author Larry McMurtry is 81. Rock singer Ian Hunter (Mott The Hoople) is 78. Musician Too Slim (Riders in the Sky) is 69. Rock musician Richard Moore is 68. Singer Suzi Quatro is 67. Singer Deneice Williams is 66. Singer Dan Hill is 63. Rock musician Kerry King (Slayer) and actor James Purefoy are 53. Rock singer-musician Mike Gordon is 52. TV host Anderson Cooper is 50. Country singer Jamie O’Neal is 49. Actress Nikki M. James is 36. Tennis player Rafael Nadal is 31.