Today In History

Today is Thursday, June 21, the 172nd day of 2018. There are 193 days left in the year. Summer begins at 6:07 a.m. Eastern time.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT

› 1788: The United States Constitution went into effect as New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify it.

ON THIS DATE

› 1834: Cyrus Hall McCormick received a patent for his reaping machine.

› 1942: An Imperial Japanese submarine fired shells at Fort Stevens on the Oregon coast, causing little damage.

› 1943: Army nurse Lt. Edith Greenwood became the first woman to receive the Soldier’s Medal for showing heroism during a fire at a military hospital in Yuma, Arizona.

› 1963: Cardinal Giovanni Battista Montini was chosen during a conclave of his fellow cardinals to succeed the late Pope John XXIII; the new pope took the name Paul VI.

› 1988: “Who Framed Roger Rabbit,” a comedy fantasy starring Bob Hoskins that combined live action and legendary animated cartoon characters, premiered in New York.

› 1989: A sharply divided Supreme Court ruled that burning the American flag as a form of political protest was protected by the First Amendment.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS

Composer Lalo Schifrin is 86. Actor Bernie Kopell is 85. Actor Monte Markham is 83. Actress Meredith Baxter is 71. Actor Michael Gross is 71. Rock musician Joe Molland (Badfinger) is 71. Rock musician Don Airey (Deep Purple) is 70. Rock musician Joey Kramer (Aerosmith) is 68. Rock musician Nils Lofgren is 67. Actor Leigh McCloskey is 63. Cartoonist Berke Breathed is 61. Country musician Porter Howell is 54. Actor Michael Dolan is 53. Writer-director Lana Wachowski is 53. Actress Carrie Preston is 51. Actress Paula Irvine is 50. Rapper/producer Pete Rock is 48. Country singer Allison Moorer is 46. Actress Juliette Lewis is 45. Actress Maggie Siff is 44. Rock musician Mike Einziger (Incubus) is 42. Actor Michael Malarkey is 35. Pop singer Kris Allen (TV: “American Idol”) is 33. Pop/rock singer Lana Del Rey is 33. Actor Jascha Washington is 29. Country musician Chandler Baldwin (LANCO) is 26. Pop singer Rebecca Black is 21.