TODAY IN HISTORY
On June 29, 1972, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a trio of death sentences, saying the way they had been imposed constituted cruel and unusual punishment. (The ruling prompted states to effectively impose a moratorium on executions until their capital punishment laws could be revised.)
Also on this date
In 1767,
Britain approved the Townshend Revenue Act, which imposed import duties on glass, paint, oil, lead, paper and tea shipped to the American colonies. (Colonists bitterly protested, prompting Parliament to repeal the duties – except for tea.)
In 1927,
the first trans-Pacific airplane flight was completed as U.S. Army Air Corps Lt. Lester J. Maitland and Lt. Albert F. Hegenberger arrived at Wheeler Field in Hawaii after flying 2,400 miles from Oakland, California, in 25 hours, 50 minutes.
In 1946,
authorities in British-ruled Palestine arrested more than 2,700 Jews in an attempt to stamp out extremists.
In 1967,
Jerusalem was reunified as Israel removed barricades separating the Old City from the Israeli sector.
In 1970,
the United States ended a two-month military offensive into Cambodia.
In 1978,
actor Bob Crane of “Hogan’s Heroes” fame was found bludgeoned to death in an apartment in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he was appearing in a play; he was 49.
In 2009,
financier Bernard Madoff received a 150-year sentence for his multibillion-dollar fraud. (Madoff died in prison in April 2021.)
Ten years ago:
The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency filed formal charges against Lance Armstrong, accusing the seven-time Tour de France winner of using performance-enhancing drugs throughout the best years of his career. (The agency ended up stripping Armstrong of all his Tour de France titles and issued a lifetime ban from cycling.)
Five years ago:
A scaled-back version of President Donald Trump’s travel ban took effect, tightening already-tough visa policies affecting citizens from six Muslim-majority countries.
One year ago:
Former South African President Jacob Zuma was sentenced to 15 months in prison for defying a court order to appear for questions about allegations of corruption; his jailing would spark rioting in which more than 330 people died.