Today in history
On June 22, 1940, during World War II, Adolf Hitler gained a stunning victory as France was forced to sign an armistice eight days after German forces overran Paris.
In 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte abdicated for a second time as Emperor of the French.
In 1911, Britain’s King George V was crowned at Westminster Abbey.
In 1941, Nazi Germany launched Operation Barbarossa, a massive invasion of the Soviet Union.
In 1944, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, more popularly known as the “GI Bill of Rights.”
In 1945, the World War II battle for Okinawa ended with an Allied victory.
In 1969, singer-actress Judy Garland died in London at age 47.
In 1970, President Richard Nixon signed an extension of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that lowered the minimum voting age to 18.
In 1977, John N. Mitchell became the first former U.S. Attorney General to go to prison as he began serving a sentence for his role in the Watergate cover-up. (He was released 19 months later.)
In 1981, Mark David Chapman pleaded guilty to killing rock star John Lennon. Abolhassan Bani-Sadr was deposed as president of Iran.
In 1987, actor-dancer Fred Astaire died in Los Angeles at age 88.
In 1992, the U.S. Supreme Court, in R.A.V. v. City of St. Paul, unanimously ruled that “hate crime” laws that banned cross burning and similar expressions of racial bias violated free-speech rights.
In 2012, ex-Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky was convicted by a jury in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, on 45 counts of sexually assaulting 10 boys over 15 years.
Ten years ago: White House Budget Director Peter Orszag announced he was stepping down. South Carolina Republicans chose Nikki Haley, a tea party favorite, to run for governor (she went on to win a runoff and the general election). Dino Ciccarelli, Cammi Granato and Angela James were elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame as players; Jimmy Devellano and the late Daryl “Doc” Seaman were elected as builders. South Africa became the first host nation not to advance in 80 years of World Cup play.
Five years ago: The Obama administration released a report on global warming that said failure to act on climate change could cause an estimated 57,000 deaths a year in the United States from poor air quality by
2100. South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley said the Confederate flag should be removed from the grounds of the state capitol, reversing her position on the divisive symbol amid growing calls for it to be removed. Oscar-winning film composer James Horner, 61, was killed in the crash of his plane in Los Padres National Forest.
One year ago: Novelist Judith Krantz, whose steamy tales of the rich and beautiful included “Scruples” and Princess Daisy,” died at her Southern California home at the age of 91. Officials at the Santa Anita race track banned Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer after a fourth horse from his stable died at the track; it was the 30th horse death overall since the racing season began at the California track in December. North Carolina’s state lottery reported a record payout after the winning numbers in a Pick 4 game turned up as “0-0-0-0;” there were about 2,000 winning tickets worth either $2,500 or $5,000..