Today in history

Today is Tuesday, June 27, the 178th day of 2017 and the eighth day of summer.

On this date in the SCV: In 1929, The Signal reported that the Newhall-Saugus bunch went down to defeat by the West Hollywood Lions, from two causes; inability to hit safely, and poor base running. It wasn’t that they met the ball for they batted it all over the place; not that they couldn’t field, for of the fourteen hits the enemy got, they only managed to utilize five of them for runs. Al Culver pitched a rather good game for the first six innings, and had not done so badly in the seventh, but his arm was giving out to such an extent that he concluded not to let go. Pettinger, the lefthander, couldn’t stop the winning streak, and the score closed 5 to 2 in favor of the wild beasts.

Today’s Highlights in History: In 1829, British chemist James Smithson died, leaving an endowment for “the Smithsonian Institution, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men.” In 1844, Mormon religion founder Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were murdered by an anti-Mormon mob at the jail where they were being held in Carthage, Illinois. In 1950, President Harry S. Truman sent

the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy to fight in the Korean War. In 1985, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials decertified Route 66.

Today’s fact: Boston Red Sox legend Ted Williams flew 39 combat missions during the Korean War. Williams sat out nearly five Major League Baseball seasons due to his military service in World War II and Korea.

Today’s sports: In 2001, the Washington Wizards drafted 19-year-old center Kwame Brown, marking the first time a high school student was taken with the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft.

Today’s number: 30.2 million – visitors to Smithsonian Institution museums in 2016.

Today’s moon: Between new moon (June 23) and first quarter moon (June 30).