ON JUNE 20 ...

In 1756 in India, a group of

British soldiers was imprisoned in a suffocating cell that gained notoriety as the “Black Hole of Calcutta”; most died.

In 1782 Congress approved the Great Seal of the United States.

In 1837 Queen Victoria acceded to the British throne following the death of her uncle, King William IV.

In 1863 West Virginia became the 35th state.

In 1893 a jury in New Bedford, Mass., found Lizzie Borden not guilty of the ax murders of her father and stepmother.

In 1898, during the Spanish-American War, the U.S. cruiser Charleston captured the Spanish-ruled island of Guam.

In 1942 Beach Boys founder and songwriter Brian Wilson was born in Southern California.

In 1943 race-related rioting erupted in Detroit; federal troops were sent in two days later to quell the violence that resulted in more than 30 deaths.

In 1947 Benjamin “Bugsy”

Siegel was shot dead at the Beverly Hills, Calif., mansion of his girlfriend, Virginia Hill, apparently at the order of mob associates.

In 1963 the United States and Soviet Union signed an agreement to set up a hot line between the two super powers.

In 1967 boxer Muhammad Ali was convicted in Houston of violating Selective Service laws by refusing to be drafted. (Ali’s conviction ultimately was overturned by the Supreme Court).

In 1975 the Steven Spielberg shark thriller “Jaws” was first released.

In 1988 the Supreme Court unanimously upheld a New York City law making it illegal for private clubs to generally exclude women and minorities.

In 1991 German lawmakers voted to move the seat of the national government back to Berlin.

In 1993 the Chicago Bulls won their third NBA title in a row as they defeated the Phoenix Suns in Game 6 of their championship series, 99-98.

In 1994 O.J. Simpson pleaded not guilty in Los Angeles to the killings of his ex-wife,

Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman.

In 2001 Houston resident Andrea Yates drowned her five children in the family bathtub, then called police. (Yates was convicted of murder, had her conviction overturned, and later was found not guilty by reason of insanity in a retrial.)

In 2003 wildfires fueled by high winds burned 250 homes in southern Arizona.

In 2007, for the second time, President George W. Bush vetoed an embryonic stem cell bill as he urged scientists toward what he termed “ethically responsible” research. Also in 2007 Sammy Sosa, playing for the Texas Rangers after a year out of baseball, hit his 600th home run, making him the fifth player to reach the milestone.

In 2008 lightning began sparking more than 2,000 fires across northern and central California, eventually burning more than a million acres.

In 2012 artist Leroy Neiman, who became famous for his colorful portrayal of athletes and who was a regular artistic presence at major sporting events, died; he was 91.

In 2013 the Miami Heat defeated the San Antonio Spurs 95-88 in Game 7 of the NBA Finals to win their second consecutive title. LeBron James was named the series MVP.

In 2014 President Barack Obama announced that up to 300 U.S. military advisers would help Iraq against Islamist insurgents who have seized nearly one-third of the country. Also in 2014 President Barack Obama presented retired Marine Cpl. William “Kyle” Carpenter with the Medal of Honor for jumping between a grenade and a fellow soldier in Afghanistan in 2010. Also in 2014 congressional Republicans elected Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California as House majority leader and Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana as House whip.