DAY IN HISTORY

Thursday, June 18, 2020

Today is the 170th day of 2020 and the 92nd day of spring.

TODAY’S HISTORY: In 1812, President James Madison signed a declaration of war against Great Britain.

In 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte’s Imperial French army was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo after sustaining more than 25,000 casualties.

In 1940, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill gave his famous “This was their finest hour” speech before the

House of Commons of the United Kingdom.

In 1948, Columbia Records revealed the new 12-inch, 33 1/3 revolutions-per-minute, longplaying record.

In 1983, astronaut Sally Ride became the first American woman in space.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS:

E.W. Scripps (1854-1926), publisher; Kay Kyser (1905-1985), bandleader; Sammy Cahn (1913-1993), songwriter; George Mikan (1924-2005), basketball player; Lou Brock (1939- ), baseball player; Roger Ebert (1942-2013), film critic; Paul Mccartney (1942- ), musician/singersongwriter; Isabella Rossellini (1952- ), actress/ model; Angela Johnson (1961- ), author; Blake Shelton (1976- ), singersongwriter.

TODAY’S FACT: Napoleon Bonaparte amassed the largest army ever in Europe for his invasion of Russia in 1812. At its peak, the Grande Armee consisted of more than 554,000 men.

TODAY’S SPORTS: In 2000, 24-year-old golfer Tiger Woods won the U.S. Open by 15 strokes, the largest margin of victory ever in a major.

TODAY’S QUOTE: “If the world were really right, humans would live life backward and do the first part last. They’d be all knowing in the beginning and innocent in the end. Then everybody could end their life on their momma or daddy’s stomach in a warm room, waiting for the soft morning light.” — Angela Johnson, “The First Part Last”

TODAY’S NUMBER: 23 — minutes of music per side the first commercial LPS were formatted to play.

TODAY’S MOON: Between last quarter moon (June 12) and new moon (June 20).