TODAY IN HISTORY
Today is Tuesday, July 6, the 187th day of 2021. There are 178 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History: On July 6, 1854, the first official meeting of the Republican Party took place in Jackson, Michigan.
On this date:
■ In 1777, during the American Revolution, British forces captured Fort Ticonderoga.
■ In 1945, President Harry S. Truman signed an executive order establishing the Medal of Freedom.
■ In 1957, the Harry S. Truman Library, the nation’s first presidential library, was dedicated in Independence, Missouri.
■ In 1971, jazz trumpeter and singer Louis Armstrong died in New York at age 69.
■ In 1988, 167 North Sea oil workers were killed when explosions and fires destroyed a drilling platform.
Ten years ago: Jury selection began in the perjury trial of former baseball pitcher Roger Clemens, who was accused of lying under oath to Congress when he denied ever using performance-enhancing drugs during his career.
Five years ago: President Barack Obama scrapped plans to cut American forces in Afghanistan by half before leaving office.
One year ago: The Trump administration formally notified the United Nations of its withdrawal from the World Health Organization; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback had agreed to a 10-year contract extension worth as much as $503 million, giving the Super Bowl MVP the richest-ever sports contract.
Today’s Birthdays: The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is 86. Singer Gene Chandler is 81. Country singer Jeannie Seely is 81. Actor Burt Ward is 76. Former President George W. Bush is 75. Actordirector Sylvester Stallone is 75. Actor Fred Dryer is 75. Actor Shelley Hack is 74. Actor Grant Goodeve is 69. Country singer Nanci Griffith is 68. Retired MLB All-Star Willie Randolph is 67. Jazz musician Rick Braun is 66. Actor Casey Sander is 66. Country musician John Jorgenson is 65. Actor Pip Torrens is 61. Actor Brian Posehn is 55. Actor Brian Van Holt is 52. Comedian-actor Kevin Hart is 42. Actor Eva Green is 41. Actor Gregory Smith is 38. Rock singer Kate Nash is 34. Actor Jeremy Suarez is 31. San Diego Padres infielder Manny Machado is 29.