Today in History - June 29, 1972 - Supreme Court Strikes Down Death Penalty

Supreme Court Strikes Down Death Penalty - June 29, 1972

    Today in History, the Supreme Court rules that capital punishment, is unconstitutional in the way it was carried out on the state and federal level. At the same time, the Supreme Court suggested new legislation that could make death sentences constitutional again. In 1976, the Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty under a 'model of guided discretion'.
Source: History.com- Supreme Court Strikes Down Death Penalty

Today in History - June 28, 1519 - Charles Elected Holy Roman Emperor

Charles Elected Holy Roman Emperor - June 28, 1519

    This day, in the year 1519, Charles I, of Spain, was elected successor of his late grandfather, Maximilian I of the Holy Roman Empire. Charles was also grandson of Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella of Spain.
   Emperor Charles V, as he was now called, sought to unite many kingdoms under his rule in order to establish a universal empire. His dreams came to an end with the Reformation coming on, and with the advancement of the Ottoman Turks into Europe in 1558. Charles abdicated the throne in favor of his brother Ferdinand.
  Source: History.com-Charles Elected Holy Roman Empire

Today in History - June 27, 1829 - Smithson's Curious Bequest

Smithson's Curious Bequest - June 27, 1829

    Today in History, English Scientist, James Smithson, who lived in Genoa, Italy, died after a long illness. He had an interesting bequest. If his only nephew were to die, and if he didn't have any children, the whole estate belonging to Smithson was to go to the United States of America, in order  'to found at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an Establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge."
   Six years after Smithson's death, his nephew died, and all the details were worked out for this large amount of money to be used to start the Smithsonian Institution.
  Source: History.com-Smithsonian Institute Bequest

Today in History - June 26, 1541 - Conqueror of the Incas Assassinated

Conqueror of the Incas Assassinated - June 26, 1541

    Today in History, Francisco Pizarro was assassinated by Spanish rivals in Lima, Peru. Pizarro had been searching for riches in South America, with his partner, Diego de Almagro, with whom he formed an alliance with. Pizarro was funded by Emperor Charles V and didn't want to share the finances that would be gained from the expedition, so he went to Peru, found the king of the Inca Kingdom of Quito, and killed him. Now Pizarro became governor of Peru, and founded new settlements. He promised Almagro land, but later broke his promise. At some time later, Pizarro's half brother killed Almagro and later on, in order to be avenged, Almagro's former adherents killed Pizarro while he was eating dinner.
Source: History.com - Pizarro killed in Lima, Peru

Today in History - June 25, 1876 - Battle of Little Bighorn

Battle of Little Bighorn - June 25, 1876

  Today in History,  Chief Sitting Bull and Chief Crazy Horse defeated American troops led by Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer in a bloody battle near the Little Bighorn River in Southern Montana.
  The government was requiring the Indian tribes to be confined to reservations. The Sioux tribe resisted the U.S. governments plan for their confinement, which eventually led to this battle. There was a great outrage from the white American people because of this defeat, and the government increased its efforts to subdue the tribes. Almost all the Sioux and  Cheyenne tribes were confined to their reservations five years later. The Battle of Little Bighorn was also known as 'Custer's Last Stand".
  Source: History.com-Battle of Little Bighorn

Today in History - June 23, 1956 - Nasser is Elected as President

Nasser is Elected as President - June 23, 1956

     Today in History, Gamal Abdel Nasser was elected as the first president of the Republic of Egypt. His name was the only one on the ballot, and he won by almost 99% of the people of Egypt voting for him. Nasser's new constitution was also approved by 99.8% of the voters. Under the new constitution, Egypt became a one-party socialist state with Islam as the official religion. Nasser died of a heart attack, in Cairo, in 1970.
Source: History.com-Nasser Elected President

Today in History - June 22, 1775 - Congress Issues Continental Currency

Congress Issues Continental Currency - June 22, 1775

   Today in History, in the year 1775, American colonists issued paper currency for the Continental Congress to finance the Revolutionary War. $2 million in bills of credit were issued by Congress. The American revolutionaries lacked the funds to wage a prolonged war. In the end, the Continental failed, leaving the young country with a large war debt.
Sources: History.com-Continental Currency
Factmonster.com-Continental Currency

Today in History - June 21, 1788 - The Constitution is Ratified

The Constitution is Ratified - June 21, 1788

    Today in History, the Constitution is ratified as new Hampshire, the last of the nine states necessary for ratification, ratifies the Constitution.
Source: History.com-The Constitution is Ratified

Today in History - June 20, 1782 - Congress Adopts the Great Seal of the United States

Congress Adopts the Great Seal of the United States - June 20, 1782

     After six years of discussion on the Great Seal of the United States, Congress adopts the Great Seal on June 20, 1782. The Great Seal has much symbolism on it. On the front of the seal is an Eagle using its right talons to clutch an olive branch and the left talons are clutching arrows. On the breast of the Eagle is a  shield with vertical red and white stripes and a blue field on top. Out of the beak is a banner that reads 'e pluribus unum' which means, 'out of many, one'. There are golden rays above the eagle's head encircling 13 stars. The eagle's talons are symbolic of the power of Congress to make peace or war.
   There are some Masonic symbols as well on the other side. There is a pyramid with 13 steps, representing the 13 states. The 'All Seeing Eye' above the pyramid (also known as 'the eye of Horus') represents Providence. Beneath the pyramid are the words ' Norvus Ordo Seclorum' which means 'A New Order of the Ages'
  The Great Seal of the United States was designed by Charles Thomas.
Source: History.com-Great Seal of the United States

   

Today in History - June 19, 1953 - Rosenbergs Are Executed

Rosenbergs are Executed - June 19, 1953

    Today in History, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are put to death by the electric chair. They were accused of passing on U.S. atomic secrets to the Soviets. They were brought to Sing Sing Prison in New York a couple of months before this. The couple had been members of the Young Communist League. They married in 1939, and had two sons.
Source: History.com-Rosenbergs Executed
See also: Rosenbergs Convicted
Harry Gold Espionage

Today in History - June 18, 1815 - Napoleon Defeated at Waterloo

Napoleon Defeated at Waterloo - June 18, 1815 

    Today in History, Napoleon Bonaparte was defeated at Waterloo, in Belgium. He lost the battle at the hands of the Duke of Wellington. The brought about the end of the Napoleonic era of European History.
   Napoleon was the first emperor of France, and one of the greatest military leaders in History, in the West.

Source: History.com-Napoleon Defeated at Waterloo
See also: Napoleon exiled
Napoleon-Lousiana Purchase

Today in History - June 15, 1215 - The Magna Carta is Sealed

The Magna Carta is Sealed - June 15, 1215

          Today in History, the Magna Carta (Great Charter) was sealed. It all started after Richard the Lionhearted, who was England's king at the time, died, and the throne was succeeded to his brother John. King John was not a good ruler. Many things went wrong under his rule. He was abusing the feudal law and custom. Barons rose up in rebellion to this, and the Magna Carta was drawn up in order to force the king to make specific guarantees of the rights and privileges of his barons and of the freedom of the church. The year the document was signed, civil war broke out, and John ignored his obligations under the charter. The charter had been designed to keep the king in check, but, it did not happen as it was intended to.
Source: History.com-Magna Carta is Sealed

Today in History - June 14, 1777 - Congress Adopts the Stars and Stripes

Congress Adopts the Stars and Stripes - June 14, 1777

    Today in History, a resolution was made that the American flag would be one that would have 13 alternate stripes of red and white, and that the Union be 13 stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation. The name of this new flag was the 'Stars and Stripes'. In 1949, Congress officially designated June 14th as 'Flag Day'.
  Source: History.com-Stars and Stripes

                                           

Today in History - June 12, 323 B.C. - Alexander the Great Dies

Alexander the Great Dies - June 12, 323 B.C.

    Today in History, Alexander the Great, dies, at the age of 33. Alexander the Great forged an empire that stretched from the eastern Mediterranean to India. He died in Babylon.
   He was buried in a golden coffin in the city of Alexandria, which was named after him.
Source: History.com-Alexander the Great Dies

                                                           

Today in History - June 12, 1975 - Indira Gandhi Convicted of Election Fraud

Indira Gandhi Convicted of Election Fraud - June 12, 1975

    Indira Gandhi, who was prime minister of India, was found guilty of election fraud in her successful 1971 campaign. She refused to resign, and her place in the top office became threatened by public demonstrations. She later declared martial law in the country.
   She gained popularity in 1972 with the invasion of Pakistan, and the creation of Bangladesh and won by a landslide.
  In the early 1980s, there was conflict between her and the Sikh leaders, and she was eventually gunned down by one of her bodyguards who was a Sikh leader in 1984. She was succeeded by her son, Rajiv Gandhi.
Source: History.com-Gandhi Convicted of Election Fraud

Today in History - June 11, 1962 - Alcatraz Proves Escapable for Three Men

Alcatraz Proves Escapable For Three Men - June 11, 1962

   Three men worked their way out of the prison at Alcatraz by using stolen tools to chisel away the cement from the holes in their cells. The men managed to fool anyone that would have caught them escaping by means of making the cells appear as if they were still in there. They made dummy heads using hair from the barbershop to make it look like they were still inside the prison cell. After the men escaped, a search was made for them, but they were never found. It is likely that they drowned in the water surrounding the prison.
Source: Three Men Escape From Alcatraz - History.com

Today in History - June 9, 1856 - Mormon Handcart Pioneers Head for Salt Lake City

Mormon Handcart Pioneers Head for Salt Lake City - June 9, 1856

    Today in History, almost 500 Mormons started out on a journey west from Iowa City to Salt Lake City. They had special handcarts that had 2 wheels made for them to take their belongings to the new sanctuary in Utah. There were about 100 of these handcarts, which held 400-500 pounds. Each family had a handcart and the parents and older children took turns pushing the carts. It was a long, hard journey, and not everyone who started out made it to the end. The reason these handcarts were used was to save money as the finances were very tight.
Source: History.com-Mormon Handcart Pioneers
     Here is a web site that looks at Mormonism from a Biblical viewpoint:CARM-Mormonism

Today in History - June 8, 632 - Islam's Founder Mohammed Dies

Islam's Founder, Mohammed Dies - June 8, 632

    Today in History, in the year 632, the founder of Islam, Mohammed, dies. The followers of Mohammed are called 'Muslims'. Islam spread rapidly throughout Arabia, much of Africa and Asia. Mohammed was born in Mecca and died in Medina. You can visit his grave site.

For more information on Mohammed's death, go to: http://historymedren.about.com/library/who/blwwmuhammad.htm

Also see: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/founder-of-islam-dies

Islam is one of the three major world religions. Islam differs from Christianity in that the founder of Islam is still in his grave, whereas the founder of Christianity rose from the grave and is alive today. His body is not in the tomb anymore. Islam has 5 pillars of faith that are required by Muslims to do. It is in the keeping of these 5 pillars that Muslims hope to be good enough to go to heaven and avoid hell. However, in Christianity, the standard is keeping the 10 Commandments. The Bible is clear in that no human being is able to keep the Commandments in such a way that God requires. It tells us that if one Commandment is broken, it is the same as breaking all of them. The payment for breaking the Commandments is death. Physical death and spiritual death in hell forever. In Christianity, since no one is able to perfectly obey the Commandments, and since everyone has broken them, there needs to be an atonement made for sin (the breaking of the Commandments). The founder of Christianity, Jesus Christ, who is also God's only Son, came to earth to live a perfect life, and became the atonement for people's sins. People all over the world can put their trust in Him and He will save them from their sins (and from punishment in hell). After He was killed, His body was placed in a tomb, but something happened that had not ever happened before in History. He arose from the dead three days later. He was seen by many people after this, then, He was taken into heaven. He will come back to judge the people on the earth one day. Those who have repented of their sin, and have trusted in Him will go to be with Him in heaven. Those who reject Him will end up in hell forever. We do not have to try to obey rules and hope that we have done a good job so that maybe one day we can hope to go to heaven. We can know for sure whether we will be in heaven or not. It is not dependent on our good works or how hard we tried, but it is dependent on the life that Jesus lived while on earth, and the death He died to atone for our sins. We can trust in Him and when we do, we get into heaven, but it is on His score, not ours. For more information on this subject, please go to: Gospel Conversation or, Are You A Good Person? Test

Today in History - June 7, 1866 - Chief Seattle Dies Near the City Named For Him

Chief Seattle Dies Near the City Named For Him - June 7, 1866

    Today in History, Chief Seattle (originally Seathl) dies near the city named after him. He was 77 years old.
   Born around 1790, he was the chief of the Indian tribes Duwamish and Suquamish, and lived in the area on the Pacific Coast, which is today called, 'Puget Sound'.
   He got along well with the newcomers from Europe and must have been well liked, as they named the city Seattle after him.
Source: History.com-Chief Seattle Dies Near the City Named For Him
You can also find the origin for the term 'skid row' when you go to the link.

Today in History - June 6 - 2 Special Events

     As I read the page at www.history.com, I would be dishonest in saying that there was only one event that happened this day in History. There are lots of events, every day in History that have taken place that are recorded. I have two events that I will comment on for today in History on June 6th.
   The first one, of course, is D-Day, which took place June 6, 1944. It was the day that the Allied Powers crossed the English Channel and landed on the beaches at Normandy, France. It was the beginning of the liberation of the Western Europeans from the bondage of Nazi control during WWII. D-Day has served as an inspiration in the making of several films. One was called, "The Longest Day" and another was "Saving Private Ryan".
  D-Day History.com
   The other event that took place today in History, in the year of 1933, was the opening of the first drive in theater. It was on the grounds of Parks-in-Theaters in Camden, New Jersey. In the mid 1960s, there were around 5,000 drive in theaters across the country. As of today, there are less than 500.
First Drive-in Theater 1933
Movie Theater Opens-History.com

               

Today in History - June 5, 1933 - FDR Takes United States off Gold Standard

FDR Takes United States off Gold Standard - June 5, 1933

    American currency had been backed by gold since 1879, but now, because of the Depression, the public was frightened into hoarding gold. On April 5, 1933, Roosevelt ordered all gold coins and gold certificates worth more than $100 to be exchanged for another type of currency. In 1971, President Nixon announced that the United States would no longer convert dollars to gold at a fixed value. By doing this, he completely abandoned the gold standard. President Gerald Ford signed legislation that allowed Americans to own gold bullion again.
Source: History.com-FDR takes US off Gold Standard

Today in History - June 4, 1989 - Tiananmen Square massacre takes place

Tiananmen Square massacre takes place - June 4, 1989

Today in History, Chinese troops came storming into Tiananmen Square killing thousands of pro democracy protesters. In May of 1989, thousands of Chinese, mostly college age students, began to protest for greater democracy and also called for the resignation of Chinese Communist party leaders. The leaders reacted to this by coming in forcibly on this day, attempting to put an end to the protesting. Tiananmen Square is located in the center of Beijing.

 Read more at: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/tiananmen-square-massacre-takes-place

Today in History - June 2, 1954 - McCarthy charges communists are in the CIA

McCarthy charges communists are in the CIA - June 2, 1954

      I find this article interesting and will copy and paste parts of it from www.history.com. It is interesting because where there is evil work, and attention is brought to the evil work, even if it is just speculation, it gets mocked. Senator Joseph McCarthy noticed something suspicious and tried to bring it to the attention of others, but was ignored and thought of as a person who was trying to make a last ditch attempt to some type of accomplishment. I think he was aware of what was going on in our government. I don't know how extensive this is, but there are people set inside our government with the intention of hijacking our government. They will do their work and go unnoticed but there is an agenda. Make no mistake about it. I believe the deepest desire of sinful, fallen mankind is to be in control, to have power. If left unchecked or unstopped, it will lead to devastating situations such as the Holocaust (which ironically people are trying to deny ever existed). But keep this in mind as you study our governmental system. We do have a Shadow Government, controlled by people with lots and lots of money. If we just ignore that fact and go on with life as usual, we may be taken by surprise one day. 

  Here is the excerpt from the article from History.com:

Senator Joseph McCarthy charges that communists have infiltrated the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the atomic weapons industry. Although McCarthy's accusations created a momentary controversy, they were quickly dismissed as mere sensationalism from a man whose career was rapidly slipping away.

Senator McCarthy first made a name for himself in 1950 when he charged that over 200 "known communists" were in the Department of State. During the next few years, he alleged that communists were in nearly every branch of the U.S. government. His reckless accusations helped to create what came to be known as the Red Scare, a time when Americans feared that communists were infiltrating all aspects of American government and life. Despite the fact that McCarthy never managed to unearth a single communist, his ability to whip up public hysteria and smear opponents as communist sympathizers made him front-page news for several years. By 1954, however, his power was slipping. His earlier charges had been leveled at the Democratic administration of President Harry S. Truman, and Republicans had embraced McCarthy as a useful weapon. When Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower stepped into the presidency in 1953, however, McCarthy's wild accusations became a nuisance and source of embarrassment to the Republican Party.

You can read the rest of this article at: History.com-Communists in the CIA

Also see: McCarthy and Eisenhower