June 3 Today in History

Today’s Important Historical Events

1621 Dutch West India Company (WIC) receives charter for The West Indies (The Americas, Caribbean and West Africa)

1929 Chile and Peru sign the Treaty of Lima, finally resolving their border dispute from the War of the Pacific (1879–83). Chile keeps Arica and Peru regains Tacna.

1943 A mob of 60 from the Los Angeles Naval Reserve Armory beat up everyone perceived to be Hispanic, starting the week-long Zoot Suit Riots

1979 Ixtoc I rig in the Gulf of Mexico blows, spilling 3 million barrels of oil in one of the worst oil spills in history

1989 Beginning of the Tiananmen Square Massacre as Chinese troops open fire on pro-democracy supporters in Beijing

Today’s Historical Events

350 Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, proclaims himself Roman Emperor, entering Rome at the head of a group of gladiators.

1083 Henry IV of Germany storms Rome, capturing St Peter’s Cathedral

1098 After 5-month siege during the First Crusade, the Crusaders seize Antioch

1140 French scholar Peter Abelard is found guilty of heresy

1326 Treaty of Novgorod delineates borders between Russia and Norway in Finnmark

1357 Peace of Ath signed (in modern Belgium), settles Brabant succession

1539 Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto claims Florida for Spain

1540 Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto crosses the Appalachian Mountains, 1st European to do so

Today’s Historical Events in Film and TV

1953 KVOS TV channel 12 in Bellingham/Vancouver, WA (CBS) begins

1955 KLFY TV channel 10 in Lafayette, LA (CBS) begins broadcasting

1956 KGUN TV channel 9 in Tucson, AZ (ABC) begins broadcasting

1962 WBKO TV channel 13 in Bowling Green, KY (ABC) begins broadcasting

1969 Last episode of Star Trek airs on NBC (Turnabout Intruder)

1970 Ray Davies of The Kinks travels round trip NY-London to change 1 word in “Lola,” (Coca-Cola to Cherry Cola) because of BBC commercial reference ban

1980 ESPN begins televising college world series games

1985 “Larry King Live” debuts on CNN, airing each weeknight through December, 2010

Today’s Historical Events in Music

1911 “Come Josephine in My Flying Machine” record by Fred Fisher and Alfred Bryan, sung by Ada Jones and Billy Murray hits #1

1939 “Beer Barrel Polka” by Will Glahe hits #1 on the pop singles chart

1948 Musical “Sleepy Hollow”, based on Washington Irving‘s novel, opens at St James Theater, NYC; runs for 12 performances

1961 “Wildcat” closes at Alvin Theater NYC after 172 performances

1964 Ringo Starr collapses from tonsillitis and pharyngitis

1967 Aretha Franklin‘s cover of the Otis Redding song “Respect” reaches #1

1972 “Hot Rod Lincoln” by Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen hits #9

1973 “Smith” closes at Eden Theater, NYC, after 17 performances

Today’s Historical Events in Sports

1851 1st baseball uniforms worn when the NY Knickerbockers wear a uniform of straw hats, white shirts and blue long trousers

1888 Baseball poem “Casey at the Bat” 1st published by the San Francisco Examiner

1899 W. G. Grace‘s last day of Test cricket aged 50 yrs 320 days

1918 Boston Red Sox pitcher Dutch Leonard throws his 2nd no-hitter; beats Detroit Tigers, 5-0 at Navin Field

1925 Baseball player Eddie Collins becomes the 6th to get 3,000 hits

1929 French Championships Men’s Tennis: René Lacoste wins his 3rd French title, beating fellow Frenchman Jean Borotra 6-3, 2-6, 6-0, 2-6, 8-6

1929 French Championship Women’s Tennis: Defending champion Helen Wills Moody beats Simonne Mathieu 6-3, 6-4

1930 Grover Cleveland Alexander is released by the Phillies