Today is Monday, June 30, the 181st day of 2014. There are 184 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History: On June 30, 1934, Adolf Hitler launched his "blood purge" of
political and military rivals in Germany in what came to be known as "The Night of the Long
Knives."
On this date:
In 1859, French acrobat Charles Blondin walked back and forth on a tightrope above the gorge of Niagara
Falls as thousands of spectators watched.
In 1886, Arturo Toscanini, a 19-year-old cellist, made his legendary conducting debut as he stepped in as
a last-minute substitute to lead the orchestra of an Italian touring company’s performance of the Verdi
opera "Aida" in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
In 1908, the Tunguska Event took place in Russia as an asteroid exploded above Siberia, leaving 800
square miles of scorched or blown-down trees.
In 1912, Canada’s deadliest tornado on record occurred as a cyclone struck Regina, the provincial capital
of Saskatchewan, killing 28 people.
In 1958, the U.S. Senate passed the Alaska statehood bill by a vote of 64-20.
In 1963, Pope Paul VI was crowned the 262nd head of the Roman Catholic Church.
In 1972, for the first time, a leap-second was added to Coordinated Universal Time to account for the
slowing rotation of the Earth.
In 1985, 39 American hostages from a hijacked TWA jetliner were freed in Beirut after being held 17 days.
Ten years ago: A federal appeals court approved an antitrust settlement Microsoft had negotiated with the
Justice Department. The Iraqis took legal custody of Saddam Hussein and eleven of his top lieutenants, a
first step toward the ousted dictator’s expected trial for crimes against humanity. After nearly seven
years of travel, the international Cassini spacecraft entered Saturn’s orbit.
Five years ago: Democrat Al Franken was declared the winner of Minnesota’s eight-month U.S. Senate vote
recount, defeating Republican incumbent Norm Coleman.
One year ago: Nineteen elite firefighters known as members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots were killed
battling a wildfire northwest of Phoenix after a change in wind direction pushed the flames back toward
their position.
