On this Day

Wednesday, June 29th
The 180th day of 2005
There are 185 days left in the year

Today's Highlights in History

On June 29, 1995, the shuttle Atlantis and the Russian space station Mir docked, forming the largest man-made satellite ever to orbit the Earth. (Go to article.)

On June 29, 1868, George Ellery Hale, the American astronomer, was born. Following his death on Feb. 21, 1938, his obituary appeared in The Times. (Go to obit. Other Birthdays)

On June 29, 1861, Harper's Weekly featured a cartoon about Kentucky's neutrality during the early months of the Civil War. (See the cartoon and read an explanation.)

Reference: The New York Times



The follwowing courtesy Iraq War Today

Today in History
1613 - Shakespeare's Globe Theater burns down
1767 - The British Parliament passes The Townshend Acts, levying taxes on America.
1776 - Virginia adopts its state constitution, and names Patrick Henry as governor.
1862 - Day 5 of the 7 Days-Battle of Savage's Station
1863 - Lee orders his forces to concentrate near Gettysburg, PA.
1913 - The Second Balkan War begins.
1916 - The first flight of a Boeing aircraft.
1940 - The U.S. passes the Alien Registration Act.
1949 - South Africa begins implementing apartheid with the banning of mixed marriages; U.S. troops withdraw from Korea following WW II.
1952 - The USS Oriskany becomes the first aircraft carrier to sail around Cape Horn (she was decommissioned in 1989, and now is due to be scuttled in May 2006 to form the world's largest artificial reef.
1954 - The Atomic Energy Commission votes against Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer's reinstatement.
1964 - After more than eighty days of Senate filibuster, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is passed.
1965 - USAF Captain Joseph Henry Engle reaches 85,530 m in the X-15.
1966 - The U.S. bombs fuel storage facilities near North Vietnamese cities.
1967 - Israel re-unifies Jersualem, removing barricades.
1969 - The first Jewish worship service is held at the White House.
1970 - The U.S. concludes a two-month military offensive into Cambodia.
1971 - Soyuz 11 docks with Salyut 1 for 22 days .
1972 - The U.S.S.R. launches Prognoz 2 into Earth orbit.
1982 - The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is extended.
1984 - The U.S.S.R. offers to start talks on banning SDI.
1985 - NASA launches Intelsat VA

Birthdays
1858 - George Washington Goethals, engineer (Panama Canal)
1865 - Shigechiyo Izumi, achieved oldest authenticated age (120 y 237 d) ; William E. Borah lawyer/(Sen-ID)
1934 - Carl Levin (Sen-MI)
1948 - Fred Grandy, actor (Gopher-"Love Boat")/(Rep-Iowa)

Passings
1852 - Henry Clay, Senator, Secretary of State, "The Great Compromiser"
1923 - General J.C. Gomez, Venezuala's first vice president, assassinated
1978 - Bob Crane, actor (Hogan's Heroes), murdered

Reported Missing in Action
1965
Lindsey, Marvin Nelson, USAF (LA); RF101C shot down, no parachute seen
1966
Jones, Murphy N., USAF (LA); F105D shot down, released by DRV February, 1973 - retired from the USAF as a Colonel - alive and well as of 1998
1967
Hardy, William H., US Army ; Released by DRV February, 1973 - alive as of 1996
1968
Owen, Timothy S., US Army (NY); disappeared while conducting a night ambush
1970
Aldern, Donald D., USN (SD); A7A shot down, no parachute seen