Today in History

Today is Tuesday, June 5, the 156th day of 2018. There are 209 days left in the year.

Today’s highlight: On June 5, 1968, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy was shot and mortally wounded after claiming victory in California’s Democratic presidential primary at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles; assassin Sirhan Bishara Sirhan was arrested at the scene.

On this date:

In 1527, a month after Rome was conquered by troops of the Holy Roman Empire, Pope Clement VII surrendered.

In 1794, Congress passed the Neutrality Act, which prohibited Americans from taking part in any military action against a country that was at peace with the United States.

In 1884, Civil War hero Gen. William T. Sherman refused the Republican presidential nomination, saying, “I will not accept if nominated and will not serve if elected.”

In 1917, about 10 million American men between the ages of 21 and 31 began registering for the draft in World War I.

In 1933, the United States went off the gold standard.

In 1947, Secretary of State George C. Marshall gave a speech at Harvard University in which he outlined an aid program for Europe that came to be known as The Marshall Plan.

In 1950, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Henderson v. United States, struck down racially segregated railroad dining cars.

In 1967, war erupted in the Middle East as Israel, anticipating a possible attack by its Arab neighbors, launched a series of pre-emptive airfield strikes that destroyed nearly the entire Egyptian air force; Syria, Jordan and Iraq immediately entered the conflict.

In 1976, 14 people were killed when the Teton Dam in Idaho burst.

In 1986, a federal jury in Baltimore convicted Ronald W. Pelton of selling secrets to the Soviet Union. (Pelton was sentenced to three life prison terms plus ten years.)

In 1993, country star Conway Twitty died in Springfield, Missouri, at age 59.

In 2004, Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th president of the United States, died in Los Angeles at age 93 after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s disease.

Ten years ago: Defense Secretary Robert Gates ousted Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Michael Moseley and Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne, holding them to account in a historic Pentagon shake-up after embarrassing nuclear mix-ups. Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton met privately at the Washington home of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the first such get-together since Obama clinched the Democratic presidential nomination.

Five years ago: The British newspaper The Guardian reported the National Security Agency was collecting the telephone records of millions of American customers of Verizon under a top secret court order. President Barack Obama named Susan Rice his national security adviser, and nominated Samantha Power to replace Rice as United Nations ambassador. U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, accused of killing 16 Afghan civilians, many of them sleeping women and children, pleaded guilty to murder at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, to avoid the death penalty. Carrie Underwood won top honor video of the year at the CMT Music Awards for “Blown Away”; Miranda Lambert and Florida Georgia Line were the night’s top winners with two awards apiece.

One year ago: The White House said President Donald Trump would not assert executive privilege to block fired FBI Director James Comey from testifying on Capitol Hill. Bill Cosby went on trial in Norristown, Pennsylvania, on charges he drugged and sexually assaulted Andrea Constand, a former employee of Temple University’s basketball program, at his suburban Philadelphia mansion in 2004. (The jury deadlocked, resulting in a mistrial, but Cosby was convicted in a second trial.)

Today’s birthdays: Actor-singer Bill Hayes is 93. Broadcast journalist Bill Moyers is 84. Former Canadian Prime Minister Joe Clark is 79. Author Dame Margaret Drabble is 79. Country singer Don Reid (The Statler Brothers) is 73. Rock musician Freddie Stone (AKA Freddie Stewart) (Sly and the Family Stone) is 71. Rock singer Laurie Anderson is 71. Country singer Gail Davies is 70. Author Ken Follett is 69. Financial guru Suze Orman is 67. Rock musician Nicko McBrain (Iron Maiden) is 66. Jazz musician Peter Erskine is 64. Jazz musician Kenny G is 62. Rock singer Richard Butler (Psychedelic Furs) is 62. Actress Beth Hall is 60. Actor Jeff Garlin is 56. Actress Karen Sillas is 55. Actor Ron Livingston is 51. Singer Brian McKnight is 49. Rock musician Claus Norreen (Aqua) is 48. Actor Mark Wahlberg is 47. Actor Chad Allen is 44. Rock musician P-Nut (311) is 44. Actress Navi Rawat is 41. Actress Liza Weil is 41. Rock musician Pete Wentz (Fall Out Boy) is 39. Rock musician Seb Lefebvre (Simple Plan) is 37. Actress Chelsey Crisp is 35. Actress Amanda Crew is 32. Electronic musician Harrison Mills (Odesza) is 29. Actress Sophie Lowe is 28.

Thought for today: “I know in my heart that man is good. That what is right will always eventually triumph. And there’s purpose and worth to each and every life.” — President Ronald Reagan (1911-2004).

— Associated Press