1977 Lightning Strikes Roy C. Sullivan is struck by lightning for the 7th time.  This is the current world record.  Source: Guinness Book of World Records

1973 Watergate John Dean announces on national television that Pres. Nixon, his staff, and the Justice Dept. conspired to cover up Watergate.

1962 Public school prayer The U.S. Supreme Court rules that prayers read aloud in public schools are a violation of the 1st Amendment's separation of church and state.

1951 Color TV First regularly scheduled commercial color TV program: CBS airs a variety show featuring Ed Sullivan, Arthur Godfrey, and Faye Emerson.

1950 The Korean War begins 60,000 North Korean troops invade South Korea in an attempt to bring the entire country under Communist rule.

1903 Discovery of radium is announced by Marie Curie.

1876 Custer's Last Stand General George Custer and all 264 of his men (including his two brothers) are killed in the Battle of the Little Big Horn against Sioux Indians led by Chiefs Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse.

1788 Virginia becomes the 10th state.

1963 George Michael (Yorgos Kyriatou Panayiotou), British singer, with Wham!. Music: Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go (1984 #1) and I Want Your Sex (1987).

1949 Phyllis George American TV personality, Miss America (1971).

1948 Jimmie Walker American comic actor. TV: Good Times (the Kid of Dynamite!).

1945 Carly Simon American singer. Music: You're So Vain (1972, #1) and Nobody Does It Better (1977).

1933 James Howard Meredith American civil rights figure. He was the first African-American to graduate from the 115-year-old University of Mississippi (1963). 3,000 troops were used to put down the riots which ensued when he entered. The riots left two dead and dozens injured. In 1966 he was shot and wounded while leading a march from Memphis to Jackson, Mississippi.

1925 June Lockhart American actress. TV: Lost in Space (Maureen Robinson).

1903 George Orwell d. 1950 (Eric Arthur Blair), English author. Writings: Animal Farm (1945) and 1984 (1949).

1894 Hermann Julius Oberth d. 1989 German rocket inventor, founder of modern astronautics. He pioneered the development of liquid-fueled rockets in the 1930s. His work led to the development of Germany's V-2 rocket during World War II.

1887 George Abbott d. 1995 American Pulitzer and Tony-winning directory, screenwriter. Stage: Damn Yankees and The Pajama Game.

1886 Henry Harley Arnold d. 1950 American 5-star general, commanding general of the U.S. Army Air Force during World War I. He became the first movie stuntman (1911) when hired as a stand-in for The Military Scout.

1865 Robert Henri d. 1929 American painter, teacher, one of "The Eight." Works: The Laughing Boy (1907) and Portrait of Mrs. Robert Henri (1911).

2009 Michael Jackson b. 1958 American Grammy-winning singer, "King of Pop." one of the Jackson Five. His Thriller album sold 38,000,000 copies in 1984 and is the best-selling solo album of all time.

2009 Farrah Fawcett b. 1947 American actress. Her famous poster is the best-selling pinup poster of all time. TV: Charlie's Angels (Jill Munroe) and The Burning Bed  (1984).  Film: Logan's Run (1976).

1997 Jacques-Yves Cousteau b. 1910 French marine explorer. His 1953 book The Silent World predicted the echolocation abilities of porpoises and contained the first printed use of the word "aqualung," which he helped develop.

1988 Axis Sally b. 1900 (Mildred E. Gillars), American Nazi sympathizer. She broadcast Nazi propaganda to U.S. troops in Europe during World War II, for which she served 12 years in prison after the war.

1957 A.D. Carter b. 1895 (Augustus Daniel Carter), American cartoonist, created Just Kids (1923).

1937 Colin Clive b. 1900 (Colin Glenn Clive-Greig), British actor. Film: Frankenstein (1931, Dr. Frankenstein), Bride of Frankenstein (1935, Dr. Frankenstein),

1906 Stanford White b. 1853 American architect, designed the old Madison Square Garden and the Washington Arch.

1876 George Armstrong Custer b. 1839 American Civil War general. He was killed in the "Battle of Little Big Horn."

1830 Ephraim McDowell b. 1771 American surgeon. He was the first to perform the removal of an ovarian tumor (1809).

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