This Day in History – June 12, 2011

1665 English rename New Amsterdam, New York, after Dutch pull out 1775 1st naval battle of Revolution-Unity (Am) captures Margaretta (Br) 1776 Virginia adopts Declaration of Rights 1787 Law passes providing a senator must be at least 30 years old 1792 George Vancouver discovers site of Vancouver, BC 1838 Hopkins Observatory, dedicated in Williamstown, Mass 1838 Territory of Iowa organized 1839 1st baseball game played in America 1845 George Abernethy becomes 1st governor of Oregon Country 1849 Gas mask patented by Lewis Haslett, Louisville, Ky 1859 Comstock Silver Lode in Nevada discovered 1885 Roof collapse kills 30 at murder trial in France 1898 Philippine nationalists declares independence from Spain to US control 1903 Niagara Falls, Ontario incorporated as a city 1913 “The Dachshund” by Pathe Freres, early animated cartoon, released 1917 Secret Service extends protection of president to his family 1920 Farmer Labor Party organized (Chicago) 1923 Harry Houdini frees himself from a straitjacket while suspended upside down, 40 feet (12 m) above the ground in NYC 1934 Black-McKeller Bill passes causes Bill Boeing empire to break up  into Boeing United Aircraft [Technologies] & United Air Lines 1952 420th kitten (record) born to cat named Dusty, Bonham, TX 1964 South Africa sentences Nelson Mandela to life imprisonment 1967 Supreme Court unanimously ends laws against interracial marriages 1967 USSR launches Venera 4 for parachute landing on Venus 1971 Tricia Nixon & Edward F Cox marry at White House 1977 Ground-breaking ceremonies for Pres Kennedy library 1978 David Berkowitz sentenced in NY Supreme Court to 25 yrs to life 1980 Reagan said he would submit to periodic medical tests 1981 Baseball players begin a 50 day strike, their 3rd strike]]]]> ]]>