June 15th

Today's Highlight in History:
On June 15th, 1215, King John put his seal to Magna Carta ("the Great Charter") at Runnymede, England, granting his barons more liberty.

On this date:
In 1520, Pope Leo the Tenth threatened to excommunicate Martin Luther if he did not recant his religious beliefs.

In 1775, the Second Continental Congress voted unanimously to appoint George Washington head of the Continental Army.

In 1836, Arkansas became the 25th state.

In 1849, James Polk, the eleventh president of the United States, died in Nashville, Tennessee.

In 1864, Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton signed an order establishing a military burial ground, which became Arlington National Cemetery.

In 1904, more than a thousand people died when fire erupted aboard the steamboat "General Slocum" in New York's East River.

In 1944, American forces began their successful invasion of Saipan during World War Two. Meanwhile, B-29 Superfortresses made their first raids on Japan.

In 1960, the Billy Wilder movie "The Apartment," starring Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine, opened in New York.

In 1978, King Hussein of Jordan married 26-year-old American Lisa Halaby, who became Queen Noor.

In 1994, Israel and the Vatican established full diplomatic relations.

Ten years ago: Real estate mogul Donald Trump missed a payment due on junk bonds used to finance one of his Atlantic City, New Jersey, resorts.

Five years ago: President Clinton met with Japanese Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama on the opening day of a Group of Seven summit in Halifax, Nova Scotia. At the O.J. Simpson murder trial, Simpson struggled to don a pair of gloves that prosecutors said were worn the night Simpson's ex-wife, Nicole, and her friend, Ronald Goldman, were murdered.

One year ago: Thousands of Ethnic Albanian refugees flooded back into Kosovo while thousands of Serbs fled. Vessels from North Korea and South Korea clashed on the Yellow Sea; about 30 North Korean sailors are believed to have died. A magnitude 6.7 earthquake in central Mexico killed at least 17 people.

"Faith and doubt both are needed -- not as antagonists, but working side by side -- to take us around the unknown curve."

-- Lillian Smith, American author (1897-1966).