June 26 - Race Car

Race Car

This Day In History

699

En no Ozuno, a Japanese mystic and apothecary who will later be regarded as the founder of a folk religion Shugendō, is banished to Izu Ōshima.

1857

The first investiture of the Victoria Cross in Hyde Park, London.

1886

Henri Moissan isolated elemental Fluorine for the first time.

1909

The Science Museum in London comes into existence as an independent entity.

1927

The Cyclone roller coaster opens on Coney Island.

1936

Initial flight of the Focke-Wulf Fw 61, the first practical helicopter.

1948

The Western allies begin an airlift to Berlin after the Soviet Union blockades West Berlin.

1959

The Saint Lawrence Seaway opens, opening North America's Great Lakes to ocean-going ships.

1974

A Universal Product Code is scanned for the first time to sell a package of Wrigley's chewing gum at the Marsh Supermarket in Troy, Ohio.

2008

The U.S. Supreme Court rules in District of Columbia v. Heller that the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution protects an individual right, and that the District of Columbia handgun ban is unconstitutional.

Famous Birthdays

1685

Antonio Bernacchi, Italian castrato, composer, and teacher of singing (d. 1756)

1730

Charles Messier, French astronomer (d. 1817)

1819

Abner Doubleday, American Major General (d. 1893)

1892

Pearl S. Buck, American writer, Nobel laureate (d. 1973)

1898

Willy Messerschmitt, German aircraft designer (d. 1978)

1904

Peter Lorre, Hungarian actor (d. 1964)

1911

Babe Didrikson Zaharias, American athlete (d. 1956)

1913

Maurice Wilkes, British computer scientist (d. 2010)

1915

Charlotte Zolotow, American author of children's books

1933

Claudio Abbado, Italian conductor

1957

Patty Smyth, American singer

1973

Gretchen Wilson, American country music singer and songwriter

1980

Michael Vick, American football player