Today in 1776,the final draft of the Declaration of Independence was submitted to Continental Congress.
Today in 1969, the American gay rights movement was officially born as patrons at the Stonewall Inn, a bar in New York’s Greenwich Village, clashed with police who were attempting to raid the establishment. The ensuing riots lasted for three days.
Today in 1971, Daniel Ellsberg was indicted for leaking what became known as the Pentagon Papers.
Today in 1978, the Supreme Court ordered the University of California at Davis Medical School to admit Allan Bakke, a white man who'd argued he was a victim of reverse racial discrimination.
Today in 1987, Gay Pride Day was first observed.
Today in 1995, the House overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment to protect the American flag from desecration. However, the amendment was defeated in the Senate.
Today in 2000, the Supreme Court struck down Nebraska's so-called "partial-birth" abortion law. On the same day, the Supreme Court also ruled the Boy Scouts can bar homosexuals from serving as troop leaders. Fast forward to 2015, and the Scouts ended their ban after all.
Today in 2015, after weeks on the run, convicted cop killer David Sweat was shot and captured near the Canadian border. Along with Richard Matt, he had escaped an upstate New York correctional facility on June 6th of that year.
Today in 2017, ABC and a South Dakota meat producer announced a settlement in a $1.9-billion lawsuit against the network over its reports on a beef product that critics dubbed “pink slime.”
Today in 2018, a lone gunman attacked the offices of the “Capital Gazette” newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland, killing nine.