Today in 1919, Sir Barton became the first horse to capture the Triple Crown when he won the Belmont Stakes in New York City.
Today in 1955, more than 80 people were killed and nearly 200 more were injured during the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France when two of the cars collided and crashed into spectators. It was motor racing’s worst disaster.
Today in 1962, three prisoners at Alcatraz in San Francisco Bay staged an escape, leaving the island on a makeshift raft; they were never found or heard from again.
Today in 1981, the first baseball players strike in major-league history to result in regular season games being canceled began. The strike ended July 31st of that year, but not before 713 games were cancelled and $146-million was lost in player salaries, ticket sales, broadcast and concession revenues. Between the players and the owners, players lost $4-million a week in salaries while the owners suffered a total loss of $72-million.
Today in 1986, a divided Supreme Court struck down a Pennsylvania abortion law, while reaffirming its 1973 decision establishing a constitutional right to abortion.
Today in 1993, the Supreme Court ruled that people who commit "hate crimes" could be sentenced to extra punishment. The court also ruled in favor of religious groups saying that they indeed had a constitutional right to sacrifice animals during worship services.
Today in 2001, Timothy McVeigh was executed by the U.S. federal government for his role in the bombing of a federal building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995. The bombing killed 168 people and injured more than 680 others.
Today in 2002, the television series "American Idol" debuted on FOX-TV. The show featured judges Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell.
Today in 2009, the World Health Organization declared the H1N1 swine flu to be a global pandemic, the first such incident in over forty years.
Today in 2017, supporters of LGBT rights marched and rallied in the nation’s capital and dozens of other U.S. cities, celebrating gains but angry over threats posed by the administration of President Donald Trump.
Today in 2018, Net neutrality was officially repealed by the Federal Communications Commission in the US.