July 1, 2009 - Today In History

Today is Wednesday, July 1, the 182nd day of 2009. There are 183 days left in the year. This is Canada Day.

Today's Highlight in History:

On July 1, 1867, Canada became a self-governing dominion of Great Britain as the British North America Act took effect.

On this date:

In 1859, the first intercollegiate baseball game took place in Pittsfield, Mass., between teams from Williams College and Amherst College. (Amherst won the nearly four-hour, 26-inning contest by the score of 73-32.)

In 1863, the Civil War Battle of Gettysburg, resulting in a Union victory, began in Pennsylvania.

In 1934, Hollywood began enforcing its Production Code subjecting motion pictures to censorship review.

In 1946, the United States exploded a 20-kiloton atomic bomb near Bikini Atoll in the Pacific.

In 1959, the controversial motion picture "Anatomy of a Murder," starring James Stewart, was released.

In 1968, the United States, Britain, the Soviet Union and nearly 60 other nations signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

In 1969, Britain's Prince Charles was formally invested as the Prince of Wales by his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

In 1980, "O Canada" was proclaimed the national anthem of Canada.

In 1984, the Motion Picture Association of America established the "PG-13" rating.

In 1997, Hong Kong reverted to Chinese rule after 156 years as a British colony.

Ten years ago:

Exactly six months before the year 2000, Congress passed legislation to shield businesses from a potential flood of Y2K computer-related lawsuits.

A gondola in the French Alps ripped away from its cables, killing 20 people aboard.

African nationalist Joshua Nkomo died in Harare, Zimbabwe, at age 82.

Five years ago:

Legendary film and stage actor Marlon Brando died in Los Angeles at age 80.

Saddam Hussein scoffed at charges of war crimes and mass killings, making a defiant first public appearance in an Iraqi court since being hunted down seven months earlier.

Hundreds of thousands of people marched in Hong Kong to demand democratic rights from China.

The Cassini spacecraft sent back photographs of Saturn's shimmering rings.

One year ago:

Ex-convict Nicholas T. Sheley, suspected in eight grisly slayings in two states, was arrested
outside a bar in Granite City, Ill.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Denver agreed to pay $5.5 million to settle 18 more claims
by people who said they'd been sexually abused by priests when they were children.

Clay Felker, founding editor of New York magazine, died at age 82.

Today's Birthdays:

Actress Olivia de Havilland is 93.

Actor Farley Granger is 84.

Actress-dancer Leslie Caron is 78.

Actress Jean Marsh is 75.

Actor Jamie Farr is 75.

Bluesman James Cotton is 74.

Actor David Prowse is 74.

Cookiemaker Wally Amos is 73.

Actress Karen Black is 70.

Dancer-choreographer Twyla Tharp is 68.

Actress Genevieve Bujold is 67.

Gospel singer Andrae Crouch is 67.

Rock singer-actress Deborah Harry is 64.

Movie-TV producer-director Michael Pressman is 59.

Actor Daryl Anderson is 58.

Actor Trevor Eve is 58.

Actor Terrence Mann is 58.

Rock singer Fred Schneider (B-52's) is 58.

Pop singer Victor Willis (Village People) is 58.

Actor-comedian Dan Aykroyd is 57.

Actor Alan Ruck is 53.

Actress Lisa Blount is 52.

Rhythm-and-blues singer Evelyn "Champagne" King is 49.

Olympic gold medal track star Carl Lewis is 48.

Country singer Michelle Wright is 48.

Actor Andre Braugher is 47.

Actress Pamela Anderson is 42.

Rock musician Mark Pirro is 39.

Rock musician Franny Griffiths (Space) is 39.

Actor Henry Simmons is 39.

Hip-hop artist Missy Elliott is 38.

Actress Julianne Nicholson is 38.

Actress Liv Tyler is 32.

Bluegrass musician Adam Haynes (Dailey & Vincent) is 30.

Actress Hilarie Burton is 27.

Actress Lynsey Bartilson is 26.

Thought for Today:

"The more we learn the more we realize how little we know."

— R. Buckminster Fuller
(1895-1983).