Today in History — June 8

updated 12:05 a.m. ET June 8, 2007

Today is Friday, June 8, the 159th day of 2007. There are 206 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History:
On June 8, A.D. 632, the prophet Mohammed died.

On this date:
In 1845, Andrew Jackson, seventh president of the United States, died in Nashville, Tenn.

In 1861, Tennessee seceded from the Union.

In 1864, Abraham Lincoln was nominated for another term as president during the National Union (Republican) Party’s convention in Baltimore.

In 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt offered to act as a mediator in the Russo-Japanese War.

In 1915, Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan resigned in a disagreement with President Wilson over U.S. handling of the sinking of the Lusitania.

In 1953, the Supreme Court, in District of Columbia v. Thompson Co., ruled that restaurants in the District of Columbia could not refuse to serve blacks.

In 1966, a merger was announced between the National Football League and the American Football League, to take effect in 1970.

In 1967, 34 U.S. servicemen were killed when Israeli forces raided the Liberty, a Navy ship stationed in the Mediterranean. (Israel called the attack a tragic mistake.)

In 1978, a jury in Clark County, Nev., ruled the so-called “Mormon will,” purportedly written by the late billionaire Howard Hughes, was a forgery.

In 1987, Fawn Hall began testifying at the Iran-Contra hearings, describing how, as secretary to National Security aide Oliver L. North, she helped to shred some documents and spirit away others.

Ten years ago: Irish Prime Minister John Bruton conceded narrow defeat in national elections to opposition leader Bertie Ahern.

Five years ago: President Bush ended talks at Camp David with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak; Bush sidestepped Arab pleas to impose a deadline for Palestinian statehood while Mubarak defended Yasser Arafat and urged, “Give this man a chance.” Serena Williams won the French Open, defeating her older sister, Venus, 7-5, 6-3. Sarava, a 70-1 shot, captured the Belmont Stakes; Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner War Emblem finished eighth. Lennox Lewis kept his heavyweight titles by stopping Mike Tyson in the eighth round of their fight in Memphis, Tenn.

One year ago: The Food and Drug Administration approved a vaccine against HPV, the virus that causes cervical cancer. Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa, a lawyer from Bahrain, was elected UN General Assembly president, the first woman from the Middle East to take the post.

Today’s Birthdays: Former President Suharto of Indonesia is 86. Former First Lady Barbara Bush is 82. Actor-comedian Jerry Stiller is 80. Comedian Joan Rivers is 74. Actress Millicent Martin is 73. Actor James Darren is 71. Actor Bernie Casey is 68. Singer Nancy Sinatra is 67. Singer Chuck Negron (Three Dog Night) is 65. Musician Boz Scaggs is 63. Actor Don Grady is 63. Rock musician Mick Box (Uriah Heep) is 60. Author Sara Paretsky is 60. Actress Sonia Braga is 57. Actress Kathy Baker is 57. Country musician Tony Rice is 56. Singer Bonnie Tyler is 54. Actor Griffin Dunne is 52. “Dilbert” creator Scott Adams is 50. Actor-director Keenen Ivory Wayans is 49. Singer Mick Hucknall (Simply Red) is 47. Musician Nick Rhodes (Duran Duran) is 45. Rhythm-and-blues singer Doris Pearson (Five Star) is 41. Actress Julianna Margulies is 40. Actor Dan Futterman is 40. Actor David Sutcliffe is 38. Rhythm-and-blues singer Nicci Gilbert is 37. Actress Kelli Williams is 37. Actor Mark Feuerstein is 36. Contemporary Christian musician Mike Scheuchzer (MercyMe) is 32. Rapper Kanye West is 29. Folk-bluegrass singer-musician Sara Watkins (Nickel Creek) is 26.

Thought for Today: “The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do.” — Thomas Jefferson, third President of the United States (1743-1826).

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