Epic Idiot's what happened
On This Day

June 25

1977
Roy C. Sullivan struck by lightning for the 7th time.

1973
John Dean announces on national television that Pres. Nixon, his staff, and the Justice Dept. conspired to cover up Watergate.

1962
Public school prayer: The U.S. Supreme Court rules that prayers read aloud in public schools are a violation of the 1st Amendment's separation of church and state.

1951
Color TV: First regularly scheduled commercial color TV program: CBS airs a variety show featuring Ed Sullivan, Arthur Godfrey, and Faye Emerson.

1950
The Korean War begins: 60,000 North Korean troops invade South Korea in an attempt to bring the entire country under Communist rule.

1903
Discovery of radium is announced by Marie Curie.

1876
Custer's Last Stand: General George Custer and all 264 of his men (including his two brothers) are killed in the Battle of the Little Big Horn against Sioux Indians led by Chiefs Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse.

1788
Virginia becomes the 10th state.

1963
George Michael (Yorgos Kyriatou Panayiotou), British singer, with Wham!. Music: Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go (1984 #1) and I Want Your Sex (1987).

1949
Phyllis George, American TV personality, Miss America (1971).

1948
Jimmie Walker, American comic actor. TV: Good Times (the Kid of Dynamite!).

1945
Carly Simon, American singer. Music: You're So Vain (1972, #1) and Nobody Does It Better (1977).

1933
James Howard Meredith, American civil rights figure, first black to graduate from the 115-year-old University of Mississippi (1963). 3,000 troops were used to put down the riots which ensued when he entered.

1925
June Lockhart, American actress. TV: Lost in Space (Maureen Robinson).

1909
Col. Tom Parker, Dutch impresario, Elvis Presley's manager. He also managed Hank Snow and Eddy Arnold. Parker, who was not a U.S. citizen and couldn't get a visa, was afraid that if he left the states he would not be allowed back in. Consequently, Elvis never toured Europe.

1903     d. 1950
George Orwell (Eric Arthur Blair), English author. Writings: 1984 (1949).

1894     d. 1989
Hermann Julius Oberth, German rocket inventor, founder of modern astronautics. He pioneered the development of liquid-fueled rockets in the 1930s. His work led to the development of Germany's V-2 rocket during World War II.

1887     d. 1995
George Abbott, American Pulitzer and Tony-winning directory, screenwriter. Stage: Damn Yankees and The Pajama Game.

1886     d. 1950
Henry Harley Arnold, American 5-star general, commanding general of the U.S. Army Air Force during World War I. He became the first movie stuntman (1911) when hired as a stand-in for The Military Scout.

1865     d. 1929
Robert Henri, American painter, teacher, one of "The Eight." Works: The Laughing Boy (1907) and Portrait of Mrs. Robert Henri (1911).

1988     b. 1900
Axis Sally (Mildred E. Gillars), American Nazi sympathizer. She broadcast Nazi propaganda to U.S. troops in Europe during World War II, for which she served 12 years in prison after the war.

1957     b. 1895
A.D. Carter (Augustus Daniel Carter), American cartoonist, created Just Kids (1923).

1937     b. 1900
Colin Clive (Colin Glenn Clive-Greig), British actor. Film: Frankenstein (1931, Dr. Frankenstein), Bride of Frankenstein (1935, Dr. Frankenstein),

1906     b. 1853
Stanford White, American architect, designed the old Madison Square Garden and the Washington Arch.

1876     b. 1839
George Armstrong Custer, American general, killed in the "Battle of Little Big Horn."

1830     b. 1771
Ephraim McDowell, American surgeon. He was the first to perform the removal of an ovarian tumor (1809).

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