Friday, June 6, 1997
Today's events
General elections are being held in Ireland.
The presidents of a number of Central European countries, including Slovenia, Austria, the Czech Republic, Italy, Hungary, Germany, Poland and Slovakia, meet in Slovenia to discuss European integration.
The 44th Sydney Film Festival takes place in Australia.
The Frankenmuth Bavarian Festival, in Frankenmuth, Michigan, welcomes hundreds of thousands celebrating the area's German heritage.
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On the horizon
On Saturday, June 7, the 129th running of the Belmont Stakes,
third leg of thoroughbred
racing's Triple Crown, will be run at Belmont Park.
On Sunday, June 8, Nordic and Baltic defense ministers are
scheduled to meet in Saaremaa, Estonia.
On Monday, June 9, the Bank for International Settlements,
holds an annual meeting attended by world's senior central
banker in Basle, Switzerland.
On Tuesday, June 10, British violinist Nigel Kennedy and cellist Julian Lloyd Webber perform in Hong Kong.
On Wednesday, June 11, Japan's Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko visit the U.S. with a stop in Los Angeles.
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On this day
In 1660, The Peace of Copenhagen was signed, ending the war between Sweden and Denmark.
In 1683, the first public museum, The Ashmolean, was opened at Oxford, England.
In 1801, the war between Spain and Portugal, known as the War of the Oranges, ended with the Treaty of Badajoz being signed.
In 1862, after a brief battle between Confederate and Union gunboats, Memphis, Tennesee, surrendered to Union forces in the American Civil War.
In 1933, the first drive-in cinema opened in Camden, New Jersey. A showing of "Wife Beware" had room for 400 cars.
In 1944, Operation Overlord, the landing of allied forces on the coast of Normandy, France, took place. It was the largest sea-borne invasion in history and was better known as "D Day."
In 1949, "1984," George Orwell's vision of a World ruled by Big Brother, was published.
In 1966, America's Gemini 9 spacecraft splashed down after a three-day mission during which astronaut Eugene Cernan walked in space for a record 2 hours 8 minutes.
In 1972, an underground explosion at the Wankie colliery in Rhodesia killed 427 miners.
In 1976, 35,000 people were left homeless when a dam burst In eastern Idaho.
In 1980, for the second time in a week, U.S. nuclear forces went on red alert following a computer error warning of a Soviet attack.
In 1981, in the world's worst rail disaster, seven coaches of an overcrowded passenger train were blown off the tracks into the River Kosi, in Bihar, India. At least 800 people were killed.
In 1982, serious fighting between Israeli and Syrian troops broke out as Israel began a full-scale invasion of Lebanon.
In 1984, Indian troops stormed the Golden Temple at Amritsar,
the Sikh's holiest shrine, killing an estimated 1,000 people.
In 1993, Latvian Way, an alliance headed by former Communist Anatolijs Gorbunovs, won power in Latvia.
In 1995, Japanese Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama and his ruling coalition agreed to express "deep remorse" for Japan's acts of aggression in World War II.
In 1996, Britain and Ireland named former U.S. senator George Mitchell as chairman of all-party peace talks on Northern Ireland.
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Newslink
The 44th Sydney Film Festival takes place in Australia today. What sets it apart from the herd of other film fests roaming the planet? Its Web site, of course! The festival's site has visual sensibility that screams silver screen, even though the medium is digital.
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Holidays and more
The Bahamas celebrate Labor Day.
Korea observes Memorial Day.
Singer Gary U.S. Bonds is 58.
Tennis player Bjorn Borg is 41.
Actor David Dukes is 52.
Lawyer and civil rights activist Marian Wright Edelman is 58.
Former football player Rueben Mayes is 34.
Actress Amanda Pays is 38.
Actress Billie Whitelaw is 65.
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Sources: Associated Press,
Chase's Calendar of Events 1997, J.P. Morgan
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