Wednesday, June 25, 1997
Today's events
Ballgowns and evening dresses belonging to Britain's Princess
Diana are to be auctioned in New York for the benefit of selected cancer and AIDS
charities; the 80 gowns are expected to raise more than $6 million.
The annual National Basketball Association draft begins in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Opening statements are expected to begin in New York in the racketeering trial of Vincent
'The Chin' Gigante. The government alleges Gigante is the secret head of the Genovese
crime family.
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On the horizon
On Thursday, June 26, U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright is scheduled to visit
Vietnam.
On Friday, June 27, Tajikistan's government and opposition leaders are due to sign a peace
accord ending five years of civil war.
On Saturday, June 28, Taiwan independence supporters are scheduled to stage a "Say No
to China" march in Taipei, opposing Beijing's call for unification.
On Sunday, June 29, Rome's 17th-century Villa Borghese museum, renowned for its
ancient sculpture, is scheduled to reopen to the public after 13 years of renovations.
On Monday, June 30, Hong Kong officially returns to Chinese sovereignty at midnight.
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On this day
In 1080, a council of bishops at Brixen declared Pope Gregory
to be deposed and Archbishop Guibert as antipope Clement III.
In 1580, the Book of Concord, a collection of doctrinal
standards of the Lutheran Church, was first published.
In 1788, Virginia became the 10th state of the United States.
In 1867, the first barbed wire was patented by Lucien B. Smith of Ohio.
In 1870, Queen Isabella of Spain abdicated in favor of Alfonso XII.
In 1876, at the Battle of the Little Big Horn, Sioux Indians
led by Chief Crazy Horse routed the U.S. 7th Cavalry led by
Colonel Custer. Custer died along with his company of 264 men in what was known as
"Custer's Last Stand."
In 1938, Gaelic scholar Douglas Hyde was inaugurated as the
first president of the Irish Republic.
In 1940, in World War II, hostilities in France formally
ended after the French signed an armistice with Germany the
previous week.
In 1942, Major General Dwight Eisenhower was appointed
commander of U.S. forces in Europe; on the same day, General Sir Claude Auchinleck
became commander of the British Eighth Army in North Africa.
In 1950, North Korea invaded South Korea, heralding the
beginning of the Korean War.
In 1951, the first regular commercial color TV transmissions
were inaugurated by CBS from New York.
In 1953, the notorious British murderer of Ten Rillington
Place, John Christie, was sentenced to death for killing six
women.
In 1959, Eamon De Valera became President of Ireland at the
age of 76.
In 1973, Erskine Childers Jr. became president of Ireland
after the retirement of Eamon de Valera.
In 1975, Mozambique became independent and Samora Machel was
sworn in as president after 477 years of Portuguese rule.
In 1982, Alexander Haig resigned as U.S. Secretary of State
and George Schultz took over.
In 1984, Lord Carrington of Britain succeeded Joseph Luns as
NATO Secretary-General.
In 1991, the last Soviet troops stationed in Czechoslovakia
left the country, 23 years after the Warsaw Pact invasion.
In 1991, Croatia and Slovenia declared independence from
Yugoslavia, plunging the federation into a violent breakup.
In 1993, Kim Campbell took office as Canada's first woman
prime minister.
In 1994, Japanese Prime Minister Tsutomu Hata resigned along
with his minority government rather than face a no-confidence
vote in parliament.
In 1996, a bomb blast tore through a Saudi Arabian military
complex housing foreigners, killing 19 Americans and injuring
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Newslink
Have some extra cash lying around the house? How about putting a bid on one of Princess
Diana's ballgowns or evening dresses. Eighty of the royal gowns will be auctioned off by
Christie's today to benefit selected cancer and AIDS charities. To find out more, click here.
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Holidays and more
Today is Independence Day in Mozambique.
It's Slovenian Sovereignty Day in Slovenia.
Author Dorothy Gilman is 74.
Actress June Lockhart is 72.
Singer George Michael is 34.
Singer Carly Simon is 52.
Actor Jimmie Walker is 49.
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Sources: Associated Press,
Chase's Calendar of Events 1997, J.P. Morgan
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