Today is Thursday, June 17, the 168th day of 2010. There are 197 days left in the year.

1397 _ Union of Kalmar established between Denmark, Sweden and Norway

1579 _ Sir Francis Drake lands on the coast of California

1789 _ Third Estate in France declared itself a national assembly

1837 _ Charles Goodyear obtains his first rubber patent

1885 _ Statue of Liberty arrived in NYC aboard French ship ``Isere"

1940 _ France asks Germany for terms of surrender in WW II

1950 _ First kidney transplant (Chicago)

1953 _ Riots in East Germany for reunification

1967 _ China becomes world's fourth thermonuclear (H-bomb) power

1982 _ President Reagan's first U.N. General Assembly address (``evil empire" speech)