WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 2009

Today is Wednesday, June 17, the 168th day of 2009. There are 197 days left in the year.

1789 _ Third Estate in France declared itself a national assembly

1837 _ Charles Goodyear obtains his first rubber patent

1863 _ Travelers Insurance Co. of Hartford chartered (first accident insurer)

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

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

1942 _ First WW II American expeditionary force lands in Africa (Gold Coast)

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 first U.N. General Assembly address (``evil empire" speech)