Today is Monday, June 15, the 166th day of 2009. There are 199 days left in the year.
1775 _ George Washington appointed commander-in-chief of American Army
1844 _ Goodyear patents vulcanization of rubber
1876 _ Sara Spencer (R.) is 1st woman to address a U.S. presidential convention
1877 _ Henry O. Flipper becomes first black graduate at West Point
1896 _ Tsunami strikes Shinto festival on beach at Sanriku Japan; 27,000 are killed, 9,000 injured, with 13,000 houses destroyed
1924 _ Native Americans are proclaimed U.S. citizens
1956 _ John Lennon (15) & Paul McCartney (13) meet for the first time as
Lennon's rock group The Quarrymen perform at a church dinner
1967 _ Gov. Reagan signs liberalized California abortion bill
1977 _ Spain's first free elections since 1936
1991 _ Philippines volcano Mt. Pinatubo erupts