Today is Thursday, June 2, the 153rd day of 2011. There are 212 days left in the year.
455 ― Gaiseric and the Vandals sack Rome
1851 ― First U.S. alcohol prohibition law enacted (Maine)
1857 ― James Gibbs, Va., patents chain-stitch single-thread sewing machine
1886 ― Grover Cleveland is first to wed during presidency (Frances Folsom)
1910 ― Pygmies discovered in Dutch New Guinea
1946 ― Italian plebiscite chooses republic over monarchy (National Day)
1953 ― Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Abbey
1964 ― Rolling Stones’ first U. S. concert tour debut in Lynn, Mass.
1979 ― John Paul II becomes first pope to visit a communist country (Poland)
1989 ― 10,000 Chinese soldiers are blocked by 100,000 citizens protecting students demonstrating for democracy in Tiananmen Square, Beijing