June 22

Today is Sunday, June 22, the 174th day of 2008. There are 192 days left in the year.
Today's Highlight in History:
On June 22, 1945, the World War II battle for Okinawa ended with an Allied victory; some 13,000 Americans and 90,000 Japanese soldiers, plus 130,000 civilians, were killed in the nearly three-month campaign.
On this date:
In 1807, a British frigate, the HMS Leopard, attacked and boarded the American ship USS Chesapeake off the Virginia coast in search of Royal Navy deserters.
In 1870, the U.S. Department of Justice was created.
In 1937, Joe Louis began his reign as world heavyweight boxing champion by knocking out Jim Braddock in the eighth round of their fight in Chicago.
In 1938, Joe Louis knocked out Max Schmeling in the first round of their rematch at Yankee Stadium.
In 1940, during World War II, Adolf Hitler gained a stunning victory as France was forced to sign an armistice eight days after German forces overran Paris.
In 1944, President Roosevelt signed the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, more popularly known as the "GI Bill of Rights."
In 1969, singer-actress Judy Garland died in London at age 47.
In 1977, John N. Mitchell became the first former U.S. attorney general to go to prison as he began serving a sentence for his role in the Watergate cover-up. (He was released 19 months later.)
In 1988, gay rights activist Leonard Matlovich, discharged from the U.S. Air Force because of his homosexuality, died at age 44.
In 1993, former first lady Pat Nixon died in Park Ridge, N.J., at age 81.
Ten years ago: The U.S. Supreme Court made it much harder for students who are sexually harassed by teachers to hold school districts financially responsible, ruling 5-4 that a key anti-bias law applies only if administrators know about the misconduct. Actress Maureen O'Sullivan died in Scottsdale, Ariz., at age 87.
Five years ago: Iraq re-entered the world oil market with its first shipment of crude since the war, but sabotage and looting along its largest pipeline delayed the flow of freshly pumped oil.
One year ago: Atlantis and its seven astronauts returned to Earth safely, ending a two-week mission to deliver an addition to the international space station and bringing home crew member Sunita "Suni" Williams, who'd set an endurance record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman at 195 days. Guy Vander Jagt, a 13-term Republican congressman from Michigan, died in Washington at age 75.
Today's Birthdays: Actor Ralph Waite is 80. Singer-actor Kris Kristofferson is 72. Actor Michael Lerner is 67. Fox News correspondent Brit Hume is 65. Singer Peter Asher (Peter and Gordon) is 64. Actor Andrew Rubin is 62. Actor David L. Lander is 61. Singer Howard "Eddie" Kaylan is 61. Singer-musician Todd Rundgren is 60. Actress Meryl Streep is 59. Actress Lindsay Wagner is 59. Singer Alan Osmond is 59. Actor Murphy Cross is 58. Actor Graham Greene is 56. Pop singer Cyndi Lauper is 55. Actor Chris Lemmon is 54. Rock musician Derek Forbes is 52. Actor Tim Russ is 52. Rock musician Garry Beers (INXS) is 51. Actor-producer-writer Bruce Campbell is 50. Rock musician Alan Anton (Cowboy Junkies) is 49. Actress Tracy Pollan is 48. Rock singer-musician Jimmy Somerville is 47. Author Dan Brown is 44. Rock singer-musician Mike Edwards (Jesus Jones) is 44. Actress Amy Brenneman is 44. Rock singer Steven Page (Barenaked Ladies) is 38. Actress Mary Lynn Rajskub is 37. TV personality Carson Daly is 35. Rock musician Chris Traynor (Helmet) is 35. Country musician Jimmy Wallace is 35. Actor Donald Faison is 34. Actress Alicia Goranson is 34. TV personality/actor Jai Rodriguez is 29. Actress Lindsay Ridgeway is 23.
Thought for Today: "If a man cannot be a Christian in the place where he is, he cannot be a Christian anywhere." — Henry Ward Beecher, American clergyman (1813-1887).