Calendar for June 12th, 2012

2001: Whitsunday-Pentecost

2001: National Day (Montserrat)

2001: National Day (Pitcairn Islands)

2001: National Day (Saint Helena)

2001: Queen's Official Birthday (United Kingdom)

1796: Society of Unitarian Christians organized

1800: Portsmouth Navy Yard (NH) was established, and later its name was changed to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard

Born 1909: Archie Bleyer (bandleader)

1923: Magician Harry Houdini thrilled a large audience by struggling free from a straightjacket, head downward, 40 feet above the ground

Born 1924: George H. W. Bush (41st U.S. president)

Born 1929: Anne Frank (author)

Born 1964: Paula Marshall (actress)

1979: First man-powered flight across the English Channel was made by Bryan Allen in the Gossamer Albatross

1987: President Reagan gave the famous “Tear Down This Wall” speech, Berlin

1991: The Chicago Bulls won their first NBA championship title

Died 1998: Leo Buscaglia (self-help guru "Dr. Hug")

Died 1998: Theresa Merritt (actress)

Died 2002: Bill Blass (fashion designer)

Died 2003: Gregory Peck (actor)

2005: A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck most of Southern California

Died 2005: Makobo Modjadji VI (the "rain queen" of South Africa's Lobedu tribe). She was the sixth and youngest queen

Died 2005: Scott Young (journalist)

Died 2007: Don Herbert (television's science teacher "Mr. Wizard")

2010: Amy Singley and Steven Smith wed in Pennsylvania. The pair were born on the same day in the same hospital.

2011: The Dallas Mavericks beat the Miami Heat to win the NBA championship series for the first time in the franchise's 31-year history