Pirate

On This Day:
Thursday June 27, 2013

This is the 178th day of the year, with 187 days remaining in 2013.

Fact of the Day: Pirate

"A pirate or buccaneer was a person who seized a ship and took the property aboard. They stole from any ship that came by and disrupted the trade of many nations. There are many tales - tall and true - about pirates. The stories go back 4,000 years, but we are most familiar with those who were active between 1500-1800 - Captain Kidd, Blackbeard, Anne Bonny, and Jean Lafitte. Pirates used small, fast ships that were easy to maneuver. They had lots of weapons and cannons. There are still pirates today - especially in the South China Sea close to Vietnam. Pirates are often confused with privateers who have the blessing of their nation to seize enemy property. Famous ones were Sir Francis Drake, Sir John Hawkins, and Sir Walter Raleigh. True pirates only stole for themselves. Pirates often buried their stolen treasure in secret places and some drew up treasure maps and charts marking the spot with an X."

Holidays

Feast day of St. Cyril of Alexandria, St. Zoilus, St. Samson of Constantinople, St. George Mtasmindeli, the Martyrs of Arras, St. John of Chinon, and St. Ladislas, king of Hungary.
Djibouti: Independence Day.

Events

1829 - English scientist James Smithson died after a long illness, leaving behind a will which established the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.; it provided for a museum, a library, and a program of research, publication, and collection in the sciences, arts, and history. 
1847 - New York and Boston were linked by telegraph wires. 
1871 - The yen became the new form of currency in Japan.
1893 - The New York stock market crashed. 
1929 - Scientists at Bell Laboratories revealed a system for transmitting television pictures.
1950 - President Harry S. Truman ordered the Air Force and Navy into the Korean conflict following a call from the United NationsSecurity Council for member nations to help.
1973 - Former White House counsel John W. Dean told the Senate Watergate Committee about an "enemies list" kept by the Nixon White House. 
2003 - More than 735,000 phone numbers were registered on the first day of a national do-not-call list aimed at blocking unwelcome solicitations from telemarketers.
2005 - BTK serial killer Dennis Rader pleaded guilty to 10 murders in the Wichita, Kansas area. He was later sentenced to serve 10 consecutive life sentences without possibility of parole for 175 years.

Births

1859 - Mildred J. Hill, American composer of "Happy Birthday to You" and "Good Morning to All" (with sister, Patty Smith Hill).
1880 - Helen Keller, American author, educator, advocate for the blind.
1927 - Bob Keeshan, American actor most famous as the title character of the children's television show "Captain Kangaroo."
1930 - Ross Perot, American business executive and former presidential candidate.
1975 - Tobey Maguire, American actor.

Deaths

1844 - Mormon founder Joseph Smith and his brother, Hyrum, killed by a mob in Carthage, Illinois.
2001 - Jack Lemmon, American actor.
2002 - John Entwistle, English singer and songwriter, who was best known as the bass guitarist for the rock band The Who.
2005 - John Walton, son of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton.