MOMENTS IN TIME - The History Channel 5/26/11

On June 10, 1752, Benjamin Franklin flies a kite during a thunderstorm and collects a charge in a jar when the kite is struck by lightning, enabling him to demonstrate the electrical nature of lightning. Inventor Franklin coined a number of terms used today, including “battery,” “conductor” and “electrician.”

On June 7, 1893, Mohandas Gandhi commits his first act of civil disobedience. Gandhi, a young Indian lawyer working in South Africa, refused to comply with racial segregation rules on a South African train and was forcibly ejected.

On June 6, 1949, George Orwell’s novel of a dystopian future, “1984,” is published. The novel’s all-seeing leader, known as “Big Brother,” becomes a universal symbol for intrusive government and oppressive bureaucracy. It described a grim vision of a future where all citizens are watched constantly and language is twisted to aid in oppression.

On June 11, 1955, a racing car in Le Mans, France, goes out of control and crashes into stands filled with spectators, killing 82 people. The tragedy in the famous 24-hour race led to a ban on auto racing in several nations.

On June 8, 1967, during the Six-Day War, Israeli aircraft and torpedo boats repeatedly attack the USS Liberty in international waters off Egypt’s Gaza Strip. In all, 34 Americans were killed and 171 were wounded. Israel later apologized for the attack, claiming that it had mistaken the Liberty for an Egyptian ship.

On June 9, 1973, Secretariat becomes the first horse since Citation in 1948 to win America’s coveted Triple Crown — the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes. In 1999, ESPN added Secretariat to the list of Top 50 North American athletes of the 20th century, the only non-human on the list.

(c) 2011 King Features Synd., Inc.