Moments in Time

Jun 21, 20120

The History Channel

• On June 29, 1613, the Globe Theater, where most of Shakespeare’s plays debuted, burns down. The Globe was built in 1599 from the timbers of London’s very first permanent theater, Burbage’s Theater. The galleries could seat about 1,000 people, with room for another 2,000 “groundlings,” who could stand around the stage.

• On June 28, 1888, writer Robert Louis Stevenson and his family leave San Francisco for their first visit to the South Seas. Stevenson, an adventurous traveler plagued by tuberculosis, was seeking a healthier climate. His novel “Treasure Island” was published in 1883.

• On June 27, 1922, the American Library Association awards the first Newbery Medal, honoring the year’s best children’s book, to “The Story of Mankind” by Hendrik Willem van Loon. The Newbery Medal seeks to encourage originality and excellence in the field of children’s books.

• On June 26, 1948, in response to the Soviet blockade of land routes into West Berlin, the United States begins a massive airlift of food, water and medicine to the citizens of the besieged city. For nearly a year, supplies from American planes sustained the more than 2 million people in West Berlin.

• On June 25, 1956, the last Packard rolls off the production line at Packard’s plant in Detroit. The classic American luxury car used the famously enigmatic slogan “Ask the Man Who Owns One.”

• On June 30, 1962, Sandy Koufax strikes out 13 batters and walks five to lead the Brooklyn Dodgers over the New York Mets 5-0 with his first career no-hitter. Koufax went on to throw three more no-hitters, including a perfect game on Sept. 9, 1965, in which he allowed no hits and no walks.

• On July 1, 1979, the Sony Walkman — the world’s first low-cost, portable music player — goes on sale in Japan. The initial production run of 30,000 units looked to be too ambitious, as only 3,000 were sold at $150 apiece in the first month. Some 200 million sales later, Sony retired the cassette Walkman in 2010.