By The Associated Press

Today in History

Today is Thursday, June 6, the 157th day of 2019. There are 208 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History:

On June 6, 1944, during World War II, Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy, France, on “D-Day” as they began the liberation of German-occupied Western Europe.

On this date:

In 1654, Queen Christina of Sweden abdicated; she was succeeded by her cousin, Charles X Gustav.

In 1799, American politician and orator Patrick Henry died at Red Hill Plantation in Virginia.

In 1816, a snowstorm struck the northeastern U.S., heralding what would become known as the “Year Without a Summer.”

In 1918, U.S. Marines suffered heavy casualties as they launched their eventually successful counteroffensive against German troops in the World War I Battle of Belleau Wood in France.

In 1925, Walter Percy Chrysler founded the Chrysler Corp.

In 1933, the first drive-in movie theater was opened by Richard Hollingshead in Camden County, New Jersey. (The movie shown was “Wives Beware,” starring Adolphe Menjou.)

In 1939, the first Little League game was played as Lundy Lumber defeated Lycoming Dairy 23-8 in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

In 1966, black activist James Meredith was shot and wounded as he walked along a Mississippi highway to encourage black voter registration.

In 1968, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy died at Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles, 25 1/2 hours after he was shot by Sirhan Bishara Sirhan.

In 1978, California voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 13, a primary ballot initiative calling for major cuts in property taxes.

In 1982, Israeli forces invaded Lebanon to drive Palestine Liberation Organization fighters out of the country. (The Israelis withdrew in June 1985.)

In 1985, authorities in Brazil exhumed a body later identified as the remains of Dr. Josef Mengele, the notorious “Angel of Death” of the Nazi Holocaust.

Ten years ago: President Barack Obama visited the American cemetery at Omaha Beach in France to commemorate the 65th anniversary of D-Day. Summer Bird won the Belmont Stakes, rallying past Mine That Bird to spoil jockey Calvin Borel’s attempt at winning all three legs of the Triple Crown. Svetlana Kuznetsova beat top-ranked Dinara Safina 6-4, 6-2 in an all-Russian final at the French Open.

Five years ago: Men who’d stormed Normandy’s shore 70 years earlier joined world leaders in paying tribute to the 150,000 Allied troops who risked and lost their lives in the D-Day landings.