June 29, 2012 – Smriti "Simmi" D. Isaac

Updated June 28, 2012, 2:28 pm

On June 29, 1995, the shuttle Atlantis and the Russian space station Mir docked, forming the largest man-made satellite ever to orbit the Earth.
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On June 29, 1868, George Ellery Hale, the American astronomer, was born. Following his death on Feb. 21, 1938, his obituary appeared in The Times.

Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »

On This Date

By The Associated Press

1951 Joseph Ratzinger, the future Pope Benedict XVI, was ordained as a priest.

1958 Brazil won their first World Cup title with a 5-2 victory over host country Sweden in Stockholm on the strength of two goals by 17-year-old Pele.

1956 Actress Marilyn Monroe married playwright Arthur Miller in a civil ceremony in White Plains, N.Y.

1967 Actress Jayne Mansfield, 34, and two male companions died when their car struck a trailer truck east of New Orleans.

1972 The Supreme Court ruled the death penalty could constitute “cruel and unusual punishment.”

1992 A divided Supreme Court ruled that women have a constitutional right to abortion, but the justices also weakened the right as defined in the Roe v. Wade decision.

2001 U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan was elected to a second term.

2003 Actress Katharine Hepburn died at age 96.

2004 Randy Johnson of the Arizona Diamondbacks became the fourth pitcher in major league history to record 4,000 career strikeouts.

2006 The Supreme Court ruled 5-3 that President George W. Bush’s plan to try Guantanamo Bay detainees in military tribunals violated U.S. and international law.

2007 The Apple iPhone went on sale.

2009 Financier Bernard Madoff received a 150-year sentence for his multibillion-dollar fraud.

2010 Talk show host Larry King announced he would step down from his CNN show in the autumn after 25 years on the air.

Current Birthdays

By The Associated Press

Producer-writer Matthew Weiner (“Mad Men,” “The Sopranos”) turns 47 years old today.

AP Photo/Chris Pizzello

Actress Melora Hardin (“The Office”) turns 45 years old today.

AP Photo/Evan Agostini

1944 Gary Busey, Actor, turns 68

1947 Richard Lewis, Comedian, turns 65

1948 Fred Grandy, Actor (“The Love Boat”), former congressman, turns 64

1948 Ian Paice, Rock musician (Deep Purple), turns 64

1949 Dan Dierdorf, Football Hall of Famer, turns 63

1953 Don Dokken, Rock singer (Dokken), turns 59

1953 Colin Hay, Rock singer (Men at Work), turns 59

1957 Maria Conchita Alonso, Actress, turns 55

1961 Sharon Lawrence, Actress (“NYPD Blue”), turns 51

1978 Nicole Scherzinger, Singer (Pussycat Dolls), turns 34

Historic Birthdays

George Ellery Hale 6/29/1868 – 2/21/1938 American astronomer; developed the Hale telescope.Go to obituary »

38 Giacomo Leopardi 6/29/1798 – 6/14/1837
Italian poet, scholar and philosopher

59 Pietro Angelo Secchi 6/29/1818 – 2/26/1878
Italian Jesuit and astrophysicist

69 George Goethals 6/29/1858 – 1/21/1928
American army engineer; directed construction of the Panama Canal

64 Ludwig Beck 6/29/1880 – 7/20/1944
German general; opposed Hitler

77 Robert Schuman 6/29/1886 – 9/4/1963
French statesman

96 James Van Der Zee 6/29/1886 – 5/15/1983
African-American photographer

56 Helen Hokinson 6/29/1893 – 11/1/1949
American cartoonist

44 Antoine Saint-Exupery 6/29/1900 – 7/31/1944
French aviator and writer

66 Leroy Anderson 6/29/1908 – 5/18/1975
American conductor, arranger and composer

59 Frank Loesser 6/29/1910 – 7/28/1969
American composer, librettist and lyricist

1951	Joseph Ratzinger, the future Pope Benedict XVI, was ordained as a priest.
1958	Brazil won their first World Cup title with a 5-2 victory over host country Sweden in Stockholm on the strength of two goals by 17-year-old Pele.
1956	Actress Marilyn Monroe married playwright Arthur Miller in a civil ceremony in White Plains, N.Y.
1967	Actress Jayne Mansfield, 34, and two male companions died when their car struck a trailer truck east of New Orleans.
1972	The Supreme Court ruled the death penalty could constitute “cruel and unusual punishment.”
1992	A divided Supreme Court ruled that women have a constitutional right to abortion, but the justices also weakened the right as defined in the Roe v. Wade decision.
2001	U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan was elected to a second term.
2003	Actress Katharine Hepburn died at age 96.
2004	Randy Johnson of the Arizona Diamondbacks became the fourth pitcher in major league history to record 4,000 career strikeouts.
2006	The Supreme Court ruled 5-3 that President George W. Bush’s plan to try Guantanamo Bay detainees in military tribunals violated U.S. and international law.
2007	The Apple iPhone went on sale.
2009	Financier Bernard Madoff received a 150-year sentence for his multibillion-dollar fraud.
2010	Talk show host Larry King announced he would step down from his CNN show in the autumn after 25 years on the air.

1944	Gary Busey, Actor, turns 68
1947	Richard Lewis, Comedian, turns 65
1948	Fred Grandy, Actor (“The Love Boat”), former congressman, turns 64
1948	Ian Paice, Rock musician (Deep Purple), turns 64
1949	Dan Dierdorf, Football Hall of Famer, turns 63
1953	Don Dokken, Rock singer (Dokken), turns 59
1953	Colin Hay, Rock singer (Men at Work), turns 59
1957	Maria Conchita Alonso, Actress, turns 55
1961	Sharon Lawrence, Actress (“NYPD Blue”), turns 51
1978	Nicole Scherzinger, Singer (Pussycat Dolls), turns 34

38	Giacomo Leopardi 6/29/1798 – 6/14/1837 Italian poet, scholar and philosopher
59	Pietro Angelo Secchi 6/29/1818 – 2/26/1878 Italian Jesuit and astrophysicist
69	George Goethals 6/29/1858 – 1/21/1928 American army engineer; directed construction of the Panama Canal
64	Ludwig Beck 6/29/1880 – 7/20/1944 German general; opposed Hitler
77	Robert Schuman 6/29/1886 – 9/4/1963 French statesman
96	James Van Der Zee 6/29/1886 – 5/15/1983 African-American photographer
56	Helen Hokinson 6/29/1893 – 11/1/1949 American cartoonist
44	Antoine Saint-Exupery 6/29/1900 – 7/31/1944 French aviator and writer
66	Leroy Anderson 6/29/1908 – 5/18/1975 American conductor, arranger and composer
59	Frank Loesser 6/29/1910 – 7/28/1969 American composer, librettist and lyricist