ANDREWS MCMEEL ALMANAC

Today is the 178th day of 2017 and the eighth day of summer.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1829, British chemist James Smithson died, leaving an endowment for "the Smithsonian Institution, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men."

In 1844, Mormon religion founder Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were murdered by an anti-Mormon mob at the jail where they were being held in Carthage, Illinois.

In 1950, President Harry S. Truman sent the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy to fight in the Korean War.

In 1985, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials decertified Route 66.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Emma Goldman (1869-1940), labor leader; Helen Keller (1880-1968), activist/author; H. Ross Perot (1930- ), businessman/politician; Vera Wang (1949- ), fashion designer; J.J. Abrams (1966- ), TV/film producer; Tobey Maguire (1975- ), actor; Drake Bell (1986- ), actor; Ed Westwick (1987- ), actor; Chandler Riggs (1999- ), actor.

TODAY'S FACT: Boston Red Sox legend Ted Williams flew 39 combat missions during the Korean War. Williams sat out nearly five Major League Baseball seasons due to his military service in World War II and Korea.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 2001, the Washington Wizards drafted 19-year-old center Kwame Brown, marking the first time a high school student was taken with the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "I would rather walk with a friend in the dark, than alone in the light." -- Helen Keller

TODAY'S NUMBER: 30.2 million -- visitors to Smithsonian Institution museums in 2016.

TODAY'S MOON: Between new moon (June 23) and first quarter moon (June 30).

ANDREWS MCMEEL ALMANAC

Today is the 177th day of 2017 and the seventh day of summer.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1870, the U.S. Congress recognized Christmas as a federal holiday.

In 1945, the United Nations charter was signed by 50 nations.

In 1963, John F. Kennedy gave a speech while visiting West Berlin, declaring "Ich bin ein Berliner" ("I am a Berliner").

In 2000, scientists announced the completion of a basic structural map of the human genome.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: William Thomson, Baron Kelvin (1824-1907), physicist; Pearl S. Buck (1892-1973), author; Peter Lorre (1904-1964), actor; Babe Didrikson Zaharias (1911-1956), athlete/golfer; Milton Glaser (1929- ), graphic designer; Greg LeMond (1961- ), cyclist; Sean Hayes (1970- ), actor; Nick Offerman (1970- ), actor; Gretchen Wilson (1973- ), singer; Derek Jeter (1974- ), baseball player; Ryan Tedder (1979- ), singer-songwriter; Jason Schwartzman (1980- ), actor; Aubrey Plaza (1984- ), actress; Ariana Grande (1993- ), singer.

TODAY'S FACT: The United Nations currently has 193 member states.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1944, a "tri-cornered" exhibition baseball game to raise money for the war effort featured the New York-based Yankees, Dodgers and Giants. In nine innings of play, each team batted for 18 outs, played defense for 18 outs, and watched for 18 outs. The Dodgers won the game with five runs, the Yankees scored one run and the Giants were shut out.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "The secret of joy in work is contained in one word -- excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it." -- Pearl S. Buck, "The Joy of Children"

TODAY'S NUMBER: $0 -- amount graphic designer Milton Glaser charged the New York state tourism board for designing the "I (heart) New York" logo in 1977.

TODAY'S MOON: Between new moon (June 23) and first quarter moon (June 30).

ANDREWS MCMEEL ALMANAC

Today is the 176th day of 2017 and the sixth day of summer.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1788, Virginia became the 10th state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.

In 1876, Lt. Col. George Custer and 263 soldiers under his command were killed by Cheyenne and Sioux fighters in the Battle of Little Bighorn.

In 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law the Fair Labor Standards Act, enacting the first federal hourly minimum wage (at 25 cents per hour).

In 1950, North Korean forces crossed the 38th parallel into South Korea, igniting the Korean War.

In 1998, the Supreme Court ruled that the Line Item Veto Act of 1996 was unconstitutional.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926), architect; George Abbott (1887-1995), playwright/producer/director; George Orwell (1903-1950), author; Sidney Lumet (1924-2011), filmmaker; Carly Simon (1945- ), singer-songwriter; Sonia Sotomayor (1954- ), U.S. Supreme Court justice; Anthony Bourdain (1956- ), chef/author/TV personality; Ricky Gervais (1961- ), comedian/actor; George Michael (1963-2016), singer-songwriter; Linda Cardellini (1975- ), actress.

TODAY'S FACT: Gen. George Custer's nephew, brother-in-law and two younger brothers also died at the Battle of Little Bighorn.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1968, San Francisco Giants rookie Bobby Bonds became the first player in the 20th century to hit a grand slam in his first major league game.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "Perhaps a man really dies when his brain stops, when he loses the power to take in a new idea." -- George Orwell, "Coming Up for Air"

TODAY'S NUMBER: 17 -- age of singer-songwriter Debbie Gibson when her hit song, "Foolish Beat," topped the charts on this day in 1988, making her the youngest female artist to write, produce and perform a Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single.

TODAY'S MOON: Between new moon (June 23) and first quarter moon (June 30).