ANDREWS MCMEEL ALMANAC

Today is the 185th day of 2017 and the 15th day of summer.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence.

In 1826, founding fathers John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

In 1960, the modern version of the American flag (with 50 stars) debuted at a ceremony in Philadelphia.

In 1997, NASA's Pathfinder space probe landed on Mars.

In 2012, the discovery of Higgs boson-like particles through experiments at the Large Hadron Collider was announced at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN).

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: George Everest (1790-1866), surveyor/geographer; Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864), writer; Stephen Foster (1826-1864), songwriter; Calvin Coolidge (1872-1933), 30th U.S. president; Eva Marie Saint (1924- ), actress; Neil Simon (1927- ), playwright; Al Davis (1929-2011), Oakland Raiders owner; George Steinbrenner (1930-2010), New York Yankees owner; Geraldo Rivera (1943- ), TV personality.

TODAY'S FACT: Renowned advice columnists Eppie Lederer and Pauline Phillips, known as Ann Landers and Abigail Van Buren ("Dear Abby") respectively, were twin sisters, born on this day in 1918.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1939, New York Yankee slugger Lou Gehrig, who was suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, announced his retirement at Yankee Stadium, delivering the famous line, "Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the Earth."

TODAY'S QUOTE: "Nobody, I think, ought to read poetry, or look at pictures or statues, who cannot find a great deal more in them than the poet or artist has actually expressed." -- Nathaniel Hawthorne, "The Marble Faun"

TODAY'S NUMBER: 1,000 -- approximate number of "Gorilla Sign Language" signs in the working vocabulary of Koko, a female lowland gorilla born on this day in 1971.

TODAY'S MOON: Between first quarter moon (June 30) and full moon (July 8).

ANDREWS MCMEEL ALMANAC

Today is the 184th day of 2017 and the 14th day of summer.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1775, George Washington assumed command of the Continental Army.

In 1844, the last two confirmed great auk specimens were killed on the island of Eldey, off the coast of Iceland.

In 1863, an assault by Gen. Robert E. Lee's Confederate forces failed, and the Battle of Gettysburg ended in a Union victory.

In 1890, Idaho was admitted as the 43rd U.S. state.

In 1998, Bill Clinton completed the first presidential visit to China since the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: George M. Cohan (1878-1942), songwriter/entertainer; Franz Kafka (1883-1924), author; Dave Barry (1947- ), author/journalist; Montel Williams (1956- ), TV personality; Tom Cruise (1962- ), actor; Thomas Gibson (1962- ), actor; Yeardley Smith (1964- ), actress; Connie Nielsen (1965- ), actress; Brian Cashman (1967- ), baseball executive; Teemu Selanne (1970- ), hockey player; Patrick Wilson (1973- ), actor; Olivia Munn (1980- ), actress.

TODAY'S FACT: The world speed record for a steam locomotive is held by London and North Eastern Railway’s Mallard, which reached 125.88 mph on this day in 1938.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1974, Mike Marshall of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitched in relief of starter Tommy John, setting a major league record for consecutive games pitched in, at 13.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "Self-control is something for which I do not strive. Self-control means wanting to be effective at some random point in the infinite radiations of my spiritual existence." -- Franz Kafka, "The Zurau Aphorisms"

TODAY'S NUMBER: 22 -- films starring Tom Cruise that have grossed more than $200 million worldwide, including his 2017 film, "The Mummy."

TODAY'S MOON: Between first quarter moon (June 30) and full moon (July 8).

ANDREWS MCMEEL ALMANAC

Today is the 183rd day of 2017 and the 13th day of summer.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1777, Vermont became the first American territory to abolish slavery.

In 1839, a group of 53 Mende captives revolted and took control of the slave ship Amistad.

In 1881, lawyer Charles Guiteau shot President James Garfield, who died from his wounds 10 weeks later.

In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, outlawing major forms of discrimination.

In 2002, Steve Fossett completed the first nonstop solo hot air balloon flight around the world.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Hermann Hesse (1877-1962), author; Thurgood Marshall (1908-1993), Supreme Court justice; Pierre Cardin (1922- ), fashion designer; Medgar Evers (1925-1963), civil rights activist; Richard Petty (1937- ), NASCAR driver; Larry David (1947- ), writer/actor; Jose Canseco (1964- ), baseball player; Johnny Weir (1984- ), figure skater; Lindsay Lohan (1986- ), actress; Margot Robbie (1990- ), actress.

TODAY'S FACT: The first zeppelin airship, which made its debut flight over Lake Constance, Germany, on this day in 1900, was 420 feet long and powered by a 16-horsepower engine.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 2002, the Chicago White Sox defeated the Detroit Tigers by a score of 17-9. Each team hit six home runs, setting a major league record of 12 in a single game.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "I do not consider myself less ignorant than most people. I have been and still am a seeker, but I have ceased to question stars and books; I have begun to listen to the teachings my blood whispers to me." -- Hermann Hesse, "Demian"

TODAY'S NUMBER: 11,723 -- Walmart stores (including Walmart U.S., Sam's Club and Walmart International) worldwide, as of June 2017. The first Walmart store opened in Rogers, Arkansas, on this day in 1962.

TODAY'S MOON: Between first quarter moon (June 30) and full moon (July 8).