His Last Stand
 June 25, 1876 - Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer was killed along with his force of approximately 210 men in what has come to be known as Custer's Last Stand during the Battle of Little Bighorn. The engagement was part of a larger military action by the U.S. Army to move Lakota and Northern Cheyenne tribes onto reservations. The actual details of Custer's fight are conjecture, since none of his men survived the battle. However historians have cited underestimating the number of Lakota and Northern Cheyenne Indians and the use of repeating rifles by the Indians against the single-shot rifles issued by the Army, as reasons for the defeat. Despite tactical errors on his part that contributed to the massacre, many still consider Custer a hero of the battle.
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Brother Joseph
June 27, 1844 - Joseph Smith, Jr.,
founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), and his
brother Hyrum, were murdered by a mob at the Carthage, Illinois,
jail. Smith had been harassed by naysayers for most of his life for starting a church based on visions he had received and for his translation of the Book of Mormon. Smith and his followers were driven from their settlements in Ohio and Missouri before founding the city of Nauvoo, Illinois, on the banks of the Mississippi River. As tensions rose between the Mormons and the neighboring communities, Thomas Ford, the governor of Illinois, had Joseph and Hyrum jailed on false charges of treason. Despite promising a fair trial and to protect the brothers from local mobs, the governor disbanded most of the militia troops guarding the jail. On the afternoon of June 27 a mob of approximately 200 men rushed the jail and opened fire. Joseph was shot as he attempted to escape out a window. Two years later the Mormons were driven out of Nauvoo and began an exodus to what is now Salt Lake City, Utah. While those who killed Joseph Smith hoped to bring an end to his new religion, the Church has flourished and now has nearly 14 million members worldwide.
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Chew On This
June 28, 1997 - During a rematch between the heavyweight champions, Mike Tyson was disqualified after the third round for biting both of Evander Holyfield's ears. The first bite occurred approximately 2:24 into the 3rd round as the boxers got tied up and Tyson took a piece out of the top of Holyfield's right ear. The match was stopped and the referee's first inclination was to immediately disqualify Tyson. However, after the doctor indicated that it was okay for Holyfield to continue, the fight resumed with Tyson being deducted two points. Only 14 seconds later the fighters again tied up and Tyson bit Holyfield's left ear. The round finished and Tyson was disqualified. In addition to losing the match, Tyson was fined $3 million and his boxing license was revoked. Although Tyson returned to boxing in 1999 he never regained his prior form. In his last contest to regain the heavyweight title he was knocked out in the 8th round by Lennox Lewis on June 8, 2002. You can watch the end of the Tyson vs. Holyfield fight here.
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America's Sports Car
June 30, 1953 - The very first Chevrolet Corvette rolled off the assembly line in Flint, Michigan. The creation of a sports car was a new concept for the car company and the 1953 model was a test run to see if it would be a successful venture. Only 300 cars were manufactured that year, all painted Polo White with red interior. Of those original 300 approximately 225 are known to exist today. Myron Scott, a public relations executive for Chevrolet, is credited with naming the Corvette. Scott had heard that the Board of Directors wanted a name that started with the letter C. He picked up a dictionary and began looking through the Cs and quickly found Corvette. He liked the sound of the word and that it was a type of fast and maneuverable naval ship. The name was accepted and the brand was born.
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"There are not enough Indians in the world to defeat
the Seventh Cavalry."
- George Armstrong Custer
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Alfred
Hitchcock -
The Masterpiece Collection
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