Tagged: Datebook

It's the famous experiment we all learned about in grade school. Benjamin Franklin was just crazy enough to step outside and fly a kite in a thunderstorm, and in doing so, proved that lightning was electricity. It is believed to be (commonly accepted to be) this date in 1752. 

Happy Flag Day! It's a United States holiday commemorating the adoption of the flag, which happened on June 14, 1777 by resolution of the Second Continental Congress. The US Army also celebrates its birthday on this date. 

In addition to having a cool name, Sir Philip St. John Basil Rathbone appeared in over 70 films in Hollywood's early days, rising to prominence for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes in 14 films (and a radio series). The South African-born, English-raised Shakespearean actor primarily played suave villains or morally ambiguous characters, such as Murderstone in David Copperfield and Sir Guy of Gisbourne in The Adventures of Robin Hood. 

Time Magazine put 15-year-old Anne Frank on their list of The Most Important People of the Century, stating: "With a diary kept in a secret attic, she braved the Nazis and lent a searing voice to the fight for human dignity." The diary began with this date, her 13th birthday: June 12, 1942. 

The June 1962 Alcatraz escape was an attempt by Clarence Anglin, John Anglin, and Frank Morris to escape one of the United States' most famous prisons. 

Associated Press photographer Nick Ut snapped an iconic moment of the Vietnam War on this day in 1972. The subject: a nine-year-old girl named Phan Thi Kim Phuc running naked on a road after being severely burned on her back by a South Vietnamese napalm attack.