June 17th

Ali ibn Abu Talib chosen kalief of Islam.

Hundreds of same-sex couples got married across California on the first full day that gay marriage became legal by order of the state's highest court. (However, California voters banned gay marriage in November.).

Australian scientists announced that they had "teleported" a laser beam—breaking it up and reconstructing it in another location.

After leading police on a chase through Southern California, O.J. Simpson was arrested and charged with murder in the slayings of his ex-wife, Nicole, and Ronald Goldman.

Burglary of Democratic Party headquarters in Washington, DC, started the Watergate political scandal.

The Supreme Court struck down rules requiring the recitation of the Lord's Prayer or the reading of Biblical verses in public schools.

Soviet ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev defected to the West while his troupe was in Paris.

The Republic of Iceland was established.

France asked Germany for terms of surrender in World War II.

Amelia Earhart embarked on the first trans-Atlantic flight by a woman.

The Statue of Liberty arrived in New York City aboard the French ship Isere.

The Republican Party opened its first convention, in Philadelphia.

The Third Estate in France declared itself a national assembly and undertook to frame a constitution.

The Battle of Bunker Hill took place near Boston during the Revolutionary War.

Mumtaz Mahal dies during childbirth. Her husband, Mughal emperor Shah Jahan I, then spends more than 20 years building her tomb, the Taj Mahal.

Sir Francis Drake lands on coast of California at Drakes Bay, names it "New Albion".

After 200 years of crusader control, Acre is the last crusader stronghold reconquered and destroyed by the Mamluks under Sultan al-Ashraf Khalil.