Today in History - History - June 8th

1969General Franco closes Spain's frontier with Gibraltar

1969Mickey Mantle Day, 60,096 saw #7 retired (I was there-BTG)

199226th Music City News Country Awards: Alan Jackson & Garth Brooks

1976Bobby Orr signs a five-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks

199161st French Womens Tennis: Monica Seles beats A S Vicario (63 64)

1921Babe Ruth arrested for speeding, fined $100, & held in jail until 4 PM

2007Jazz legend Oscar Peterson is forced to cancel his appearance at the Carnegie Hall all-star performance (held in his honour), owing to illness

2013Serena Williams defeats Maria Sharapova to win the French Open in tennis

198050th French Womens Tennis: Chris Evert beats Virginia Ruzici (60 63)

2001Ray Bourque plays the final game in his NHL career

1927Jerry Stiller, Brooklyn New York, American comedian (Frank Constanza-Seinfeld)

1955Tim Berners-Lee, English internet developer

1978Maria Menounos, Medford, Massachusetts, 1996 Miss Massachusetts Teen USA

1925Barbara Pierce Bush, Flushing, New York, US First Lady (1989-93)

1977Kanye West, Atlanta, Georgia, American rapper and record producer

1916Francis Crick, English molecular biologist who co-discovered DNA's structure and Nobel laureate (1962)

1899Noel Wien, Lake Nebagamon Wisconsin, aviation pioneer (Wien Air Alaska)

1867Frank Lloyd Wright, Richland Center Wisc, master builder (Guggenheim)

1977Retired NBA player Bill Russell (43) weds 1968 Miss USA Dorothy Anstett

1974NBA forward Jerry Lucas (34) weds second wife Sharalee Beard

1927Painter Marcel Duchamp (39) weds Lydie Sarazin-Lavassor

1931Songwriter Johnny Mercer (21) weds chorus girl Ginger Meehan in New York City

1924George Leigh Mallory, English mountain climber (climbing accident) (b. 1886)

1845Andrew Jackson, (D) 7th US President (1828-37), dies at 78