Daily Almanac: June 19, 2023

Sunrise/Sunset:
RISE: 6:16 a.m.
SET: 9:21 p.m.

High/Low Temperatures:
HIGH: 80 °F
LOW: 65 °F

Today is…:
• Juneteenth
• National Martini Day
• National Watch Day

What Happened On This Day:
• 2002 Steve Fossett takes off on his record-breaking balloon flight. The American adventurer lifted off from Northam in Western Australia to commence history’s first solo flight around the world in any aircraft. On July 3, after having traveled 33,195 km (20,626 mi), he touched down again in Queensland, Australia.
• 1978 Garfield, the lazy cat makes his debut. The first Garfield comic strip by Jim Davis appeared in 41 newspapers on that day. It currently holds the Guinness World Record for the world’s most widely syndicated comic strip.
• 1964 The U.S. Senate passes the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 18 Senators unsuccessfully launched a filibuster to prevent passage of the law against discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Richard Russel stated, “We will resist to the bitter end any measure or any movement which would have a tendency to bring about social equality and intermingling and amalgamation of the races in our (Southern) states.” The bill was signed into law on July 2, 1964.

Births On This Day:

• 1947 Salman Rushdie

Indian author
• 1964 Boris Johnson

British politician

Deaths On This Day:

• 1993 William Golding

English author, poet, playwright, Nobel Prize laureate
• 2013 James Gandolfini

American actor