Today is Tuesday, June 11, the 163rd day of 2024. There are 203 days left in the year.
Today in history
On June 11, 1955, in motor racing’s worst disaster, more than 80 people were killed during the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France when two of the cars collided and crashed into spectators.
Also on this date
In 1509, England’s King Henry VIII married his first wife, Catherine of Aragon.
In 1770, Captain James Cook, commander of the British ship Endeavour, “discovered” the Great Barrier Reef off Australia by running onto it.
In 1776, the Continental Congress formed a committee to draft a Declaration of Independence calling for freedom from Britain.
In 1938, Johnny Vander Meer pitched the first of two consecutive no-hitters as he led the Cincinnati Reds to a 3-0 victory over the Boston Bees. (Four days later, Vander Meer refused to give up a hit to the Brooklyn Dodgers, who lost, 6-0.)
In 1962, three prisoners at Alcatraz in San Francisco Bay staged an escape, leaving the island on a makeshift raft; they were never found or heard from again.
In 1985, Karen Ann Quinlan, the comatose patient whose case prompted a historic right-to-die court decision, died in Morris Plains, N.J., at age 31.
Fun fact
There’s a town in Alaska named Chicken. The citizens wanted to name it Ptarmigan after a popular local bird but they couldn’t agree on the spelling so they went with chicken instead.
Riddle me this
What can go up a chimney down, but can’t go down a chimney up?
Spoiler alert — answer below the birthdays.
Today’s birthdays
Former U.S. Rep. Charles B. Rangel, D-N.Y., is 94. International Motorsports Hall of Famer Jackie Stewart is 85. Singer Joey Dee is 84. Actor Roscoe Orman is 80. Actor Adrienne Barbeau is 79. Rock musician Frank Beard (ZZ Top) is 75. Animal rights activist Ingrid Newkirk is 75. Singer Graham Russell (Air Supply) is 74. Rock singer Donnie Van Zant is 72. Actor Peter Bergman is 71. Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Montana is 68. Actor Hugh Laurie is 65. TV personality and former U.S. Senate candidate Mehmet Oz, M.D., is 64. Singer Gioia (JOY’-ah) Bruno (Expose) is 61. Rock musician Dan Lavery (Tonic) is 58. Country singer-songwriter Bruce Robison is 58. Actor Clare Carey is 57. Actor Peter Dinklage is 55. Actor Lenny Jacobson is 50. Actor Joshua Jackson is 46. Americana musician Gabe Witcher (Punch Brothers) is 46. U.S. Olympic and WNBA basketball star Diana Taurasi is 42. Actor Shia LaBeouf (SHY’-uh luh-BUF’) is 38.
Riddle answer: an umbrella.
The Edge is compiled by Katie Clohessy. She can be contacted at kclohessy@lmtribune.com.
