Andrea Yates was found not guilty of killing her five children by reason of insanity. (2006) Yates drowned her children in the bathtub in the family home on June 20, 2001. She was initially convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison, but the conviction was overturned. On this day, a jury found her not guilty by reason of insanity, and she was committed to a high-security mental institution. In 2007, she was transferred to a low-security mental institution.
The Department of Defense, the CIA, the National Security Council and the Joint Chiefs of Staff were established. (1947) In signing the National Security Act during the Cold War, US President Truman established the new defense departments. What would ultimately turn out to be the Department of Defense was later created in an amendment to the Act in 1949.
NASA launched the space shuttle Discovery, the first mission launched after the Columbia disaster in 2003. (2005) The Discoveryspace shuttle has completed 38 flights — more than any other orbiter — and 5,247 orbits. It is the oldest orbiter still in service.
Jimmy Hoffa was convicted of fraud and conspiracy. (1964) Hoffa and six of his crew were convicted for mishandling the union pension fund. He also was convicted for jury tampering and bribery. Sentenced to 13 years in prison, Hoffa was released in 1971 when US President Nixon pardoned him in exchange for Hoffa's resignation from any union activity. Hoffa then disappeared in 1975 and was never seen again.
NASA launched the Apollo 15 mission. (1971)Apollo 15 was the fourth manned mission to the moon. This mission included the Lunar Roving Vehicle that the astronauts used to further explore the moon's surface.
Greg Maddux struck out batter number 3,000. (2005) Pitching for the Chicago Cubs against the San Francisco Giants, Maddux became the thirteenth pitcher in Major League Baseball history to hit that career strikeout number. His career total was 3,371 when he retired.
The US Postal Service was established. (1775) The Second Continental Congress established the postal system, and Benjamin Franklin was the first postmaster general. Franklin also established the standardized method of charging for mail delivery based on weight and distance.
Grasshoppers plague the US Midwest. (1931) A swarm of grasshoppers attacked and destroyed millions of acres of crops in Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota. The swarm was so thick it blocked out the sun.
The world's first recorded women's cricket match took place. (1745) The match pitted the villages of Hambledon and Bramley against one another outside Guildford, England. Hambledon prevailed, 127 to 119.
The city of Mumbai, India, shut down for more than two days after getting 39.17 inches (99.5 centimeters) of rain in 24 hours. (2005) Commonly called the "Maharashtra Floods of 2005," the rainfall set a new record in India for a 24-hour period and was responsible for at least 1,000 deaths.
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