* May 31, 1819: A Poet Is Born
American poet Walt Whitman was born on this date in West Hills, N.Y. Whitman experimented with "free verse," a poetic style that has no regular rhythm or rhyme. (He also wrote in a rhythmic, rhymed verse.) Whitman's writing was so unusual for the time that he published the first edition of "Leaves of Grass" anonymously, and at his own expense. It is now considered a landmark in American literature.
* June 1, 1959: Mathis Is Tops
Johnny Mathis celebrated a full year at the top of album charts with his collection of love songs titled "Johnny's Greatest Hits." At a time when rock music was at its peak, his mellow, melodic sounds were a surprising contrast. Mathis is known for such tunes as "Wonderful, Wonderful," "Chances Are" and "The Shadow of Your Smile." In 1978, he recorded a duet with Denise Williams called "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late."
* June 2, 1953: Queen Crowned
Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor, daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, was crowned Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Abbey, London. She was 27. The coronation was telecast on all three U.S. networks and was one of the first international events to be given complete coverage. Since there were no satellites from which to transmit the pictures, the event traveled by way of telephone cable.
* June 3, 1888: Casey at Bat
The poem "Casey at the Bat," by Ernest L. Thayer, was published on this date in the San Francisco Examiner. According to the tale, the Mudville baseball team is at bat and losing, 4 to 2. In the last inning, with two men on base, "mighty Casey" goes to bat. It reads: "And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go, and now the air is shattered by the force of Casey's blow." Unfortunately, mighty Casey struck out. The poem became a classic.
* June 4, 1977: Apples, Apples
The first personal computer, Apple II, went on the market on this date. The machines took Apple Corp. from a garage operation to a multimillion-dollar business, and computers became affordable to the general public.
* June 5, 1968: Tragedy in L.A.
It was a sad day. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, brother of assassinated President John F. Kennedy, was shot at the Ambassador Hotel as he campaigned for the Democratic presidential nomination. He died the next day. Sirhan Bishara Sirhan was convicted and is serving a life term for the murder.
* June 6, 1944: D-Day Invasion
Thousands of Allied troops came ashore at five landing sites along the beaches of Normandy, France. After a fierce battle against the Nazis, the beaches were secured and a second major European front was opened. About a million troops reached France by the end of the month. World War II ended the next year.
Sources: Los Angeles Times Archives (http://www.latimes.com/archives); Library of Congress (http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem); the History Channel Online (http://www.historychannel.com); 1999 World Book Family Reference Suite.
