This Day in History

In 1937, planes from Nazi Germany raided the Basque town of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War.

In 1945, Marshal Henri Philippe Petain (an-REE’ fee-LEEP’ pay-TAN’), the head of France’s Vichy government during World War II, was arrested.

In 1964, the African nations of Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form Tanzania.

In 1968, the United States exploded beneath the Nevada desert a 1.3 megaton nuclear device called "Boxcar.”

In 1980, following an unsuccessful attempt by the United States to rescue the U.S. Embassy hostages in Iran, the Tehran government announced the captives were being scattered to thwart any future rescue effort.

In 1986, the world’s worst nuclear accident occurred at the Chernobyl plant in the Soviet Union.

Ten years ago: Vermont Gov. Howard Dean signed the nation’s first bill allowing same-sex couples to form civil unions.

Five years ago: Syria’s 29-year military presence in Lebanon ended as Syrian soldiers completed a withdrawal brought about by international pressure and Lebanese street protests.

One year ago: The United States declared a public health emergency as more possible cases of swine flu surfaced from Canada to New Zealand.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton made an unannounced visit to Lebanon, where she met with President Michel Suleiman. Salamo Arouch, a Jewish boxer who’d survived the Auschwitz death camp by fighting exhibition bouts for Nazi officers, died in Israel at age 86.

Today's birthdays:

Rhythm-and-blues singer Maurice Williams is 72. Songwriter-musician Duane Eddy is 72. Singer Bobby Rydell is 68. Rock musician Gary Wright is 67. Actor Giancarlo Esposito is 52. Rock musician Roger Taylor (Duran Duran) is 50. Rock musician Chris Mars is 49. Actor-singer Michael Damian is 48. Actor Jet Li (lee) is 47. Rock musician Jimmy Stafford (Train) is 46. Actor-comedian Kevin James is 45. Actress Marianne Jean-Baptiste is 43. Country musician Joe Caverlee (Yankee Grey) is 42. Country musician Jay DeMarcus (Rascal Flatts) is 39. Country musician Michael Jeffers (Pinmonkey) is 38. Rock musician Jose Pasillas (Incubus) is 34. Actor Jason Earles ("Hannah Montana”) is 33. Actor Tom Welling is 33. Actress Jordana Brewster is 30. Actress Marnette Patterson is 30. Actor Channing Tatum is 30. Actor Aaron Weeks is 24.