Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein’s The King and I is a stage musical
based on the 1944 novel Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon. The
production premiered at Broadway’s St. James Theater. It was an immediate hit,
winning Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Actress for Gertrude Lawrence and
Best Featured Actor for Yul Brynner. Lawrence died of cancer a year and a half
after the opening, and the role of Anna was played by other actresses during
the remainder of the Broadway run of over three years, 1,246 performances.

From left: Gertrude Lawrence (Anna Leonowens), Robin Craven (Sir Edward Ramsey) and Yul Brynner (The King)

1920

Vancouver Barracks, located near Vancouver, Washington, was the first American military post in the Pacific Northwest. It was established by the U.S. Army in May of 
1849 and was originally named Columbia Barracks. The installation remained the
oldest military installation (in continual operation), west oft the Mississippi river,
until it was forced to close by the Defense Department in the summer of 2011. 

1907

1909

Ethel Greenglass Rosenberg (37) and Julius Rosenberg (35) were
American communists who were convicted for conspiracy to commit
espionage during a time of war. Their charges were related to the
passing of secret information about the atomic bomb to the Soviet
Union when they were employees of the Los Alamos atomic bomb
project. They were both executed in the electric chair on June 19,
1953. This was the first execution of civilians for espionage in U.S.
history

.

The space probe Mariner 10 became the first spacecraft to reach the planet
Mercury. It had been launched on November 3, 1973.The first encounter took
place at a range of 437 miles, passing on the shadow side of the planet. The
probe flew by Mercury again on September 21, 1974. Mariner 10 is still orbiting
the Sun, although its electronics have probably been damaged by the Sun’s
radiation.

Mercury, 6 hours before closest approach of Mariner 10

.