On June 14, 1951, the U.S. Census Bureau dedicated UNIVAC, the
world’s first commercially produced electronic digital computer.
UNIVAC, which stood for Universal Automatic Computer, was
developed by J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly, makers of
ENIAC, the first general-purpose electronic digital computer.

These giant computers, which used thousands of vacuum tubes
for computation, were the forerunners of today’s computers.

The Statue of Liberty, a gift of friendship from the people of  France
to the people of the U.S. was dedicated in New York Harbor by then
President Grover Cleveland.

On June 17, 1885, the dismantled Statue of Liberty, a gift of friendship from
the people of France to the people of America, arrives in New York Harbor
after being shipped across the Atlantic Ocean in 350 individual pieces
packed in more than 200 cases. The copper and iron statue, which was reassembled and dedicated the following year in a ceremony presided over
by U.S. President Grover Cleveland, became known around the world as an enduring symbol of freedom and democracy.

Intended to commemorate the American Revolution and a century of
friendship between the U.S. and France, the statue was designed by French sculptor Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi (who modeled it after his own mother),
with assistance from engineer Gustave Eiffel, who later developed the iconic
tower in Paris bearing his name. The statue was initially scheduled to be
finished by 1876, the 100th anniversary of America’s Declaration of
Independence; however, fundraising efforts, which included auctions, a
lottery and boxing matches, took longer than anticipated, both in Europe
and the U.S., where the statue’s pedestal was to be financed and constructed.

The statue alone cost the French an estimated $250,000 (more than $5.5 million
in today’s money).

ROSS SIMPSON

Francis Gary Powers’ U-2 spy plane was shot down over the Soviet
Union on this day in 1960. Powers (below) was taken prisoner.

The charred wreckage of U.S. pilot Francis Gary Powers’ U-2 spy
plane is shown on display at the Central Armed Forces Museum
in Moscow, April 30, 2010. (AP)

CARLATA BRADLEY

On this day in 1943, work was completed on the Pentagon and it was dedicated as the world’s largest office building located just outside
Washington, DC, in Arlington, VA. The structure covers 34 acres of
land and has 17 miles of corridors.

The first National Football League (NFL) Super Bowl was played on
this day in 1967. The Green Bay Packers defeated the Kansas City
Chiefs of the American Football League. The final score was 35-10.

Even though ticket prices averaged just $12, it was the only Super Bowl that
didn’t sell out. The game aired on two different networks, NBC and CBS and
drew in an audience of more than 61,000 fans. The popularity of the event
continued to grow after the leagues integrated.

Super Bowl I – Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

The Packers quarterback Bart Starr.

Football great and TV commentator Frank Gifford (second from left).