June 1
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Featured Event
© Olena Suvorova/Alamy; Photo Illustration Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
The Czech Republic approved the world’s first national law aimed at limiting light pollution, and the legislation went into effect on this day in 2002. The so-called “dark-sky law” required outdoor lighting to be more efficient: Fixtures should be shielded or directed downward to prevent light from traveling skyward. [Read today’s edition of Today in History > >]
Featured Biography
Featured Biography
© Michael Kovac/Getty Images
Morgan Freeman, whose emotional depth and versatility made him one of the most respected performers of his generation and the winner of an Academy Award for his role in Million Dollar Baby (2004), was born this day in 1937.
Famous Birthdays
More on June 1
Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
2009
American comedian Conan O’Brien made his debut as host of the The Tonight Show, NBC’s long-running late-night talk show; however, he left after less than one year. [Sort fact from fiction in our pop culture quiz.]
© fasthorses/Shutterstock.com
2009
American motor-vehicle manufacturer General Motors filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection; it soon emerged from the reorganization and in 2010 returned to the stock market with one of the largest IPOs in U.S. history. [Test your knowledge of American industry and innovation.]
© Albert H. Teich/Shutterstock.com
1980
Ted Turner’s Cable News Network (CNN), headquartered in Atlanta, began 24-hour live news broadcasts, and the channel gained worldwide attention in 1991 for its around-the-clock coverage of the Persian Gulf War.
Bruno Barbey/Magnum Photos
1958
Following the outbreak of an insurrection in Algiers, Charles de Gaulle came before the French National Assembly as prime minister designate. [Test your knowledge of French history.]
Camera Press/Globe Photos
1907
English aviation engineer and pilot Frank Whittle, who invented the jet engine, was born. [How much do you know about the history of flight?]