JUNE 22 | Birthdays and Events
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Notable Birthdays for June 22
William Chester Minor (1834-1920) - Surgeon and linguist who was a major contributor to creating the Oxford English Dictionary.
Paul Morphy (1837-1884) - Chess player who has been acknowledged as the world's greatest chess master of the 1860s.
N. Howell Furman (1892-1965) - Chemist whose work on separating uranium was a major contribution to the development of the atomic bomb.
Richard Gurley Drew (1899-1980) - Inventor who created masking tape and cellophane tape (3M).
Joseph Papp (1921-1991) - Director and producer said to be responsible for for creating Shakespeare in the Park to bring classical theater accessible to all people.
Ralph Waite (1928-2014) - Actor fondly remembered for his role as John Walton Sr. on The Waltons.
Kris Kristofferson (1936-2024) - Critically acclaimed country music musician and songwriter.
Meryl Streep (1949-Still Living) - Multi-award winning actress with iconic lead roles in Kramer vs. Kramer (1979), Sophie's Choice (1982), Silkwood (1984), and Mamma Mia! (2008).
Cyndi Lauper (1953-Still Living) - Singer whose hair color and eccentric clothes are just as identifiable as her amazing voice.
Erin Brockovich (1960-Still Living) - Former paralegal, consumer advocate, environmental activist and now lawyer who was instrumental in building a case against Pacific Gas & Electric Company and the company's groundwater contamination in Hinkley, CA.
Dan Brown (1964-Still Living) - Author of Angels and Demons, The Da Vinci Code and The Lost Symbol.
Memorable Events for June 22
1839 - The Trail of Tears begins after Cherokee leaders Major Ridge, John Ridge, and Elias Boudinot are assassinated for signing the Treaty of New Echota.
1847 - Hanson Gregory supposedly invents the ring doughnut.
1870 - Congress creates the U.S. Department of Justice.
1940 - The first Dairy Queen opens in Joliet, IL.
1942 - Congress adopts the Pledge of Allegiance.
1944 - President Roosevelt signs into law the G.I. Bill Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944.
1945 - The Battle of Okinawa comes to an end.
1955 - The Lady and the Tramp is released by Walt Disney.