Jun 17, 1885:
Statue of Liberty arrives
On this day in 1885, the dismantled State 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.
Jun 17, 1989:
New Kids on the Block land at the top of the pops
While hairstyles and fashions may come and go, and while musical styles may evolve over time, one thing that repeats itself in music history with great regularity is the ascendancy of boy bands as a pop-cultural force. In the late 1980s, this cyclical process yielded New Kids on the Block-another in a long line of telegenic male pop groups engineered to bedazzle America's preteen girls. Although they would last no longer than those who came before or after, New Kids on the Block enjoyed a tremendous run of success that peaked when "I'll Be Loving You Forever" reached #1 on the Billboard pop chart on June 17, 1989.
Jun 17, 1958:
Bridge collapses, killing workers
On this day in 1958, a bridge being built to connect eastern and northern Vancouver in western Canada collapses, killing 59 workers. The bridge, known as the Second Narrows Bridge, was finally completed in 1960 and, in 1996, it was renamed Ironworkers Memorial Bridge to commemorate the people who lost their lives during its construction. The disaster was the worst involving a bridge in Canada's history.
Jun 20, 1977:
Oil flows in Alaska
With a flip of a switch in Prudhoe Bay, crude oil from the nation's largest oil field begins flowing south down the trans-Alaska pipeline to the ice-free port of Valdez, Alaska.
The steel pipeline, 48 inches in diameter, winds through 800 miles of Alaskan wilderness, crossing three Arctic mountain ranges and hundreds of rivers and streams. Environmentalists fought to prevent its construction, saying it would destroy a pristine ecosystem, but they were ultimately overruled by Congress, who saw it as a way of lessening America's dependence on foreign oil.
The trans-Alaska pipeline was the worldâs largest privately funded construction project to that date, costing $8 billion and taking three years to build.
Jun 20, 1980:
Duran outpoints Leonard for welterweight title
On June 20, 1980, in a match in Montreal, Canada, Roberto Duran out-points "Sugar" Ray Leonard to win the World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight title and the unofficial title of best "pound for pound" fighter in the world. The international panel of judges voted unanimously for Duran, albeit in a very close decision.