Today is Thursday, June 17, the 168th day of 2010. There are 197 days left in the year.

On this date

In 1775, the Revolutionary War Battle of Bunker Hill took place near Boston. The battle (which actually occurred on Breed's Hill) was a costly victory for the British, who suffered heavy losses while dislodging the rebels.

In 1940, France asked Germany for terms of surrender.

In 1944, the republic of Iceland was established.

In 1961, Soviet ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev defected to the West while his troupe was in Paris.

In 1972, US President Richard M. Nixon's eventual downfall began with the arrest of five burglars inside Democratic national headquarters in Washington DC's Watergate complex.

In 2000, in Cuba, more than 300,000 people turned out to protest the continued stay of Elian Gonzalez in the United States; it was the largest such demonstration since the previous December, when Cuba launched a national campaign of mass gatherings demanding the boy's return.

In 2005, former Tyco CEO Dennis Kozlowski and a second executive, Mark H. Swartz, were convicted of looting their company of more than $600 million.

Thought for Today

"A consensus means that everyone agrees to say collectively what no one believes individually." — Abba Eban, Israeli statesman (1915-2002).