Today in HistoryToday is Saturday, June 30, the 181st day of 2007. There are 184 days left in the year.

ON THIS DATE

In 1934, during Germany’s “Night of the Long Knives”, Adolf Hitler purged political rivals including stormtrooper leader Ernst Roehm and Kurt von Schleicher.

In 1936, Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia appeared before the League of Nations to appeal for help after Italy’s invasion of his country.

In 1963, Cardinal Giovanni Montini was enthroned as Pope Paul VI, the 262nd head of the Roman Catholic Church.

In 1997, in Hong Kong, the Union Jack was lowered for the last time over Government House as Britain prepared to hand the colony back to China after ruling it for 156 years.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

“It is quite gratifying to feel guilty if you haven’t done anything wrong: How noble! Whereas it is rather hard and certainly depressing to admit guilt and to repent.” — Hannah Arendt, German-born American philosopher and historian (1906-1975).