Today In HistoryToday is Saturday, June 2, the 153rd day of 2007. There are 212 days left in the year.

ON THIS DATE<$>

In 637 BC, Arab Muslim army vanquishes Persians at battle of Al-Qadisiyya, opening Persia to Arab conquest.

In 1946, in a referendum, Italians choose a republic over the Savoy monarchy.

In 1953, the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II took place at Westminster Abbey in London; it was the first coronation to be televised.

In 1964, the Palestine Liberation Organization is formed.

In 1979, Pope John Paul II arrives in his native Poland on the first visit by a pope to a Communist country.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Experience isn’t interesting till it begins to repeat itself — in fact, till it does that, it hardly is experience — Elizabeth Bowen, Irish-born author (1899-1973).