Years Ago

June 30, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

Today is Wednesday, June 30, the 181st day of 2010. There are 184 days left in the year.

Associated Press

On this date in:

1859: French acrobat Charles Blondin walks back and forth on a tightrope above the gorge of Niagara Falls as thousands of spectators watch.

1860: The famous Oxford University Museum debate on Darwin’s theory of evolution takes place as Anglican Bishop Samuel Wilberforce led his side in denouncing the concept, while biologist T.H. Huxley rose to defend it. (Although exact details of the debate, which was not transcribed, are in dispute, it is generally believed that Huxley’s side prevailed.)

1921: President Warren G. Harding nominates former President William Howard Taft to be chief justice of the United States .

1958: The U.S. Senate adopts the Alaska statehood bill 64-20.

1960: Belgian Congo achieves independence.

1971: A Soviet space mission ends in tragedy when three cosmonauts aboard Soyuz 11 are found dead inside their spacecraft after it had returned to Earth.

1985: Thirty-nine American hostages from a hijacked TWA jetliner are freed in Beirut after being held 17 days.

Vindicator files

1985: While the Beirut hostage crisis continues overseas, Youngstown area lawmen attend a seminar at the Christy Armory on domestic terrorism conducted by Richard A. Fike, a specialist with the Defense Department.

The Ungaro administration is looking to sell several city-owned buildings, including the City Hall Annex, the Mill Creek Community Center, unused fire stations and the city parking deck.

Plans are being made for the golden anniversary Taylorcraft fly-in at Barber’s Airport north of Alliance.

1970: The Youngstown Board of Education expects to spend almost $21 million during fiscal year 1971. The board names three new principals, Edward DiGregorio at East; Everett McCullum at Hillman and Rand Becker at Hayes.

Mahoning County commissioners are depending on voters to approve renewal of its welfare levy to provide about $1 million in revenue for 1971.

The Youngstown Board of Education rescinds permission for rental of Rayen Stadium for a music festival July 12.

1960: Joel Beeghly, 18, a grandson of Youngstown industrialist L.A. Beeghly, and Bob Machin, 18, of Poland are treated for smoke inhalation after being overcome by smoke during a barn fire at Beeghly’s Starr’s Corners farm.

Five underground explosions beneath Public Square shake downtown Cleveland, cutting electric power and smashing plate glass windows.

Youngstown’s charter revision committee approves proposals that would increase the number of city councilmen to 11 and increase the mayor’s term to four years.

1935: The average cost to educate an elementary student in Youngstown schools is $58 and for high school pupils, $82, for an average of $70,. The average for 75 cities in the study was $77.

Barton Easby Brooke, Youngstown architect who designed or co-designed many of Youngstown’s most important buildings, dies at his home, 429 Crandall Ave. Among his work, the Post Office, Dollar Bank addition, Mahoning and Mill Creek country clubs, First Unitarian Church and the William Sampson home on Logan.

Ida Mae Stull, 37, of Cadiz files suit against two mine officials who ordered her from the mine saying Ohio law prohibits women from working n mines. Attorney General John Bricker says a woman has the same right to work in a mine as a farmer’s wife has to work on the farm.