This Week in American History

Here is what happened this week in American History.

• June 11. On this day in 1775, the Battle of Machias in Maine is fought and becomes America’s first naval action in the Revolutionary War. Boston is under siege by the British and Loyalist Ichabod Jones is contracted by the British to supply their soldiers using his ships, Unity and Polly, with the armed schooner HMS Margarette providing protection. Members of the militia took arms against the British, captured Unity and chased Margarette away. The militiamen then took Unity in pursuit of Margarette and captured her as well.

• June 12. In 1981, the Steven Spielberg mega hit movie “Raiders of the Lost Ark” is released. Produced on a $20 million budget, the film grossed about $354 million, the most successful film of the year — and still remains popular.

• June 13. Today in 1951, actor, director and producer Richard Thomas is born in New York City. Though he has starred in numerous roles and remains active, Thomas is best remembered as John-Boy Walton in the hit television series “The Waltons”.

• June 14. On this day in 1777, the Second Continental Congress passes the Flag Act of 1777, which makes the Stars and Stripes the official Flag of the United States. That Act required the flag to have 13 red and white stripes with thirteen white stars in a blue field. Remaining within those boundaries, the American Flag has been modified numerous times, lastly by President Dwight Eisenhower. Incidentally, the President has the authority to modify the flag by Executive Order.

• June 15. In 1951, South Korean, UN and US forces have driven the Chinese Peoples Volunteer Army and North Korean Peoples Army back north of the 38th Parallel, and in some areas eight miles into North Korea. Most Allied forces have reached and are staging at a line designated as Kansas. In addition to being beat on the ground, the PVA and KPA are suffering well north of the Kansas line as US Air Force B-29 Superfortress heavy bombers have nearly obliterated all feasible targets inside North Korea, including much of the capital city of Pyongyang. Despite Russian help, the skies are being dominated by UN and US air assets. UN Command reports that about five million North Korean civilians have fled their homes and become refugees. The disastrous results of the PVA and KPA Fifth Phase Offensive resulted in Chinese leadership changing their thinking from occupying South Korea to defending China from UN and US forces and negotiating an end to the war.

• June 16. Today in 1811, the American merchant ship Tonquin armed with 10 cannons, operated by the Pacific Fur Company – a part of the American Fur Company, has sailed to Woody Point, Vancouver Island, with trade being conducted with Tia-o-qui-aht Nuu-chah-nulth, — indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest in present-day Canada. Trade did not go well. Under the guise of trading, natives boarded the ship, drew weapons, and attacked those on board, killing most of the crew. As the natives were plundering the crew’s belongings and cargo, one of the surviving crew members set fire to the ship’s magazine. The resulting explosion destroyed the ship and killed an estimated 100 to 200 natives. Four crewmembers of the Tonquin survived but were later captured by the natives and all but one killed. That survivor would tell the fate of the Tonquin.

• June 17. On this day in 1991, the last dusky seaside sparrow dies and the species becomes extinct. This specific sparrow was found in the marshes of Florida’s Atlantic coast, on Merritt Island and the upper St. Johns River. Attempts were made at reviving the species and in 1983 the last four remaining dusky seaside sparrows were located to a protected habitat on Discovery Island at the Walt Disney World Resort. A total of five viable offspring were produced but further breeding attempts failed. In a last-ditch effort at possibly saving the sparrow species, the heart and liver of the last bird was cryopreserved in hopes of cloning the dusky seaside sparrow at a later time.