The almanac

Today is Monday, June 9, the 161st day of 2008 with 205 to follow.

The moon is waxing. The morning stars are Venus, Neptune, Jupiter, Mercury and Uranus. The evening stars are Mars and Saturn.

Those born on this date are under the sign of Gemini. They include Russian Czar Peter the Great in 1672; composer Cole Porter in 1891; composer, conductor, inventor Fred Waring in 1900; actor Robert Cummings in 1908; guitarist and recording pioneer Les Paul in 1915 (age 93); Robert S. McNamara, former U.S. Defense secretary and World Bank president, in 1916 (age 92); journalist Marvin Kalb in 1930 (age 78); comedian Jackie Mason in 1931 (age 77); soul singer Jackie Wilson in 1934; sportscaster Dick Vitale in 1939 (age 69); and actors Michael J. Fox in 1961 (age 47), Johnny Depp in 1963 (age 45), Gloria Reuben in 1964 (age 44) and Natalie Portman in 1981 (age 27).

On this date in history:

In 1534, French navigator Jacques Cartier became the first European explorer to discover the St. Lawrence River in present-day Quebec, Canada.

In 1898, Britain leased Hong Kong from China for 99 years. The territory returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

In 1934, Donald Duck made his first screen appearance in "The Wise Little Hen."

In 1943, The U.S. Congress passed an act authorizing employers to withhold income tax payments from salary checks.

In 1973, Secretariat won racing's Triple Crown with a spectacular victory in the Belmont Stakes, first horse to do so since Citation in 1948. Earlier, Secretariat had captured the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness.

In 1984, an Italian prosecutor's report linked the Bulgarian secret service to the 1981 assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II. Three Bulgarians were indicted but a trial failed to prove charges against them.

In 1989, Chinese officials continued their crackdown on pro-democracy activists with arrests and a sweeping propaganda campaign.

In 1993, Japanese Crown Prince Naruhito married former diplomat Masako Owada in Tokyo.

In 1994, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to require the Clinton administration to stop participating in the U.N.-sponsored arms embargo against the Bosnian government.

In 1995, Colombian police arrested Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela, believed to be a leader of the Cali drug cartel.

In 1998, Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar was sworn in as Nigeria's military ruler, one day after the death of Gen. Sani Abacha of a heart attack.

In 1999, Yugoslavia signed an agreement, pledging to withdraw all Serbian troops from Kosovo within 11 days.

In 2003, former U.S. first lady Hillary Clinton's memoir "Living History" sold 200,000 copies the first day.

Also in 2003, North Korea said it needed to develop nuclear weapons to save costs by reducing conventional forces and had no plan for nuclear blackmail.

In 2004, the body of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan was flown to Washington for a state funeral. Earlier, more than 100,000 mourners paid their respects at the Reagan presidential library in California.

In 2005, after weeks of protests, Bolivian President Carlos Mesa resigned.

In 2006, the new Iraqi Cabinet was completed with the appointments of ministers of defense, interior and national security.

In 2007, thousands took to Rome's streets to protest U.S. President George Bush's visit, clashing with police who responded with tear gas. The following day, Bush was greeted with enthusiasm when he became the first U.S. president to visit Albania.

A thought for the day: Henri-Frederic Amiel defined charm as "the quality in others that makes us more satisfied with ourselves."