Today in History.....June 5

On this day in …

* 1884, Civil War hero Gen. William T. Sherman refused the Republican presidential nomination, saying, "I will not accept if nominated and will not serve if elected."

* 1917, about 10 million American men began registering for the draft in World War I

* 1933, the United States went off the gold standard

* 1940, the Battle of France began during World War II

* 1947, Secretary of State George C. Marshall gave a speech at Harvard University in which he outlined an aid program for Europe that came to be known as "The Marshall Plan"

* 1967, about to be attacked by surrounding Arab countries, Israel raided Egyptian military targets in what would eventually be called the "Six Day War"

* 1968, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated in Los Angeles'
Ambassador Hotel after claiming victory in California's Democratic presidential primary. Gunman Sirhan Bishara Sirhan was immediately arrested

* 1981, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control reported that five homosexuals in Los Angeles had come down with a rare kind of pneumonia; they were the first recognized cases of what later became known as AIDS.

* 1986, a federal jury in Baltimore convicted Ronald W. Pelton of selling secrets to the Soviet Union. (Pelton was sentenced to three life prison terms plus 10 years.)

* 2001, Senate Republicans spent their last full day in power before turning control over to Democrats, a change that came about because of a decision by Vermont Sen. James Jeffords to leave the GOP and become an independent