Today in History: EPA bans use of pesticide DDT

Today is Saturday, June 14, the 165th day of 2025. There are 200 days left in the year. This is Flag Day.
Today in history:
On June 14, 1972, the Environmental Protection Agency ordered a ban on domestic use of the pesticide DDT, to take effect at year's end.
Also on this date:
In 1775, the Continental Army, forerunner of the United States Army, was created by the Second Continental Congress.
In 1777, the Second Continental Congress approved the design of the first 'stars and stripes' American flag.
In 1846, a group of U.S. settlers in Sonoma proclaimed the breakaway state of the California Republic, declaring independence from Mexico.
In 1919, British aviators John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown embarked on the first non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean.
In 1940, German troops entered Paris during World War II; the same day, the Nazis transported their first prisoners to the Auschwitz concentration camp in German-occupied Poland.
In 1943, the U.S. Supreme Court, in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette, ruled 6-3 that public school students could not be forced to salute the flag of the United States or recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a bill adding the phrase 'under God' to the Pledge of Allegiance.
In 1982, Argentine forces surrendered to British troops on the disputed Falkland Islands.
In 1993, President Bill Clinton announced his nomination of Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.
In 2005, Michelle Wie, 15, became the first female player to qualify for an adult male U.S. Golf Association championship, tying for first place in a 36-hole U.S. Amateur Public Links sectional qualifying tournament.
In 2017, fire ripped through the 24-story Grenfell Tower residential building in West London, killing 72 people.
In 2018, a Justice Department watchdog report on the FBI's handling of the Hillary Clinton email probe criticized the FBI and its former director, James Comey, but did not find evidence that political bias tainted the investigation.
Today's Birthdays: Actor Marla Gibbs is 94. U.S. President Donald Trump is 79. Olympic speed skating gold medalist Eric Heiden is 67. Jazz musician Marcus Miller is 66. Singer Boy George is 64. Tennis Hall of Famer Steffi Graf is 56. Classical pianist Lang Lang is 43. Actor J.R. Martinez is 42. Actor Lucy Hale is 36. Actor Daryl Sabara is 33. Rapper Gunna is 32.

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The Australian National Maritime Museum recently announced the discovery of Captain James Cook's iconic shipwreck off the coast of Rhode Island, bringing a conclusion to a 250-year-old mystery. In a report published on June 3, the Australian National Maritime Museum explained that historical and archaeological evidence collected as part of an extensive project that spanned over two decades has led researchers to conclude that the RI 2394 shipwreck site in Newport Harbor, Rhode Island, is Cook's 'HMS Endeavour,' which was later renamed the 'Lord Sandwich' when the ship was used by the British. 'This final report is the culmination of 25 years of detailed and meticulous archaeological study on this important vessel,' Australian National Maritime Museum Director Daryl Karp said. Karp described the report as a 'definitive statement' regarding the search for the HMS Endeavour, which the Australian National Maritime Museum launched in 1999. The museum's director added that the search has 'involved underwater investigation in the US and extensive research in institutions across the globe.' According to The New York Post, the HMS Endeavour became famous for becoming the first European ship to circumnavigate New Zealand and land in the eastern part of Australia as part of an expedition that took place between 1768 and 1771. READ MORE: Pics: Two shipwrecks confirmed as slave ships by archaeologists Fox News reported that the iconic ship was later intentionally sunk off the coast of Newport, Rhode Island, in an effort to prevent attacks by America and France. The outlet noted that while researchers have known that the shipwreck of the HMS Endeavor was located off the coast of Rhode Island, the exact location of the shipwreck remained a mystery for roughly 250 years. According to the report, the shipwreck, which is located between 39 and 43 feet underwater, features a 'linear stone ballast pile, the eastern periphery of which features a line of partially exposed frame ends that are closely spaced and of substantial size.' 'Four iron cannons are also present on the site,' the museum added in the report. 'Two are largely exposed above the seabed and lie immediately adjacent to one another on the western side of the site.' The museum's report explains that by 2019, an investigation of the different shipwrecks located in the region led researchers to believe that RI 2394 was the 'most likely candidate' for the HMS Endeavour shipwreck. According to the report, the shipwreck's location satisfies 10 criteria previously agreed upon by different experts. According to the report, the measurements of the RI 2394 shipwreck also match the measurements recorded in a 1768 survey of the iconic ship.

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These Archive Photos Honour The Windrush Generation's Legacy Of Style

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Yet, as was reported in The Thurrock Gazette in 1948, they arrived via the Empire Windrush 'Dressed in an odd assortment of clothes, many wearing ties of dazzling designs.' ' The origins of the Black British aesthetic — the fusing of Caribbean and African influences in British fashion, music and culture — arguably began here. ' You may have seen the incredible photos from this arrival and the other ships that followed over those years: Caribbean men, like my grandfather, in tailored suits, wide-brimmed hats and Fedoras, overcoats, and shined-up shoes. Women, a picture of sophistication, in frilled blouses, dresses, and bold jewellery. In many ways, these photos capture the start of the Caribbean's influence on British culture. The origins of the Black British aesthetic — the fusing of Caribbean and African influences in British fashion, music and culture — arguably began here. Today, we continue to see echoes of that original elegance in contemporary fashion. 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What does Juneteenth celebrate? Meaning and origins, explained

This Thursday marks 160 years since the origin of Juneteenth, which commemorates the day the last group of enslaved people found out they had been freed. Long a holiday in the Black community and now federally recognized, the celebrations kick off each June 19, allowing people to gather, dance, reenact pivotal moments in history, and more. Juneteenth is a celebration of freedom and opportunity, said Sam Collins, who is on the trustee board for the Rosenberg Library in Galveston, often called 'Professor Juneteenth.' 'It's not so much about slavery as it is about the freedom from slavery and what it allowed for the former enslaved people to live their lives free, to marry, to learn to read, to educate themselves, to have self agency over their bodies, to keep their families together,' he told USA TODAY on June 10. Here's what to know about Juneteenth, how it began, and how it's celebrated today. Juneteenth is a commemoration of the events that took place 160 years ago in Galveston, Texas, about 57 miles southeast of Houston. Calling it an 'often overlooked event in our nation's history,' the National Museum of African American History said Juneteenth occurred two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing all slaves in rebellious states. That day, on June 19, 1865, Union troops freed enslaved African Americans in Galveston Bay and across Texas. 'This is American history, world history, Texas history, and most of all, Galveston history, because Galveston, Texas is the birthplace of Juneteenth,' said Collins, a seventh generation Texan. Collins said formerly enslaved people celebrated after June 1865, but festivities died off for a while. In 1879, politician Robert Evans introduced a bill to celebrate Black emancipation, but the bill did not garner enough support during the Jim Crow era, Collins said. Juneteenth celebrations began to regain popularity again in the 1970s and early 1980s, after another Texas politician, Albert Ely Edwards, pushed for Juneteenth to become a state holiday, Collins said. 'There are many ancestors and elders that kept the oral history going until we made it to 2021 and it became a national holiday,' he said. 'And the truth of the matter (is that) if it wasn't for the murder of George Floyd, Juneteenth would not have become a national holiday in 2021.' Retired teacher and educator Opal Lee, known as the 'Grandmother of Juneteenth,' started a petition to federally recognize Juneteenth in October 2019. Not many people signed, but immediately following Floyd's murder and the protests that ensued, her petition jumped significantly and garnered over 1.6 million signatures. In June 2021, then-president Joe Biden declared June 19 a national holiday. Lee was present that day. Upon hearing the news, Collins said he thought of all those who pushed to make Juneteenth a federal holiday, including Rev. Ronald V. Myers Sr., who founded the National Juneteenth Observers Foundation before his death in 2018. 'I wish they had lived to see it,' he said. Today, Juneteenth has become commercialized, celebrated with Juneteenth cups and t-shirts and other memorabilia, Collins said. Junteenth celebrations usually feature flags such as a red, white and blue flag with a star in the center, the same colors as the American flag, Collins said. There's also the Pan African colors, or red, black and green. For previous Juneteenth celebrations, Black people would often celebrate with whatever food and drinks were available, such as red drinks or red punch as opposed to water. Watermelon is often enjoyed as it's easy to cut up and disperse, almost like a cake, he said. Today, there are also Juneteenth pageants, parades, and festivals with music and speeches. Some people believe individuals can't celebrate both Juneteenth and the Fourth of July, but this isn't the case, Collins said. 'The Fourth of July is a freedom birthday for the country, and June 19 is a freedom birthday for the formerly enslaved,' he told USA TODAY. He also stressed that there were people living in what is now known as the United States before 1776. When historians and community members talk about Juneteenth, it's important not to forget Indigenous people, he said. Juneteenth also isn't just a Texas holiday, and it isn't only for Black people, he said. It's for everyone to celebrate freedom and liberty. Collins thinks of the history of the U.S. as a salad, made up of different stories. Each date, holiday, and event helps to complete the salad, he said. 'By adding Juneteenth, the national holiday, we flavor up the history, and we expand the narrative to tell the full story of the contributions of everyone in the history of everyone in our community,' he said. Even Cinco De Mayo is tied to Juneteenth, Collins said. On May 5, 1862, a Mexican army defeated French forces in the Battle of Puebla. French Emperor Napoleon III had plans to provide the Confederacy with guns in exchange for cotton, but the French were defeated and didn't return until about a year later in May 1863. Some historians believe this pushback allowed then-president Abraham Lincoln's generals to win Union victories before the French could give the Confederacy 'upgraded artillery and munitions,' per 'We need to acknowledge all of this history and tell the full story,' Collins said 'The national holiday helps to repair the foundation of our American history's story.' Contributing: Matthew Brown, Chelsey Cox, and N'dea Yancey-Bragg Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at sdmartin@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is Juneteenth? Explaining the holiday's meaning and origins