Today in history: June 15
Major League Baseball said pitchers would be ejected and suspended for 10 games for using illegal foreign substances to doctor baseballs; umpires would begin regular checks of all pitchers.
1904: General Slocum
In 1904, more than 1,000 people died when fire erupted aboard the steamboat General Slocum in New York’s East River.
1934: Franklin D. Roosevelt
In 1934, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an act making the National Guard part of the U.S. Army in the event of war or national emergency.
1938: Johnny Vander Meer
In 1938, Johnny Vander Meer pitched his second consecutive no-hitter, leading the Cincinnati Reds to a 6-0 victory over the Brooklyn Dodgers in the first night game at Ebbets Field, four days after leaving the Boston Bees hitless by a score of 3-0.
1991: Mount Pinatubo
In 1991, Mount Pinatubo in the northern Philippines exploded in one of the biggest volcanic eruptions of the 20th century, killing about 800 people.
1996: Ella Fitzgerald
In 1996, Ella Fitzgerald, the “first lady of song,” died in Beverly Hills, California, at age 79.
2012: Travis Baumgartner
An armored car heist at the University of Alberta in Canada left three armed guards dead; fellow guard Travis Baumgartner later pleaded guilty to murder charges and was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 40 years.
2021: Joe Biden
One year ago: Fresh off a trio of European summits, President Joe Biden arrived in Geneva for a highly anticipated faceoff with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
2021: Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball said pitchers would be ejected and suspended for 10 games for using illegal foreign substances to doctor baseballs; umpires would begin regular checks of all pitchers.