Today is Monday, July 6, the 187th day of 2009. There are 178 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On July 6, 1944, an estimated 168 people died in a fire that broke out during a performance in the main tent of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in Hartford, Conn. (Among the survivors was future actor Charles Nelson Reilly, then age 13.)

On this date:

In 1535, St. Thomas More was executed in England for high treason.

In 1777, during the American Revolution, British forces captured Fort Ticonderoga in New York.

In 1809, French troops arrested Pope Pius VII, who had excommunicated Emperor Napoleon I.

In 1885, French scientist Louis Pasteur successfully tested an anti-rabies vaccine on a boy who had been bitten by an infected dog.

In 1917, during World War I, Arab forces led by T.E. Lawrence and Auda Abu Tayi captured the port of Aqaba from the Turks.

In 1928, the first all-talking feature, "Lights of New York," had its gala premiere in New York.

In 1945, President Harry S. Truman signed an executive order establishing the Medal of Freedom.

In 1957, Althea Gibson became the first black tennis player to win a Wimbledon singles title, defeating fellow American Darlene Hard 6-3, 6-2.

In 1988, 167 North Sea oil workers were killed when a series of explosions and fires destroyed a drilling platform.

In 1989, the U.S. Army destroyed its last Pershing IA missiles at an ammunition plant in Karnack, Texas, under terms of the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty.

Ten years ago: Ehud Barak took office as prime minister of Israel, pledging to seek peace with neighboring Arab countries.

Five years ago: Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry chose former rival John Edwards to be his running mate. A U.S. fighter pilot who'd mistakenly bombed Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan in 2002, killing four, was found guilty in New Orleans of dereliction of duty; Maj. Harry Schmidt was reprimanded and docked a month's pay.

One year ago: The U.S. launched an airstrike at combatants in Afghanistan's Nuristan province; the Afghan government later said 47 civilians died. President George W. Bush arrived in Japan for his eighth and final G8 summit, where he emphasized the urgency of providing aid to Africa. Rafael Nadal won a riveting five-set Wimbledon final, 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-7 (8), 9-7, denying Roger Federer a sixth straight title in a match that lasted 4 hours, 48 minutes.

Today's Birthdays: Former first lady Nancy Reagan is 88. Actor William Schallert is 87. Actor Donal Donnelly is 78. Singer-actress Della Reese is 78. Actor Ned Beatty is 72. Singer Gene Chandler is 69. Country singer Jeannie Seely is 69. Actor Burt Ward is 64. Former President George W. Bush is 63. Actor-director Sylvester Stallone is 63. Actor Fred Dryer is 63. Actress Nathalie Baye is 61. Actor Geoffrey Rush is 58. Rock musician John Bazz (The Blasters) is 57. Actor Grant Goodeve is 57. Country singer Nanci Griffith is 56. Actress Allyce Beasley is 55. Jazz musician Rick Braun is 54. Country musician John Jorgenson is 53. Former first daughter Susan Ford Bales is 52. Former NHL player Ron Duguay is 52. Rock musician John Keeble (Spandau Ballet) is 50. Former NFL player Joe Jacoby is 50. Actor Brian Posehn is 43. Rapper Inspectah Deck (Wu-Tang Clan) is 39. Rapper 50 Cent is 33. Actress Tamera Mowry is 31. Actress Tia Mowry is 31. Actress Eva Green is 29. Actor Gregory Smith is 26. Rock singer Kate Nash is 22. Actor Jeremy Suarez ("Bernie Mac") is 19.

Thought for Today: "On the outskirts of every agony sits some observant fellow who points." — Virginia Woolf, English author and critic (1882-1941).

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.