Good morning. It's June 24th — let's begin where we always do: on this very date in history.
📅 On This Day — June 24 🧚 (It's also International Fairy Day — leave a little something at the bottom of the garden, just in case.)
1982 — British Airways Flight 9 — "Speedbird 9" — flew into a volcanic ash cloud over Indonesia and lost all four engines at 37,000 feet; Captain Eric Moody glided the powerless 747, restarted the engines, and landed safely, all 263 aboard unharmed — after a famously calm cabin announcement.
1983 — Astronaut Sally Ride touched down aboard Challenger, completing her flight as the first American woman in space — the landing to the launch we marked back on the 18th.
1987 — Comedy giant Jackie Gleason — Ralph Kramden himself — died at 71.
1995 — Nelson Mandela, in a Springbok jersey, handed the Rugby World Cup trophy to South Africa's captain — the unifying moment later immortalized in Invictus.
2010 — At Wimbledon, John Isner finally beat Nicolas Mahut 70–68 in the fifth set, ending the longest tennis match ever played — three days and eleven hours.
Now, let's set the dial back to 1968…
⏪ REWIND: 1968
It's a turbulent year — LBJ in the White House, a nation grieving and restless — and yet, on the radio and the courts, a few bright, lasting firsts.
📰 The Headlines In Washington, police moved in to clear "Resurrection City," the encampment of the Poor People's Campaign on the National Mall — Dr. King's final crusade for economic justice, carried on by Ralph Abernathy after King's assassination that April.
🎬 At the Movies Roman Polanski's Rosemary's Baby has audiences genuinely rattled — a slow-burn chiller that became one of the year's defining films and helped usher in a new era of grown-up horror.
🎵 On the Charts "This Guy's in Love with You" by Herb Alpert is #1 — a rare vocal turn from the Tijuana Brass trumpeter, recorded in a single take, that knocked Simon & Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson" off the top.
🏆 In Sports Wimbledon opens today as the first-ever "Open" Championships, welcoming professionals for the first time — Rod Laver and Billie Jean King would walk away as champions. Meanwhile, the 1968 baseball season is busy earning its nickname, the "Year of the Pitcher."
— a couple of quick things before you go —
👟 Step Challenge: the Summer 2026 Step Challenge is rolling — grab the free Pacer app and walk with us: Join the challenge (already have Pacer? Club code E42727228). Every step counts.
💡 Health Snap: Stiff after a long sit? Stand up, roll your shoulders, and take a slow lap around the room — tiny movement breaks add up over a day. Curious how your everyday habits add up? Wellness Signals built a free 2-minute health snapshot: ourfreehealthreport.com
🎉 Born on a June 24th — or know someone who was?
Forward this to them right now — there's no better "this is the day you were born" gift than a little time travel.
🎂 In good company: June 24 babies include soccer's Lionel Messi (1987), guitar legend Jeff Beck (1944), Fleetwood Mac's Mick Fleetwood (1947), actor-writer Mindy Kaling (1979), and singer Solange Knowles (1986).
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