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On This Day: Sally Ride becomes first U.S. woman in space

On June 18, 1983, Sally Ride became the first American woman in space after the shuttle Challenger was launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla.

By UPI Staff
Astronaut Sally K. Ride, STS-7 mission specialist, performs a number of functions simultaneously, proving the necessity for versatility and dexterity in space travel. Floating freely on the flight deck, Dr. Ride communicates with ground controllers in Houston, moves within feet of important reference data, hand calculators and other aids all at the same time. NASA Photo
1 of 3 | Astronaut Sally K. Ride, STS-7 mission specialist, performs a number of functions simultaneously, proving the necessity for versatility and dexterity in space travel. Floating freely on the flight deck, Dr. Ride communicates with ground controllers in Houston, moves within feet of important reference data, hand calculators and other aids all at the same time. NASA Photo

On this date in history:

In 1812, the United States declared war on Britain, beginning the War of 1812.

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In 1815, England's Duke of Wellington and Prussian Field Marshal Gebhard von Blucher defeated Napoleon at Waterloo in Belgium.

In 1908, William Howard Taft was nominated for president at the Republican National Convention in Chicago.

File Photo by Library of Congress/UPI

In 1975, Saudi Arabian Prince Museid was publicly beheaded in Riyadh for the assassination of King Faisal.

In 1979, U.S. President Jimmy Carter and Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev signed a strategic arms control treaty (SALT II) in Vienna.

In 1983, Sally Ride became the first American woman in space after the shuttle Challenger was launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla.

In 1990, gunman James Edward Pough, 42, whose car had been repossessed, killed nine people and wounded four before killing himself at a General Motors Acceptance Corp. loan office in Jacksonville, Fla. Investigators said he had killed two people and injured two others a day earlier.

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In 1997, Turkish Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan resigned under pressure after his governing coalition lost its majority in Parliament.

In 2004, U.S. hostage Paul Johnson Jr., 49, was killed by his Saudi captors despite pleas from senior Muslim clerics.

In 2007, U.S. and European Union officials announced they would resume aid to Palestinians.

File Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI

In 2013, a suicide bomber detonated explosives at a funeral in Mardan, Pakistan. At least 34 people died and dozens of others were injured.

In 2014, Spanish King Juan Carlos abdicated the throne amid scandal, massive unemployment and regional separatism. His son was crowned King Felipe VI one day later.

In 2017, American Brooks Koepka won the U.S. Open and his first major, shooting a 5-under-par 67 in the final round at Erin Hills. He would go on to win his second straight U.S. Open on June 17, 2018.

File Photo by Brian Kersey/UPI
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