This Day in History Quiz: June 3

Question: On June 3, 2016, this heavyweight boxer, known as “the Greatest,” died at age 74.

Answer: With a record of 56 wins and 5 losses (with 37 wins by knockout), Muhammad Ali is believed by many to be the greatest of all time for his boxing skills and his social activism. He died on June 3, 2016.

Question: Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal was born on June 3, 1986. How many Grand Slam singles titles did he win from 2005 through 2020?

Answer: From 2005 through 2020 Rafael Nadal won 20 Grand Slams; with his 20th win, in 2020, Nadal tied Roger Federer for the most Grand Slam singles titles in men’s tennis history. (Margaret Court holds the record in women’s tennis with 24 Grand Slam singles titles. She won even more doubles titles.)

Question: On June 3, 1906, this entertainer, who was awarded the Croix de Guerre and the Legion of Honour for her participation in World War II, was born in St. Louis, Missouri.

Answer: Josephine Baker, who was born on June 3, 1906, in St. Louis, Missouri, and became a French citizen in 1937, was a singer and dancer who worked with the Red Cross and the Résistance during the German occupation of France. She also worked with the Free French forces to entertain soldiers abroad. She was awarded the Croix de Guerre and the Legion of Honour.

Question: On the night of June 3, 1989, the Chinese Communist Party called in the military to put down demonstrations at which place?

Answer: What started as a student protest for economic, political, and social reform turned into a movement that the Chinese Communist Party viewed as a threat. On June 3, 1989, the military received orders to clear Tiananmen Square. The military would not reach the square until 1:15 AM the following morning, as they were harassed by citizens trying to stop them.

Question: This long-running talk show made its debut on CNN on June 3, 1985.

Answer: The talk show Larry King Live debuted on CNN on June 3, 1985, and it became hugely popular, in part because of King's easygoing interviewing style.