Tidbits, June 14

Happy Flag Day! How do you pay homage to the Stars and Stripes? Though it has been celebrated in various states since the late 1800s, Flag Day has only been nationally recognized since President Woodrow Wilson's proclamation in 1916 and an act of Congress in 1949.

You may have seen, or even signed, petitions around the Quad Cities protesting the Legislature's February decision to legalize same-sex marriage. With about 247,000 signatures, Referendum 74 has been placed on the November general election ballot. The referendum will allow voters to either uphold or overturn the new law. A "yes" vote will be in support of the law; a "no" vote will count against.

According to Brian Zylstra with the Washington Secretary of State's office, 684 signatures were rejected "because the signer is not registered to vote, the signature on the petition did not match the signature on the voter registration record, or the voter signed the petition more than once." An additional 1,000 signatures were deemed "questionable" and are being investigated by the Elections Division for fraud.

If you're a supporter of same-sex marriage, a petition can be found at www.signon.org, which is affiliated with MoveOn.Org, a political action organization.

Regardless of opinion, the voter registration deadline is Oct. 8. If you'd like to vote in the August primary election, July 9 is the registration deadline.

This day in history, June 14

1775: The Continental Army was founded by the Second Continental Congress. This event is considered to be the birth of the United States Army. On June 15, George Washington was appointed commander-in-chief.

1777: During the American Revolution, the Continental Congress adopted the Stars and Stripes as the official flag of the U.S.

1834: Isaac Fischer Jr. patented sandpaper.

1893: Philadelphia observed the first Flag Day.

1922: Warren Harding became the first president to be heard on the radio.

1940: German troops entered Paris. The Nazis opened the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland.

1951: The first commercial computer, Univac I, was unveiled.

1954: President Eisenhower signed the order inserting the words "under God" into the Pledge of Allegiance.

1969: The U.S. command announced that three combat units would be withdrawn from Vietnam - a total of about 13,000 to 14,000 men. These troops were part of the first U.S. troop withdrawal.

1989: Former U.S. President Ronald Reagan received an honorary knighthood from Britain's Queen Elizabeth II.