1. In 1964, June 12 was declared "Freedom Day" in honor of the passage of the Civil Rights Act. This legislation outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

2. On June 12, 1898, the Treaty of Paris was signed, officially ending the Spanish-American War. The treaty granted the United States control over territories including Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines.

3. In 1987, President Ronald Reagan delivered a speech at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, in which he famously implored Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to "tear down this wall!" The speech took place on June 12.

4. On June 12, 1776, the Continental Congress appointed a committee to draft a declaration of independence from Great Britain. Thomas Jefferson was the primary author of the document that would eventually be adopted on July 4.

5. June 12, 1929, marked the opening of the first drive-in movie theater in Camden, New Jersey. The concept quickly caught on across the country and become an iconic part of American popular culture.