June 19: On This Day in 1978 - Garfield the Cat Premiered

June 19, 1978: This was the day that Garfield the Cat first appeared in comic strips. Everyone's favorite lasagna-loving cat was created by artist, Jim Davis, and chronicles the life of Garfield, his owner, Jon Arbuckle; and Jon's dog, Odie. Every week before June 19, the strip focuses on Garfield's birthday, which he dreads because of his fear of getting older. This started happening after his sixth birthday.

June 18: On This Day in 1983 - 1st America Woman in Space

June 18, 1983:  Dr. Sally Ride, a 32 year-old physicist and pilot, functioned as a "mission specialist" and became the first American woman in space when she began a six-day mission aboard the space shuttle Challenger. The "near-perfect" mission was launched from Cape Canaveral, FL, and landed June 24, 1983, at Edwards Air Force Base, CA.