June 12

1851: Sir Oliver Lodge, who perfected the radio detection coherer, was born. 1885: Fleeming Jenkin, noted for his work in establishing units of electrical measurement, died. 1908: The Rotherhithe-Stepney tunnel beneath the Thames was opened. 1916: Silvanus Thompson, authority on electricity, magnetism and acoustics, died. 1939: The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum was dedicated in Cooperstown, NY - exactly 100 years to the day on which the game was invented by Abner Doubleday. 1944: Marvin Camras received a patent for the wire voice recorder. 1979: Bryan Allen flew the Gossamer Albatross, man powered, across the English Channel. 1981: "Raiders Of The Lost Ark" premiered. 1987: President Reagan, during a visit to the divided German city of Berlin, publicly challenged Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to "tear down this wall."