On this day in conspiracies

On the night of 11 June, Morris and the two Anglins squeeze through the vent openings, leaving the dummy heads in their bunks to pass the count. Allen West cannot free his own grille in time and is left behind. The three reach the roof, climb down, cross to the water, and launch the raft. West later gives investigators much of what is known about the plan.

The Liberty's commanding officer, Captain William McGonagle, receives the Medal of Honor. Unusually for the award, it is presented not by the President at the White House but by the Secretary of the Navy at the Washington Navy Yard, a low-key ceremony that critics later cite as evidence the incident was being kept quiet.

McVeigh is executed by lethal injection at the federal penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana, the first federal execution since 1963. He goes to his death claiming sole responsibility for driving and detonating the bomb.

The Washington Post publishes a story reporting Lemoine's belief that LaMDA is sentient, including the now-famous exchange in which the system says it has “a very deep fear of being turned off.” The story goes viral worldwide.

Documented background: police in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, stop a U-Haul after a tip about people piling in 'like a little army' and arrest 31 Patriot Front members, including Rousseau, near a Pride event, finding shields, shin guards, and a smoke grenade. Several are later convicted of conspiracy to riot. The arrests, and separate leaks of the group's internal chats by the outlet Unicorn Riot, put real names and faces to the membership, undercutting any later claim that the group is a costume worn by someone else.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup opens across the United States, Canada and Mexico, the first 48-team edition and the most-watched sporting event of the year, guaranteeing an enormous, fast-moving audience for anything captioned as a tournament 'moment'.