This month in history:

June 6, 1978 By a vote of 2-to-1, California voters approved Proposition 13, an amendment to the state constitution severely limiting property tax rates.

June 10, 1652 John Hull opened the first mint in America in defiance of English colonial law. The first coin issued was the Pine Tree Shilling.

June 19, 1934 The Silver Purchase Act is passed. The act nationalized silver stocks and charged the president with increasing the Treasury's silver supply.

June 24, 1998 AT&T picked up Tele-Communications Inc. for a reported $48 billion. The deal gave AT&T cable connections to roughly 33 million homes across the United States.

A wave of toy recalls begins, stemming from the use of lead-based paint in Chinese toy factories. It leads Americans to further question the safety of Chinese imports.

The cryptic last episode of the Sopranos airs, leaving frustrated fans wondering what actually happens to Tony and questioning the sanity of the show's producers.

The iPhone debuts, featuring an innovative touchscreen interface. Consumers crowd Apple stores nationwide for a chance to pay $599 to be the first on their block to get one.