This Day in History - June 19

1775 - George Washington is commissioned by the Continental Congress as commander in chief of the Continental Army.

1865 - Union troops arrive in Galveston, Texas, with news that the Civil War is over, and that all remaining slaves in Texas are free. (The event is now celebrated as a federal holiday as Juneteenth.)

1952 - The U.S. Army Special Forces, the elite unit of fighters known as the Green Berets, is established at Fort Bragg, N.C.