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1859

June 24 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 1312 BC – Mursili II launches a campaign against the Kingdom of Azzi-Hayasa.
  • 217 BC – The Romans, led by Gaius Flaminius, are ambushed and defeated by Hannibal at the Battle of Lake Trasimene.
  • 109 – Roman emperor Trajan inaugurates the Aqua Traiana, an aqueduct that channels water from Lake Bracciano, 40 kilometres (25 miles) northwest of Rome.
  • 474 – Julius Nepos forces Roman usurper Glycerius to abdicate the throne and proclaims himself Emperor of the Western Roman Empire.
  • 637 – The Battle of Moira is fought between the High King of Ireland and the Kings of Ulster and Dál Riata. It is claimed to be the largest battle in the history of Ireland.
  • 972 – Battle of Cedynia, the first documented victory of Polish forces, takes place.
  • 1128 – Battle of São Mamede, near Guimarães: Forces led by Afonso I defeat forces led by his mother Teresa of León and her lover Fernando Pérez de Traba.
  • 1230 – The Siege of Jaén begins, in the context of the Spanish Reconquista.
  • 1314 – First War of Scottish Independence: The Battle of Bannockburn concludes with a decisive victory by Scottish forces led by Robert the Bruce.
  • 1340 – Hundred Years’ War: Battle of Sluys: The French fleet is almost completely destroyed by the English fleet commanded in person by King Edward III.
  • 1374 – A sudden outbreak of St. John’s Dance causes people in the streets of Aachen, Germany, to experience hallucinations and begin to jump and twitch uncontrollably until they collapse from exhaustion.
  • 1497 – John Cabot lands in North America at Newfoundland leading the first European exploration of the region since the Vikings.
  • 1509 – Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon are crowned King and Queen of England.
  • 1535 – The Dominion of Münster, a radical communal Anabaptist state in the independent German city of Münster, is conquered by Franz von Waldeck, the Catholic Prince-Bishopric of Münster in a night attack.
  • 1571 – Miguel López de Legazpi founds Manila, the capital of the Philippines.
  • 1604 – Samuel de Champlain discovers the mouth of the Saint John River, site of Reversing Falls and the present-day city of Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada.
  • 1622 – Battle of Macau: The Dutch make a failed attempt to capture Macau.
  • 1663 – The Spanish garrison of Évora capitulates, following the Portuguese victory at the Battle of Ameixial.
  • 1717 – The Premier Grand Lodge of England is founded in London, the first Masonic Grand Lodge in the world (now the United Grand Lodge of England).
  • 1762 – Battle of Wilhelmsthal: The British-Hanoverian army of Ferdinand of Brunswick defeats French forces in Westphalia.
  • 1779 – American Revolutionary War: The Great Siege of Gibraltar begins.
  • 1793 – The French Constitution of 1793 is formally adopted, although it is effectively suspended by the Committee of Public Safety.
  • 1812 – Napoleonic Wars: Napoleon’s Grande Armée crosses the Neman river beginning the invasion of Russia.
  • 1813 – Battle of Beaver Dams: A British and Indian combined force defeats the United States Army.
  • 1821 – The Battle of Carabobo takes place. It is the decisive battle in the war of independence of Venezuela from Spain.
  • 1859 – Battle of Solferino (Battle of the Three Sovereigns): Sardinia and France defeat Austria in Solferino, northern Italy.
  • 1866 – Battle of Custoza: An Austrian army defeats the Italian army during the Austro-Prussian War.
  • 1880 – First performance of O Canada at the Congrès national des Canadiens-Français. The song would later become the national anthem of Canada.
  • 1894 – Marie François Sadi Carnot is assassinated by Sante Geronimo Caserio.
  • 1902 – King Edward VII of the United Kingdom develops appendicitis, delaying his coronation.
  • 1913 – Greece and Serbia annul their alliance with Bulgaria.
  • 1916 – Mary Pickford becomes the first female film star to sign a million-dollar contract.
  • 1918 – First airmail service in Canada from Montreal to Toronto.
  • 1922 – The American Professional Football Association is renamed the National Football League.
  • 1932 – A bloodless revolution instigated by the People’s Party ends the absolute power of King Prajadhipok of Siam (now Thailand).
  • 1938 – Pieces of a meteorite land near Chicora, Pennsylvania. The meteorite is estimated to have weighed 450 metric tons when it hit the Earth’s atmosphere and exploded.
  • 1939 – Siam is renamed Thailand by Plaek Phibunsongkhram, the country’s third prime minister.
  • 1940 – World War II: Operation Collar, the first British Commando raid on occupied France, by No 11 Independent Company.
  • 1943 – US military police attempt to arrest a black soldier in Bamber Bridge, England, sparking the Battle of Bamber Bridge mutiny that leaves one dead and seven wounded.
  • 1947 – Kenneth Arnold makes the first widely reported UFO sighting near Mount Rainier, Washington, leading to the coining of the phrase “flying saucer”.
  • 1948 – Cold War: Start of the Berlin Blockade: The Soviet Union makes overland travel between West Germany and West Berlin impossible.
  • 1949 – The first television western, Hopalong Cassidy, starring William Boyd, is aired on NBC.
  • 1950 – Apartheid: In South Africa, the Group Areas Act is passed, formally segregating races.
  • 1954 – First Indochina War: Battle of Mang Yang Pass: Viet Minh troops belonging to the 803rd Regiment ambush G.M. 100 of France in An Khê.
  • 1957 – In Roth v. United States, the U.S. Supreme Court rules that obscenity is not protected by the First Amendment.
  • 1963 – The United Kingdom grants Zanzibar internal self-government.
  • 1973 – The UpStairs Lounge, a gay bar in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, is attacked by an arsonist during a church service, and 32 people die from smoke inhalation or fire.
  • 1975 – Eastern Air Lines Flight 66 encounters severe wind shear and crashes on final approach to New York’s JFK Airport killing 113 of the 124 passengers on board, making it the deadliest U.S. plane crash at the time. This accident led to decades of research into downburst and microburst phenomena and their effects on aircraft.
  • 1981 – The Humber Bridge opens to traffic, connecting Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. It remained the world’s longest bridge span for 17 years.
  • 1982 – British Airways Flight 9 flies into a cloud of volcanic ash thrown up by the eruption of Mount Galunggung, resulting in the failure of all four engines.
  • 1989 – Jiang Zemin succeeds Zhao Ziyang to become the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China after the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989.
  • 1995 – Rugby World Cup: South Africa defeats New Zealand and Nelson Mandela presents Francois Pienaar with the Webb Ellis Cup in an iconic post-apartheid moment.
  • 2002 – The Igandu train disaster in Tanzania kills 281, the worst train accident in African history.
  • 2004 – In New York, capital punishment is declared unconstitutional.
  • 2010 – At Wimbledon, John Isner of the United States defeats Nicolas Mahut of France, in the longest match in professional tennis history.
  • 2010 – Julia Gillard assumes office as the first female Prime Minister of Australia.
  • 2012 – Death of Lonesome George, the last known individual of Chelonoidis nigra abingdonii, a subspecies of the Galápagos tortoise.
  • 2013 – Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is found guilty of abusing his power and engaging in sex with an underage prostitute, and is sentenced to seven years in prison.

Births on June 24

  • 1210 – Count Floris IV of Holland (d. 1234)
  • 1244 – Henry I, Landgrave of Hesse (d. 1308)
  • 1254 – Floris V, Count of Holland (d. 1296)
  • 1257 – Robert de Vere, 6th Earl of Oxford, English nobleman (probable; d. 1331)
  • 1314 – Philippa of Hainault Queen of England (d. 1369)
  • 1322 – Joanna, Duchess of Brabant (d. 1406)
  • 1343 – Joan of Valois, Queen of Navarre (d. 1373)
  • 1360 – Nuno Álvares Pereira, Portuguese general
  • 1386 – John of Capistrano, Italian priest and saint (d. 1456)
  • 1465 – Isabella del Balzo, Queen Consort of Naples (d. 1533)
  • 1485 – Johannes Bugenhagen, Polish-German priest and reformer (d. 1558)
  • 1485 – Elizabeth of Denmark, Electress of Brandenburg (d. 1555)
  • 1499 – Johannes Brenz, German theologian and the Protestant Reformer (d. 1570)
  • 1519 – Theodore Beza, French theologian and scholar (d. 1605)
  • 1532 – Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, English politician (d. 1588)
  • 1532 – William IV, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel (d. 1573)
  • 1535 – Joanna of Austria, Princess of Portugal (d. 1573)
  • 1546 – Robert Persons, English Jesuit priest, insurrectionist, and author (d. 1610)
  • 1587 – William Arnold, English-American settler (d. 1675)
  • 1591 – Mustafa I, Ottoman sultan (d. 1639)
  • 1614 – John Belasyse, 1st Baron Belasyse
  • 1616 – Ferdinand Bol, Dutch painter, etcher and draftsman, student of Rembrandt (d. 1680)
  • 1661 – Hachisuka Tsunanori, Japanese daimyō (d. 1730)
  • 1663 – Jean Baptiste Massillon, French bishop (d. 1742)
  • 1687 – Johann Albrecht Bengel, German-Lutheran clergyman and scholar (d. 1757)
  • 1694 – Jean-Jacques Burlamaqui, Swiss author and theorist (d. 1748)
  • 1704 – Jean-Baptiste de Boyer, Marquis d’Argens, French philosopher and author (d. 1771)
  • 1753 – William Hull, American general and politician, 1st Governor of Michigan Territory (d. 1825)
  • 1755 – Anacharsis Cloots, Prussian-French activist (d. 1794)
  • 1767 – Jean-Baptiste Benoît Eyriès, French geographer and author (d. 1846)
  • 1771 – Éleuthère Irénée du Pont, French chemist and businessman, founded DuPont (d. 1834)
  • 1774 – Antonio González de Balcarce, Argentinian commander and politician, 5th Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata (d. 1819)
  • 1774 – François-Nicolas-Benoît Haxo, French general and engineer (d. 1838)
  • 1777 – John Ross, Scottish commander and explorer (d. 1856)
  • 1782 – Juan Larrea, Argentinian captain and politician (d. 1847)
  • 1783 – Johann Heinrich von Thünen, German economist and geographer (d. 1850)
  • 1784 – Juan Antonio Lavalleja, Uruguayan general and politician, President of Uruguay (d. 1853)
  • 1788 – Thomas Blanchard, American inventor (d. 1864)
  • 1795 – Ernst Heinrich Weber, German physician and psychologist (d. 1878)
  • 1797 – John Hughes, Irish-American archbishop (d. 1864)
  • 1797 – Paweł Edmund Strzelecki, Polish geologist and explorer (d. 1873)
  • 1804 – Stephan Endlicher, Austrian botanist, numismatist, and sinologist (d. 1849)
  • 1804 – Willard Richards, American religious leader (d. 1854)
  • 1811 – John Archibald Campbell, American lawyer and jurist (d. 1889)
  • 1813 – Henry Ward Beecher, American minister and reformer (d. 1887)
  • 1813 – Francis Boott, American composer (d. 1904)
  • 1821 – Guillermo Rawson, Argentinian physician and politician (d. 1890)
  • 1826 – George Goyder, English-Australian surveyor (d. 1898)
  • 1835 – Johannes Wislicenus, German chemist and academic (d. 1902)
  • 1838 – Jan Matejko, Polish painter (d. 1893)
  • 1839 – Gustavus Franklin Swift, American businessman (d. 1903)
  • 1842 – Ambrose Bierce, American short story writer, essayist, and journalist (d. 1914)
  • 1846 – Samuel Johnson, Nigerian priest and historian (d. 1901)
  • 1850 – Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener, Irish field marshal and politician, Governor-General of Sudan (d. 1916)
  • 1852 – Friedrich Loeffler, German bacteriologist and academic (d. 1915)
  • 1854 – Eleanor Norcross, American painter (d. 1923)
  • 1856 – Henry Chapman Mercer, American archaeologist and author (d. 1930)
  • 1858 – Hastings Rashdall, English historian, philosopher, and theologian (d. 1924)
  • 1865 – Robert Henri, American painter and educator (d. 1929)
  • 1867 – Ruth Randall Edström, American educator and activist (d. 1944)
  • 1869 – Prince George of Greece and Denmark (d. 1957)
  • 1872 – Frank Crowninshield, American journalist and art and theatre critic (d. 1947)
  • 1875 – Forrest Reid, Irish novelist, literary critic and translator (d. 1947)
  • 1880 – Oswald Veblen, American mathematician and academic (g. 1960)
  • 1880 – João Cândido Felisberto, Brazilian revolutionary and sailor (d. 1969)
  • 1881 – George Shiels, Irish-Canadian author, poet, and playwright (d. 1949)
  • 1882 – Athanase David, Canadian lawyer and politician (d. 1953)
  • 1882 – Carl Diem, German businessman (d. 1962)
  • 1883 – Victor Francis Hess, Austrian-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1964)
  • 1883 – Fritz Löhner-Beda, Jewish Austrian librettist, lyricist and writer (d.1942)
  • 1883 – Jean Metzinger, French artist (d. 1956)
  • 1883 – Arthur L. Newton, American runner (d. 1956)
  • 1883 – Frank Verner, American runner (d. 1966)
  • 1884 – Frank Waller, American runner (d. 1941)
  • 1885 – Olaf Holtedahl, Norwegian geologist (d. 1975)
  • 1888 – Gerrit Rietveld, Dutch architect, designed the Rietveld Schröder House (d. 1964)
  • 1893 – Roy O. Disney, American businessman, co-founded The Walt Disney Company (d. 1971)
  • 1895 – Jack Dempsey, American boxer and soldier (d. 1983)
  • 1898 – Armin Öpik, Estonian-Australian paleontologist and geologist (d. 1983)
  • 1898 – Karl Selter, Estonian politician, 14th Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia (d. 1958)
  • 1900 – Wilhelm Cauer, German mathematician and engineer (d. 1945)
  • 1901 – Marcel Mule, French saxophonist (d. 2001)
  • 1901 – Harry Partch, American composer and theorist (d. 1974)
  • 1901 – Chuck Taylor, American basketball player and salesman (d. 1969)
  • 1904 – Phil Harris, American singer-songwriter and actor (d. 1995)
  • 1905 – Fred Alderman, American sprinter (d. 1998)
  • 1906 – Pierre Fournier, French cellist and educator (d. 1986)
  • 1906 – Willard Maas, American poet and educator (d. 1971)
  • 1907 – Arseny Tarkovsky, Russian poet and translator (d. 1989)
  • 1908 – Hugo Distler, German organist, composer, and conductor (d. 1942)
  • 1908 – Alfons Rebane, Estonian colonel (d. 1976)
  • 1909 – Jean Deslauriers, Canadian violinist, composer, and conductor (d. 1978)
  • 1909 – William Penney, Baron Penney, English mathematician and physicist (d. 1991)
  • 1909 – Betty Cavanna, American author (d. 2001)
  • 1911 – Juan Manuel Fangio, Argentinian race car driver (d. 1995)
  • 1911 – Ernesto Sabato, Argentinian physicist and academic (d. 2011)
  • 1911 – Portia White, Canadian opera singer (d. 1968)
  • 1912 – Brian Johnston, English sportscaster and author (d. 1994)
  • 1912 – Mary Wesley, English author (d. 2002)
  • 1913 – Gustaaf Deloor, Belgian cyclist and soldier (d. 2002)
  • 1914 – Jan Karski, Polish-American activist and academic (d. 2000)
  • 1914 – Pearl Witherington, French secret agent (d. 2008)
  • 1915 – Fred Hoyle, English astronomer and author (d. 2001)
  • 1916 – William B. Saxbe, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 70th United States Attorney General (d. 2010)
  • 1916 – Saloua Raouda Choucair, Lebanese painter and sculptor (d. 2017)
  • 1917 – David Easton, Canadian-American political scientist and academic (d. 2014)
  • 1917 – Lucy Jarvis, American television producer (d. 2020)
  • 1917 – Ramblin’ Tommy Scott, American singer and guitarist (d. 2013)
  • 1917 – Joan Clarke, English cryptanalyst and numismatist (d. 1996)
  • 1918 – Mildred Ladner Thompson, American journalist and author (d. 2013)
  • 1918 – Yong Nyuk Lin, Singaporean businessman and politician, Singaporean Minister for Education (d. 2012)
  • 1919 – Al Molinaro, American actor (d. 2015)
  • 1921 – Gerhard Sommer, German soldier
  • 1922 – Jack Carter, American actor and comedian (d. 2015)
  • 1922 – John Postgate, English microbiologist, author, and academic (d. 2014)
  • 1922 – Richard Timberlake, American economist
  • 1923 – Margaret Olley, Australian painter and philanthropist (d. 2011)
  • 1924 – Kurt Furgler, Swiss politician, 70th President of the Swiss Confederation (d. 2008)
  • 1924 – Archie Roy, Scottish astronomer and academic (d. 2012)
  • 1924 – Yoshito Takamine, American politician (d. 2015)
  • 1925 – Ogden Reid, American politician (d. 2019)
  • 1927 – Fernand Dumont, Canadian sociologist, philosopher, and poet (d. 1997)
  • 1927 – James B. Edwards, American dentist, soldier, and politician, 3rd United States Secretary of Energy (d. 2014)
  • 1927 – Martin Lewis Perl, American physicist and engineer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2014)
  • 1929 – Carolyn S. Shoemaker, American astronomer
  • 1930 – Claude Chabrol, French actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2010)
  • 1930 – Donald Gordon, South African businessman and philanthropist (d. 2019)
  • 1930 – William Bernard Ziff, Jr., American publisher (d. 2006)
  • 1931 – Billy Casper, American golfer and architect (d. 2015)
  • 1932 – David McTaggart, Canadian-Italian environmentalist (d. 2001)
  • 1933 – Sam Jones, American basketball player and coach
  • 1933 – Ngina Kenyatta, 1st First Lady of Kenya
  • 1934 – Ferdinand Biwersi, German footballer and referee (d. 2013)
  • 1934 – Jean-Pierre Ferland, Canadian singer-songwriter
  • 1934 – Gloria Christian, Italian singer
  • 1935 – Terry Riley, American composer and educator
  • 1935 – Jean Milesi, French racing cyclist
  • 1935 – Charlie Dees, American baseball player
  • 1937 – Anita Desai, Indian-American author and academic
  • 1938 – Lawrence Block, American author
  • 1938 – Abulfaz Elchibey, 1st democratically elected Azerbaijani president (d. 2000)
  • 1938 – Ken Gray, New Zealand rugby player (d. 1992)
  • 1939 – Brigitte Fontaine, French singer
  • 1940 – Ian Ross, Australian newsreader (d. 2014)
  • 1940 – Vittorio Storaro, Italian cinematographer
  • 1941 – Erkin Koray, Turkish singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1941 – Julia Kristeva, Bulgarian-French psychoanalyst and author
  • 1941 – Graham McKenzie, Australian cricketer
  • 1942 – Arthur Brown, English rock singer-songwriter
  • 1942 – Michele Lee, American actress and singer
  • 1942 – Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle, Chilean engineer and politician, 32nd President of Chile
  • 1942 – Colin Groves, Australian academician and educator
  • 1943 – Birgit Grodal, Danish economist and academic (d. 2004)
  • 1944 – Jeff Beck, English guitarist and songwriter
  • 1944 – Kathryn Lasky, American author
  • 1944 – Chris Wood, English saxophonist (d. 1983)
  • 1945 – Colin Blunstone, English singer-songwriter
  • 1945 – Wayne Cashman, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1945 – George Pataki, American lawyer and politician, 53rd Governor of New York
  • 1945 – Betty Stöve, Dutch tennis player
  • 1946 – David Collenette, Canadian civil servant and politician, 32nd Canadian Minister of National Defence
  • 1946 – Ellison Onizuka, American colonel, engineer, and astronaut (d. 1986)
  • 1946 – Robert Reich, American economist and politician, 22nd United States Secretary of Labor
  • 1947 – Clarissa Dickson Wright, English chef, author, and television personality (d. 2014)
  • 1947 – Peter Weller, American actor and director
  • 1948 – Patrick Moraz, Swiss keyboard player and songwriter
  • 1949 – John Illsley, English singer-songwriter, bass player, and producer
  • 1949 – Betty Jackson, English fashion designer
  • 1950 – Nancy Allen, American actress
  • 1950 – Bob Carlos Clarke, Irish-born English photographer (d. 2006)
  • 1950 – Jan Kulczyk, Polish businessman (d. 2015)
  • 1950 – Mercedes Lackey, American author
  • 1951 – Raelene Boyle, Australian sprinter
  • 1951 – Charles Sturridge, English director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1952 – Dianna Melrose, English diplomat, British High Commissioner to Tanzania
  • 1952 – Bob Neill, English lawyer and politician
  • 1953 – William E. Moerner, American chemist and physicist, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1953 – Michael Tuck, Australian footballer and coach
  • 1955 – Chris Higgins, English geneticist and academic
  • 1955 – Edmund Malura, German footballer and manager
  • 1955 – Loren Roberts, American golfer
  • 1956 – Owen Paterson, English politician, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
  • 1957 – Mark Parkinson, American lawyer and politician, 45th Governor of Kansas
  • 1958 – Jean Charest, Canadian lawyer and politician, 5th Deputy Prime Minister of Canada
  • 1958 – Silvio Mondinelli, Italian mountaineer
  • 1958 – John Tortorella, American ice hockey player and coach
  • 1959 – Andy McCluskey, English singer-songwriter, bass player, and producer
  • 1960 – Elish Angiolini, Scottish lawyer, judge, and politician, Solicitor General for Scotland
  • 1960 – Siedah Garrett, American singer-songwriter and pianist
  • 1960 – Karin Pilsäter, Swedish accountant and politician
  • 1960 – Erik Poppe, Norwegian director, cinematographer, and screenwriter
  • 1961 – Dennis Danell, American singer and guitarist (d. 2000)
  • 1961 – Iain Glen, Scottish actor
  • 1961 – Bernie Nicholls, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1961 – Ralph E. Reed, Jr., American journalist and activist
  • 1961 – Curt Smith, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1963 – Yuri Kasparyan, Russian guitarist
  • 1963 – Preki, Serbian-American soccer player and coach
  • 1963 – Mike Wieringo, American author and illustrator (d. 2007)
  • 1964 – Jean-Luc Delarue, French television host and producer (d. 2012)
  • 1964 – Kathryn Parminter, Baroness Parminter, English politician
  • 1964 – Gary Suter, American ice hockey player and scout
  • 1965 – Claude Bourbonnais, Canadian race car driver
  • 1965 – Uwe Krupp, German ice hockey player and coach
  • 1965 – Richard Lumsden, English actor, writer, composer and musician
  • 1966 – Hope Sandoval, American singer-songwriter and musician
  • 1966 – Adrienne Shelly, American actress, director, and screenwriter (d. 2006)
  • 1967 – Janez Lapajne, Slovenian director and producer
  • 1967 – John Limniatis, Greek-Canadian footballer and manager
  • 1968 – Alaa Abdelnaby, Egyptian-American basketball player and sportscaster
  • 1970 – Glenn Medeiros, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1970 – Bernardo Sassetti, Portuguese pianist, composer, and educator (d. 2012)
  • 1972 – Robbie McEwen, Australian cyclist
  • 1972 – Denis Žvegelj, Slovenian rower
  • 1973 – Alexis Gauthier, French chef
  • 1973 – Jere Lehtinen, Finnish ice hockey player
  • 1974 – Dan Byles, English sailor, rower, and politician
  • 1974 – Chris Guccione, American baseball player and umpire
  • 1975 – Marek Malík, Czech ice hockey player
  • 1975 – Federico Pucciariello, Argentinian-Italian rugby player
  • 1976 – Brock Olivo, American football player and coach
  • 1977 – Dimos Dikoudis, Greek basketball player and manager
  • 1977 – Jeff Farmer, Australian footballer
  • 1978 – Luis García, Spanish footballer
  • 1978 – Pantelis Kafes, Greek footballer
  • 1978 – Shunsuke Nakamura, Japanese footballer
  • 1978 – Ariel Pink, American singer-songwriter
  • 1978 – Juan Román Riquelme, Argentinian footballer
  • 1978 – Emppu Vuorinen, Finnish guitarist and songwriter
  • 1979 – Mindy Kaling, American actress and producer
  • 1979 – Petra Němcová, Czech model and philanthropist
  • 1980 – Cicinho, Brazilian footballer
  • 1980 – Nina Dübbers, German tennis player
  • 1980 – Andrew Jones, Australian race car driver
  • 1980 – Minka Kelly, American actress
  • 1982 – Kevin Nolan, English footballer
  • 1982 – Jarret Stoll, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1983 – Rebecca Cooke, English swimmer
  • 1983 – Gianni Munari, Italian footballer
  • 1983 – Gard Nilssen, Norwegian drummer
  • 1983 – David Shillington, Australian rugby league player
  • 1984 – Andrea Raggi, Italian footballer
  • 1984 – J.J. Redick, American basketball player
  • 1984 – Johanna Welin, Swedish-born German wheelchair basketball player
  • 1985 – Diego Alves Carreira, Brazilian footballer
  • 1985 – Tom Kennedy, English footballer
  • 1985 – Ethan Klein, American YouTuber
  • 1985 – Nate Myles, Australian rugby league player
  • 1985 – Vernon Philander, South African cricketer
  • 1985 – Yukina Shirakawa, Japanese model
  • 1986 – Stuart Broad, English cricketer
  • 1986 – Phil Hughes, American baseball player
  • 1986 – Solange Knowles, American singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1987 – Simona Dobrá, Czech tennis player
  • 1987 – Lionel Messi, Argentinian footballer
  • 1987 – Pierre Vaultier, French snowboarder
  • 1988 – Micah Richards, English footballer
  • 1989 – Teklemariam Medhin, Eritrean runner
  • 1990 – Michael Del Zotto, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1990 – Richard Sukuta-Pasu, German footballer
  • 1991 – Yasmin Paige, English actress
  • 1991 – Aidan Sezer, Australian rugby league player
  • 1992 – David Alaba, Austrian footballer
  • 1996 – Duki, Argentinian rapper

Deaths on June 24

  • 994 – Abu Isa al-Warraq, Arab scholar (b. 889)
  • 1046 – Jeongjong II, Korean ruler (b. 1018)
  • 1088 – William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey, Norman nobleman
  • 1314 – Gilbert de Clare, 8th Earl of Gloucester, English commander (b. 1291)
  • 1314 – Robert de Clifford, 1st Baron de Clifford, English soldier and politician, Lord Warden of the Marches (b. 1274)
  • 1398 – Hongwu, Chinese emperor (b. 1328)
  • 1439 – Frederick IV, duke of Austria (b. 1382)
  • 1503 – Reginald Bray, English architect and politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (b. 1440)
  • 1519 – Lucrezia Borgia, Italian wife of Alfonso I d’Este, Duke of Ferrara (b. 1480)
  • 1520 – Hosokawa Sumimoto, Japanese commander (b. 1489)
  • 1604 – Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, English courtier, Lord Great Chamberlain (b. 1550)
  • 1637 – Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc, French astronomer and historian (b. 1580)
  • 1643 – John Hampden, English politician (b. 1595)
  • 1766 – Adrien Maurice de Noailles, French soldier and politician, French Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1678)
  • 1778 – Pieter Burman the Younger, Dutch philologist and academic (b. 1714)
  • 1803 – Matthew Thornton, Irish-American judge and politician (b. 1714)
  • 1817 – Thomas McKean, American lawyer and politician, 2nd Governor of Pennsylvania (b. 1734)
  • 1835 – Andreas Vokos Miaoulis, Greek admiral and politician (b. 1769)
  • 1902 – George Leake, Australian politician, 2nd Premier of Western Australia (b. 1856)
  • 1908 – Grover Cleveland, American lawyer and politician, 22nd and 24th President of the United States (b. 1837)
  • 1909 – Sarah Orne Jewett, American novelist, short story writer, and poet (b. 1849)
  • 1922 – Walther Rathenau, German businessman and politician, 7th German Minister for Foreign Affairs (b. 1867)
  • 1931 – Otto Mears, Russian-American businessman (b. 1840)
  • 1931 – Xiang Zhongfa, Chinese politician, 2nd General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (b. 1880)
  • 1932 – Ernst Põdder, Estonian general (b. 1879)
  • 1943 – Camille Roy, Canadian priest and critic (b. 1870)
  • 1946 – Louise Whitfield Carnegie, American philanthropist (b. 1857)
  • 1947 – Emil Seidel, American politician, Mayor of Milwaukee (b. 1864)
  • 1962 – Volfgangs Dārziņš, Latvian composer, pianist and music critic (b. 1906)
  • 1964 – Stuart Davis, American painter and academic (b. 1892)
  • 1968 – Tony Hancock, English actor, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1924)
  • 1969 – Frank King, American cartoonist (b. 1883)
  • 1969 – Willy Ley, German-American historian and author (b. 1906)
  • 1976 – Minor White, American photographer, critic, and academic (b. 1908)
  • 1978 – Robert Charroux, French author and critic (b. 1909)
  • 1980 – V. V. Giri, Indian lawyer and politician, 4th President of India (b. 1894)
  • 1984 – Clarence Campbell, Canadian businessman (b. 1905)
  • 1987 – Jackie Gleason, American actor, comedian, and producer (b. 1916)
  • 1988 – Csaba Kesjár, Hungarian race car driver (b. 1962)
  • 1991 – Sumner Locke Elliott, Australian-American author and playwright (b. 1917)
  • 1991 – Rufino Tamayo, Mexican painter and illustrator (b. 1899)
  • 1994 – Jean Vallerand, Canadian violinist, composer, and conductor (b. 1915)
  • 1995 – Andrew J. Transue, American politician and attorney Morissette v. United States (b. 1903)
  • 1997 – Brian Keith, American actor (b. 1921)
  • 2000 – Vera Atkins, British intelligence officer (b. 1908)
  • 2000 – David Tomlinson, English actor and comedian (b. 1917)
  • 2000 – Rodrigo Bueno, Argentine cuarteto singer (b. 1973)
  • 2002 – Pierre Werner, Luxembourgian banker and politician, 21st Prime Minister of Luxembourg (b. 1913)
  • 2004 – Ifigeneia Giannopoulou, Greek songwriter and author (b. 1957)
  • 2005 – Paul Winchell, American actor, voice artist, and ventriloquist (b. 1922)
  • 2007 – Natasja Saad, Danish rapper and reggae singer (b. 1974)
  • 2007 – Chris Benoit, Canadian wrestler (b. 1967)
  • 2007 – Derek Dougan, Northern Irish footballer and manager (b. 1938)
  • 2008 – Gerhard Ringel, Austrian mathematician and academic (b. 1919)
  • 2009 – Roméo LeBlanc, Canadian journalist and politician, 25th Governor General of Canada (b. 1927)
  • 2010 – Fred Anderson, American jazz tenor saxophonist (b. 1929)
  • 2011 – Tomislav Ivić, Croatian football coach and manager (b. 1933)
  • 2012 – Darrel Akerfelds, American baseball player and coach (b. 1962)
  • 2012 – Gad Beck, German author and educator (b. 1923)
  • 2012 – Gu Chaohao, Chinese mathematician and academic (b. 1926)
  • 2012 – Miki Roqué, Spanish footballer (b. 1988)
  • 2012 – Ann C. Scales, American lawyer, educator, and activist (b. 1952)
  • 2013 – Mick Aston, English archaeologist and academic (b. 1946)
  • 2013 – Emilio Colombo, Italian politician, 40th Prime Minister of Italy (b. 1920)
  • 2013 – Joannes Gijsen, Dutch bishop (b. 1932)
  • 2013 – William Hathaway, American lawyer and politician (b. 1924)
  • 2013 – James Martin, English-Bermudian computer scientist and author (b. 1933)
  • 2013 – Alan Myers, American drummer (b. 1955)
  • 2014 – John Clement, Canadian lawyer and politician (b. 1928)
  • 2014 – Olga Kotelko, Canadian runner and softball player (b. 1919)
  • 2014 – Ramón José Velásquez, Venezuelan journalist, lawyer, and politician, President of Venezuela (b. 1916)
  • 2014 – Eli Wallach, American actor (b. 1915)
  • 2015 – Cristiano Araújo, Brazilian singer-songwriter (b. 1986)
  • 2015 – Mario Biaggi, American police officer, politician and criminal (b. 1917)
  • 2015 – Marva Collins, American author and educator (b. 1936)
  • 2015 – Susan Ahn Cuddy, American lieutenant (b. 1915)
  • 2019 – Billy Drago, American actor (b. 1945)

Holidays and observances on June 24

  • Army Day or Battle of Carabobo Day (Venezuela)
  • Bannockburn Day (Scotland)
  • Christian feast day:
    • María Guadalupe García Zavala
    • Nativity of Saint John the Baptist
    • June 24 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Day of the Caboclo (Amazonas, Brazil)
  • Discovery Day, observed on the nearest Monday to June 24 (Newfoundland and Labrador)
  • Earliest day on which Armed Forces Day can fall, while June 30 is the latest; celebrated on the last Saturday in June. (United Kingdom)
  • Earliest day on which Inventors’ and Rationalizers’ Day can fall, while June 30 is the latest; celebrated on the last Saturday in June. (Russia)
  • Earliest day on which Mother’s Day can fall, while June 30 is the latest; celebrated on the last Sunday in June. (Kenya)
  • Earliest day on which Youth Day can fall, while Jun 30 is the latest; celebrated on the last Sunday in June. (Ukraine, Belarus)
  • Inti Raymi, a winter solstice festival and a New Year in the Andes of the Southern Hemisphere (Sacsayhuamán)
  • St John’s Day and the second day of the Midsummer celebrations (although this is not the astronomical summer solstice, see June 20) (Roman Catholic Church, Europe), and its related observances:
    • Enyovden (Bulgaria)
    • Jaanipäev (Estonia)
    • Jāņi (Latvia)
    • Jónsmessa (Iceland)
    • Midsummer Day (England)
    • Saint Jonas’ Festival or Joninės (Lithuania)
    • Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day (Quebec)
    • Sânziene (western Carpathian Mountains of Romania)
    • Wattah Wattah Festival (Philippines)
  • Fors Fortuna, ancient Roman festival to Fortuna

June 24 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

June 21 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /

This day usually marks the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and the winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere, which is the day of the year with the most hours of daylight in the Northern Hemisphere and the fewest hours of daylight in the Southern Hemisphere.

June 21 in History

  • 533 – A Byzantine expeditionary fleet under Belisarius sails from Constantinople to attack the Vandals in Africa, via Greece and Sicily (approximate date).
  • 1307 – Külüg Khan is enthroned as Khagan of the Mongols and Wuzong of the Yuan.
  • 1529 – French forces are driven out of northern Italy by Spain at the Battle of Landriano during the War of the League of Cognac.
  • 1582 – Sengoku period: Oda Nobunaga, the most powerful of the Japanese daimyōs, is forced to commit suicide by his own general Akechi Mitsuhide.
  • 1621 – Execution of 27 Czech noblemen on the Old Town Square in Prague as a consequence of the Battle of White Mountain.
  • 1734 – In Montreal in New France, a slave known by the French name of Marie-Joseph Angélique is put to death, having been convicted of setting the fire that destroyed much of the city.
  • 1749 – Halifax, Nova Scotia, is founded.
  • 1768 – James Otis Jr. offends the King and Parliament in a speech to the Massachusetts General Court.
  • 1788 – New Hampshire becomes the ninth state to ratify the Constitution of the United States.
  • 1791 – King Louis XVI of France and his immediate family begin the Flight to Varennes during the French Revolution.
  • 1798 – Irish Rebellion of 1798: The British Army defeats Irish rebels at the Battle of Vinegar Hill.
  • 1813 – Peninsular War: Wellington defeats Joseph Bonaparte at the Battle of Vitoria.
  • 1824 – Greek War of Independence: Egyptian forces capture Psara in the Aegean Sea.
  • 1826 – Maniots defeat Egyptians under Ibrahim Pasha in the Battle of Vergas.
  • 1848 – In the Wallachian Revolution, Ion Heliade Rădulescu and Christian Tell issue the Proclamation of Islaz and create a new republican government.
  • 1864 – American Civil War: The Battle of Jerusalem Plank Road begins.
  • 1898 – The United States captures Guam from Spain. The few warning shots fired by the U.S. naval vessels are misinterpreted as salutes by the Spanish garrison, which was unaware that the two nations were at war.
  • 1900 – Boxer Rebellion. China formally declares war on the United States, Britain, Germany, France and Japan, as an edict issued from the Empress Dowager Cixi.
  • 1915 – The U.S. Supreme Court hands down its decision in Guinn v. United States 238 US 347 1915, striking down Oklahoma grandfather clause legislation which had the effect of denying the right to vote to blacks.
  • 1919 – The Royal Canadian Mounted Police fire a volley into a crowd of unemployed war veterans, killing two, during the Winnipeg general strike.
  • 1919 – Admiral Ludwig von Reuter scuttles the German fleet at Scapa Flow, Orkney. The nine sailors killed are the last casualties of World War I.
  • 1929 – An agreement brokered by U.S. Ambassador Dwight Whitney Morrow ends the Cristero War in Mexico.
  • 1930 – One-year conscription comes into force in France.
  • 1940 – World War II: Italy begins an unsuccessful invasion of France.
  • 1942 – World War II: Tobruk falls to Italian and German forces.
  • 1942 – World War II: A Japanese submarine surfaces near the Columbia River in Oregon, firing 17 shells at Fort Stevens in one of only a handful of attacks by Japan against the United States mainland.
  • 1945 – World War II: The Battle of Okinawa ends when the organized resistance of Imperial Japanese Army forces collapses in the Mabuni area on the southern tip of the main island.
  • 1952 – The Philippine School of Commerce, through a republic act, is converted to Philippine College of Commerce, later to be the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.
  • 1957 – Ellen Fairclough is sworn in as Canada’s first female Cabinet Minister.
  • 1963 – Cardinal Giovanni Battista Montini is elected as Pope Paul VI.
  • 1964 – Three civil rights workers, Andrew Goodman, James Chaney and Michael Schwerner, are murdered in Neshoba County, Mississippi, United States, by members of the Ku Klux Klan.
  • 1970 – Penn Central declares Section 77 bankruptcy in what was the largest U.S. corporate bankruptcy to date.
  • 1973 – In its decision in Miller v. California, 413 U.S. 15, the Supreme Court of the United States establishes the Miller test for determining whether something is obscene and not protected speech under the U.S. constitution.
  • 1978 – The original production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical, Evita, based on the life of Eva Perón, opens at the Prince Edward Theatre, London.
  • 1982 – John Hinckley is found not guilty by reason of insanity for the attempted assassination of U.S. President Ronald Reagan.
  • 1989 – The U.S. Supreme Court rules in Texas v. Johnson, 491 U.S. 397, that American flag-burning is a form of political protest protected by the First Amendment.
  • 2000 – Section 28 (of the Local Government Act 1988), outlawing the ‘promotion’ of homosexuality in the United Kingdom, is repealed in Scotland with a 99 to 17 vote.
  • 2001 – A federal grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia, indicts 13 Saudis and a Lebanese in the 1996 bombing of the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia that killed 19 American servicemen.
  • 2004 – SpaceShipOne becomes the first privately funded spaceplane to achieve spaceflight.
  • 2005 – Edgar Ray Killen, who had previously been unsuccessfully tried for the murders of James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Mickey Schwerner, is convicted of manslaughter 41 years afterwards (the case had been reopened in 2004).
  • 2006 – Pluto’s newly discovered moons are officially named Nix and Hydra.
  • 2009 – Greenland assumes self-rule.
  • 2012 – A boat carrying more than 200 migrants capsizes in the Indian Ocean between the Indonesian island of Java and Christmas Island, killing 17 people and leaving 70 others missing.

Births on June 21

  • 598 – Pope Martin I (d. 656)
  • 906 – Abu Ja’far Ahmad ibn Muhammad, Saffarid emir (d. 963)
  • 1002 – Pope Leo IX (d. 1054)
  • 1226 – Bolesław V the Chaste of Poland (d. 1279)
  • 1521 – John II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Haderslev (d. 1580)
  • 1528 – Maria of Austria, Holy Roman Empress (d. 1603)
  • 1535 – Leonhard Rauwolf, German physician and botanist (d. 1596)
  • 1630 – Samuel Oppenheimer, German Jewish banker and diplomat (d. 1703)
  • 1636 – Godefroy Maurice de La Tour d’Auvergne, Duke of Bouillon, French noble (d. 1721)
  • 1639 – Increase Mather, American minister and author (d. 1723)
  • 1676 – Anthony Collins, English philosopher and author (d. 1729)
  • 1706 – John Dollond, English optician and astronomer (d. 1761)
  • 1710 – James Short, Scottish-English mathematician and optician (d. 1768)
  • 1712 – Luc Urbain de Bouëxic, comte de Guichen, French admiral (d. 1790)
  • 1730 – Motoori Norinaga, Japanese poet and scholar (d. 1801)
  • 1732 – Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach, German pianist and composer (d. 1791)
  • 1736 – Enoch Poor, American general (d. 1780)
  • 1741 – Prince Benedetto, Duke of Chablais (d. 1808)
  • 1750 – Pierre-Nicolas Beauvallet, French sculptor and illustrator (d. 1818)
  • 1759 – Alexander J. Dallas, American lawyer and politician, 6th United States Secretary of the Treasury (d. 1817)
  • 1763 – Pierre Paul Royer-Collard, French philosopher and academic (d. 1845)
  • 1764 – Sidney Smith, English admiral and politician (d. 1840)
  • 1774 – Daniel D. Tompkins, American lawyer and politician, 6th Vice President of the United States (d. 1825)
  • 1781 – Siméon Denis Poisson, French mathematician and physicist (d. 1840)
  • 1786 – Charles Edward Horn, English singer-songwriter (d. 1849)
  • 1792 – Ferdinand Christian Baur, German theologian and scholar (d. 1860)
  • 1797 – Wilhelm Küchelbecker, Russian poet and author (d. 1846)
  • 1802 – Karl Zittel, German theologian (d. 1871)
  • 1805 – Karl Friedrich Curschmann, German composer and singer (d. 1841)
  • 1805 – Charles Thomas Jackson, American physician and geologist (d. 1880)
  • 1811 – Carlo Matteucci, Italian physicist and neurophysiologist (d. 1868)
  • 1814 – Anton Nuhn, German anatomist and academic (d. 1889)
  • 1823 – Jean Chacornac, French astronomer (d. 1873)
  • 1825 – Thomas Edward Cliffe Leslie, Irish economist and jurist (d. 1882)
  • 1825 – William Stubbs, English bishop and historian (d. 1901)
  • 1828 – Ferdinand André Fouqué, French geologist and academic (d. 1904)
  • 1828 – Nikolaus Nilles, German Catholic writer and teacher (d. 1907)
  • 1834 – Frans de Cort, Flemish poet and author (d. 1878)
  • 1836 – Luigi Tripepi, Italian theologian (d. 1906)
  • 1839 – Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis, Brazilian author, poet, and playwright (d. 1908)
  • 1845 – Samuel Griffith, Welsh-Australian politician, 9th Premier of Queensland (d. 1920)
  • 1845 – Arthur Cowper Ranyard, English astrophysicist and astronomer (d. 1894)
  • 1846 – Marion Adams-Acton, Scottish-English author and playwright (d. 1928)
  • 1846 – Enrico Coleman, Italian painter (d. 1911)
  • 1850 – Daniel Carter Beard, American author and illustrator, co-founded the Boy Scouts of America (d. 1941)
  • 1858 – Giuseppe De Sanctis, Italian painter (d. 1924)
  • 1858 – Medardo Rosso, Italian sculptor and educator (d. 1928)
  • 1859 – Henry Ossawa Tanner, American-French painter and illustrator (d. 1937)
  • 1862 – Damrong Rajanubhab, Thai historian and author (d. 1943)
  • 1863 – Max Wolf, German astronomer and academic (d. 1932)
  • 1864 – Heinrich Wölfflin, Swiss historian and critic (d. 1945)
  • 1867 – Oscar Florianus Bluemner, German-American painter and illustrator (d. 1938)
  • 1867 – William Brede Kristensen, Norwegian historian of religion (d. 1953)
  • 1868 – Edwin Stephen Goodrich, English zoologist and anatomist (d. 1946)
  • 1870 – Clara Immerwahr, Jewish-German chemist and academic (d. 1915)
  • 1870 – Anthony Michell, English-Australian engineer (d. 1959)
  • 1870 – Julio Ruelas, Mexican painter (d. 1907)
  • 1876 – Swami Kalyan Dev, philosopher  (d. 2004)
  • 1876 – Willem Hendrik Keesom, Dutch physicist and academic (d. 1956)
  • 1880 – Arnold Gesell, American psychologist and pediatrician (d. 1961)
  • 1880 – Josiah Stamp, 1st Baron Stamp, English economist and civil servant (d. 1941)
  • 1881 – (O.S.) Natalia Goncharova, Russian painter, costume designer, and illustrator (d. 1962)
  • 1882 – Lluís Companys, Spanish lawyer and politician, 123rd President of Catalonia (d. 1940)
  • 1882 – Adrianus de Jong, Dutch fencer and soldier (d. 1966)
  • 1882 – Rockwell Kent, American painter and illustrator (d. 1971)
  • 1883 – Feodor Gladkov, Russian author and educator (d. 1958)
  • 1884 – Claude Auchinleck, English field marshal (d. 1981)
  • 1887 – Norman L. Bowen, Canadian geologist and petrologist (d. 1956)
  • 1889 – Ralph Craig, American sprinter and sailor (d. 1972)
  • 1891 – Pier Luigi Nervi, Italian architect and engineer, co-designed the Pirelli Tower and Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption (d. 1979)
  • 1891 – Hermann Scherchen, German-Swiss viola player and conductor (d. 1966)
  • 1892 – Reinhold Niebuhr, American theologian and academic (d. 1971)
  • 1893 – Alois Hába, Czech composer and educator (d. 1973)
  • 1894 – Milward Kennedy, English journalist and civil servant (d. 1968)
  • 1896 – Charles Momsen, American admiral, invented the Momsen lung (d. 1967)
  • 1898 – Donald C. Peattie, American botanist and author (d. 1964)
  • 1899 – Pavel Haas, Czech composer (d. 1944)
  • 1903 – Hermann Engelhard, German runner and coach (d. 1984)
  • 1903 – Al Hirschfeld, American caricaturist, painter and illustrator (d. 2003)
  • 1905 – Jacques Goddet, French journalist (d. 2000)
  • 1905 – Jean-Paul Sartre, French philosopher and author (d. 1980)
  • 1908 – William Frankena, American philosopher and academic (d. 1994)
  • 1910 – Aleksandr Tvardovsky, Russian poet and author (d. 1971)
  • 1911 – Irving Fein, American producer and manager (d. 2012)
  • 1912 – Kazimierz Leski, Polish pilot and engineer (d. 2000)
  • 1912 – Mary McCarthy, American novelist and critic (d. 1989)
  • 1912 – Vishnu Prabhakar, Indian author and playwright (d. 2009)
  • 1913 – Madihe Pannaseeha Thero, Sri Lankan monk and scholar (d. 2003)
  • 1913 – Luis Taruc, Filipino political activist (d. 2005)
  • 1914 – William Vickrey, Canadian-American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1996)
  • 1915 – Wilhelm Gliese, German soldier and astronomer (d. 1993)
  • 1916 – Joseph Cyril Bamford, English businessman, founded J. C. Bamford (d. 2001)
  • 1916 – Tchan Fou-li, Chinese photographer (d. 2018)
  • 1916 – Herbert Friedman, American physicist and astronomer (d. 2000)
  • 1916 – Buddy O’Connor, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1977)
  • 1918 – Robert A. Boyd, Canadian engineer (d. 2006)
  • 1918 – James Joll, English historian, author, and academic (d. 1994)
  • 1918 – Eddie Lopat, American baseball player, coach, and manager (d. 1992)
  • 1918 – Dee Molenaar, American mountaineer (d. 2020)
  • 1918 – Robert Roosa, American economist and banker (d. 1993)
  • 1918 – Tibor Szele, Hungarian mathematician and academic (d. 1955)
  • 1918 – Josephine Webb, American engineer
  • 1919 – Antonia Mesina, Italian martyr and saint (d. 1935)
  • 1919 – Gérard Pelletier, Canadian journalist and politician (d. 1997)
  • 1919 – Vladimir Simagin, Russian chess player and coach (d. 1968)
  • 1919 – Paolo Soleri, Italian-American architect, designed the Cosanti (d. 2013)
  • 1920 – Hans Gerschwiler, Swiss figure skater (d. 2017)
  • 1921 – Judy Holliday, American actress and singer (d. 1965)
  • 1921 – Jane Russell, American actress and singer (d. 2011)
  • 1921 – William Edwin Self, American actor, producer, and production manager (d. 2010)
  • 1922 – Joseph Ki-Zerbo, Burkinabé historian, politician and writer (d. 2006)
  • 1923 – Jacques Hébert, Canadian journalist and politician (d. 2007)
  • 1924 – Pontus Hultén, Swedish art collector and historian (d. 2006)
  • 1924 – Ezzatolah Entezami, Iranian actor (d. 2018)
  • 1924 – Wally Fawkes, British-Canadian jazz clarinetist and a satirical cartoonist
  • 1924 – Jean Laplanche, French psychoanalyst and academic (d. 2012)
  • 1925 – Larisa Avdeyeva, Russian mezzo-soprano (d. 2013)
  • 1925 – Stanley Moss, American poet, publisher, and art dealer
  • 1925 – Giovanni Spadolini, Italian journalist and politician, 45th Prime Minister of Italy (d. 1994)
  • 1925 – Maureen Stapleton, American actress (d. 2006)
  • 1926 – Fred Cone, American football player
  • 1926 – Conrad Hall, French-American cinematographer (d. 2003)
  • 1927 – Carl Stokes, American lawyer, politician, and diplomat, United States Ambassador to Seychelles (d. 1996)
  • 1928 – Wolfgang Haken, German-American mathematician and academic
  • 1928 – Fiorella Mari, Brazilian-Italian actress
  • 1928 – Margit Bara, Hungarian actress (d. 2016)
  • 1929 – Alexandre Lagoya, Egyptian-Greek guitarist and composer (d. 1999)
  • 1930 – Gerald Kaufman, English journalist and politician, Shadow Foreign Secretary (d. 2017)
  • 1930 – Mike McCormack, American football player and coach (d. 2013)
  • 1931 – Zlatko Grgić, Croatian-Canadian animator, director, and screenwriter (d. 1988)
  • 1931 – Margaret Heckler, American journalist, lawyer, and politician, 15th United States Secretary of Health and Human Services
  • 1931 – David Kushnir, Israeli Olympic long-jumper
  • 1932 – Bernard Ingham, English journalist and civil servant
  • 1932 – Lalo Schifrin, Argentinian pianist, composer, and conductor
  • 1932 – O.C. Smith, American R&B/jazz singer (d. 2001)
  • 1933 – Bernie Kopell, American actor and comedian
  • 1935 – Françoise Sagan, French author and playwright (d. 2004)
  • 1937 – John Edrich, English cricketer and coach
  • 1938 – Don Black, English songwriter
  • 1938 – John W. Dower, American historian and author
  • 1938 – Michael M. Richter, German mathematician and computer scientist
  • 1940 – Mariette Hartley, American actress and television personality
  • 1940 – Michael Ruse, Canadian philosopher and academic
  • 1941 – Aloysius Paul D’Souza, Indian bishop
  • 1941 – Joe Flaherty, American-Canadian actor, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1941 – Lyman Ward, Canadian actor
  • 1942 – Clive Brooke, Baron Brooke of Alverthorpe, English businessman and politician
  • 1942 – Marjorie Margolies, American journalist and politician
  • 1942 – Henry S. Taylor, American author and poet
  • 1942 – Togo D. West, Jr., American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 3rd United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs
  • 1943 – Eumir Deodato, Brazilian pianist, composer, and producer
  • 1943 – Diane Marleau, Canadian accountant and politician, Canadian Minister of Health (d. 2013)
  • 1943 – Brian Sternberg, American pole vaulter (d. 2013)
  • 1944 – Ray Davies, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1944 – Tony Scott, English-American director and producer (d. 2012)
  • 1945 – Robert Dewar, English-American computer scientist and academic (d. 2015)
  • 1945 – Adam Zagajewski, Polish author and poet
  • 1946 – Per Eklund, Swedish race car driver
  • 1946 – Kate Hoey, Northern Irish-British academic and politician, Minister for Sport and the Olympics
  • 1946 – Brenda Holloway, American singer-songwriter
  • 1946 – Trond Kirkvaag, Norwegian actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2007)
  • 1946 – Malcolm Rifkind, Scottish lawyer and politician, Secretary of State for Scotland
  • 1946 – Maurice Saatchi, Baron Saatchi, Iraqi-British businessman, founded M&C Saatchi and Saatchi & Saatchi
  • 1947 – Meredith Baxter, American actress
  • 1947 – Shirin Ebadi, Iranian lawyer, judge, and activist, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1947 – Michael Gross, American actor
  • 1947 – Joey Molland, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1947 – Wade Phillips, American football coach
  • 1947 – Fernando Savater, Spanish philosopher and author
  • 1948 – Jovan Aćimović, Serbian footballer and manager
  • 1948 – Ian McEwan, British novelist and screenwriter
  • 1948 – Andrzej Sapkowski, Polish author and translator
  • 1948 – Philippe Sarde, French composer and conductor
  • 1949 – John Agard, Guyanese-English author, poet, and playwright
  • 1949 – Derek Emslie, Lord Kingarth, Scottish lawyer and judge
  • 1950 – Anne Carson, Canadian poet and academic
  • 1950 – Joey Kramer, American rock drummer and songwriter (Aerosmith)
  • 1950 – Enn Reitel, Scottish actor and screenwriter
  • 1950 – Trygve Thue, Norwegian guitarist and record producer
  • 1950 – John Paul Young, Scottish-Australian singer-songwriter
  • 1951 – Jim Douglas, American academic and politician, 80th Governor of Vermont
  • 1951 – Terence Etherton, English lawyer and judge
  • 1951 – Alan Hudson, English footballer
  • 1951 – Nils Lofgren, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1951 – Lenore Manderson, Australian anthropologist and academic
  • 1951 – Mona-Lisa Pursiainen, Finnish sprinter (d. 2000)
  • 1952 – Judith Bingham, English singer-songwriter
  • 1952 – Jeremy Coney, New Zealand cricketer and sportscaster
  • 1952 – Patrick Dunleavy, English political scientist and academic
  • 1952 – Kōichi Mashimo, Japanese director and screenwriter
  • 1953 – Benazir Bhutto, Pakistani financier and politician, 11th Prime Minister of Pakistan (d. 2007)
  • 1954 – Már Guðmundsson, Icelandic economist, former Governor of Central Bank of Iceland
  • 1954 – Mark Kimmitt, American general and politician, 16th Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs
  • 1954 – Robert Menasse, Austrian author and academic
  • 1955 – Tim Bray, Canadian software developer and businessman
  • 1955 – Michel Platini, French footballer and manager
  • 1956 – Rick Sutcliffe, American baseball player and broadcaster
  • 1957 – Berkeley Breathed, American author and illustrator
  • 1957 – Luis Antonio Tagle, Filipino cardinal
  • 1958 – Víctor Montoya, Bolivian journalist and author
  • 1958 – Gennady Padalka, Russian colonel, pilot, and astronaut
  • 1959 – John Baron, English captain and politician
  • 1959 – Tom Chambers, American basketball player and sportscaster
  • 1959 – Marcella Detroit, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1959 – Kathy Mattea, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1960 – Kate Brown, American politician, 38th Governor of Oregon
  • 1960 – Karl Erjavec, Slovenian politician
  • 1961 – Manu Chao, French singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1961 – Sascha Konietzko, German keyboard player and producer
  • 1961 – Joko Widodo, Indonesian businessman and politician, 7th President of Indonesia
  • 1961 – Kip Winger, American rock singer-songwriter and musician
  • 1961 – Iztok Mlakar, Slovenian actor and singer-songwriter
  • 1962 – Shōhei Takada, Japanese shogi player and theoretician
  • 1962 – Viktor Tsoi, Russian singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1990)
  • 1963 – Dario Marianelli, Italian pianist and composer
  • 1963 – Mike Sherrard, American football player
  • 1964 – David Morrissey, English actor and director
  • 1964 – Dimitris Papaioannou, Greek director and choreographer
  • 1964 – Dean Saunders, Welsh footballer and manager
  • 1964 – Doug Savant, American actor
  • 1965 – David Beerling, English biologist and academic
  • 1965 – Yang Liwei, Chinese general, pilot, and astronaut
  • 1965 – Ewen McKenzie, Australian rugby player and coach
  • 1965 – Lana Wachowski, American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1966 – Gretchen Carlson, American model and television journalist, Miss America 1989
  • 1967 – Jim Breuer, American comedian, actor, and producer
  • 1967 – Derrick Coleman, American basketball player and sportscaster
  • 1967 – Pierre Omidyar, French-American businessman, founded eBay
  • 1967 – Carrie Preston, American actress, director, and producer
  • 1967 – Yingluck Shinawatra, Thai businesswoman and politician, 28th Prime Minister of Thailand
  • 1968 – Sonique, English singer-songwriter and DJ
  • 1970 – Eric Reed, American pianist and composer
  • 1971 – Tyronne Drakeford, American football player
  • 1972 – Nobuharu Asahara, Japanese sprinter and long jumper
  • 1972 – Neil Doak, Northern Irish cricketer and rugby player
  • 1972 – Irene van Dyk, South African-New Zealand netball player
  • 1973 – Juliette Lewis, American actress and singer-songwriter
  • 1973 – John Mitchell, English guitarist, vocalist and songwriter
  • 1974 – Rob Kelly, American football player
  • 1974 – Craig Lowndes, Australian race car driver
  • 1974 – Flavio Roma, Italian footballer
  • 1975 – Brian Simmons, American football player
  • 1976 – Shelley Craft, Australian television host
  • 1976 – Mike Einziger, American guitarist and songwriter
  • 1976 – Nigel Lappin, Australian footballer and coach
  • 1977 – Michael Gomez, Irish boxer
  • 1977 – Al Wilson, American football player
  • 1978 – Thomas Blondeau, Flemish writer (d. 2013)
  • 1978 – Matt Kuchar, American golfer
  • 1978 – Cristiano Lupatelli, Italian footballer
  • 1978 – Gervase Markham, British software engineer (d. 2018)
  • 1978 – Dejan Ognjanović, Montenegrin footballer
  • 1978 – Rim’K, French rapper
  • 1979 – Kostas Katsouranis, Greek footballer
  • 1979 – Chris Pratt, American actor
  • 1980 – Michael Crocker, Australian rugby league player and sportscaster
  • 1980 – Łukasz Cyborowski, Polish chess player
  • 1980 – Richard Jefferson, American basketball player
  • 1980 – Sendy Rleal, Dominican baseball player
  • 1981 – Yann Danis, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1981 – Garrett Jones, American baseball player
  • 1981 – Brandon Flowers, American singer-songwriter
  • 1981 – Brad Walker, American pole vaulter
  • 1982 – Lee Dae-ho, South Korean baseball player
  • 1982 – Prince William, Duke of Cambridge
  • 1982 – Jussie Smollett, American actor and singer
  • 1983 – Edward Snowden, American activist and academic
  • 1985 – Lana Del Rey, American singer-songwriter
  • 1985 – Sentayehu Ejigu, Ethiopian runner
  • 1985 – Byron Schammer, Australian footballer
  • 1986 – Kathleen O’Kelly-Kennedy, Australian wheelchair basketball player
  • 1986 – Hideaki Wakui, Japanese baseball player
  • 1987 – Pablo Barrera, Mexican footballer
  • 1987 – Sebastian Prödl, Austrian footballer
  • 1987 – Dale Thomas, Australian footballer
  • 1988 – Allyssa DeHaan, American basketball and volleyball player
  • 1988 – Paolo Tornaghi, Italian footballer
  • 1988 – Thaddeus Young, American basketball player
  • 1989 – Abubaker Kaki, Sudanese runner
  • 1990 – Ričardas Berankis, Lithuanian tennis player
  • 1990 – Lunar C, English rapper
  • 1990 – François Moubandje, Swiss footballer
  • 1990 – Håvard Nordtveit, Norwegian footballer
  • 1991 – Gaël Kakuta, French footballer
  • 1992 – MAX, American singer, songwriter, actor, dancer and model
  • 1994 – Başak Eraydın, Turkish tennis player
  • 1996 – Tyrone May, Australian rugby league player
  • 1997 – Rebecca Black, American singer-songwriter
  • 1997 – Derrius Guice, American football player
  • 2011 – Lil Bub, American celebrity cat

Deaths on June 21

  • 532 – Emperor Jiemin of Northern Wei, former Northern Wei emperor
  • 866 – Rodulf, Frankish archbishop
  • 868 – Ali al-Hadi, the tenth Imam of Shia Islam (b. 829)
  • 870 – Al-Muhtadi, Muslim caliph
  • 947 – Zhang Li, official of the Liao Dynasty
  • 1040 – Fulk III, Count of Anjou (b. 972)
  • 1171 – Walter de Luci, French-English monk (b. 1103)
  • 1208 – Philip of Swabia (b. 1177)
  • 1305 – Wenceslaus II of Bohemia (b. 1271)
  • 1359 – Erik Magnusson, king of Sweden (b. 1339)
  • 1377 – Edward III of England (b. 1312)
  • 1421 – Jean Le Maingre, French general (b. 1366)
  • 1527 – Niccolò Machiavelli, Italian historian and author (b. 1469)
  • 1529 – John Skelton, English poet and educator (b. 1460)
  • 1547 – Sebastiano del Piombo, Italian painter and educator (b. 1485)
  • 1558 – Piero Strozzi, Italian general (b. 1510)
  • 1582 – Oda Nobunaga, Japanese warlord (b. 1534)
  • 1585 – Henry Percy, 8th Earl of Northumberland (b. 1532)
  • 1591 – Aloysius Gonzaga, Italian saint (b. 1568)
  • 1596 – Jean Liebault, French agronomist and physician (b. 1535)
  • 1621 – Louis III, Cardinal of Guise (b. 1575)
  • 1621 – Kryštof Harant, Czech soldier and composer (b. 1564)
  • 1622 – Salomon Schweigger, German theologian (b. 1551)
  • 1631 – John Smith, English admiral and explorer (b. 1580)
  • 1652 – Inigo Jones, English architect, designed the Queen’s House and Wilton House (b. 1573)
  • 1661 – Andrea Sacchi, Italian painter (b. 1599)
  • 1737 – Matthieu Marais, French author, critic, and jurist (b. 1664)
  • 1738 – Charles Townshend, 2nd Viscount Townshend, English politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (b. 1674)
  • 1796 – Richard Gridley, American soldier and engineer (b. 1710)
  • 1824 – Étienne Aignan, French playwright and translator (b. 1773)
  • 1865 – Frances Adeline Seward, American wife of William H. Seward (b. 1824)
  • 1874 – Anders Jonas Ångström, Swedish physicist and astronomer (b. 1814)
  • 1876 – Antonio López de Santa Anna, Mexican general and politician 8th President of Mexico (b. 1794)
  • 1880 – Theophilus H. Holmes, American general (b. 1804)
  • 1893 – Leland Stanford, American businessman and politician, 8th Governor of California (b. 1824)
  • 1908 – Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Russian composer and educator (b. 1844)
  • 1914 – Bertha von Suttner, Austrian journalist and author, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1843)
  • 1929 – Leonard Trelawny Hobhouse, English sociologist, journalist, and academic (b. 1864)
  • 1934 – Thorne Smith, American author (b. 1892)
  • 1940 – Smedley Butler, American general, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1881)
  • 1940 – Édouard Vuillard, French painter (b. 1868)
  • 1951 – Charles Dillon Perrine, American astronomer (b. 1867)
  • 1951 – Gustave Sandras, French gymnast (b. 1872)
  • 1952 – Wop May, Canadian captain and pilot (b. 1896)
  • 1954 – Gideon Sundback, Swedish-American engineer, developed the zipper (b. 1880)
  • 1957 – Claude Farrère, French captain and author (b. 1876)
  • 1957 – Johannes Stark, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1874)
  • 1964 – James Chaney, American civil rights activist (b. 1943)
  • 1964 – Andrew Goodman, American civil rights activist (b. 1943)
  • 1964 – Michael Schwerner, American civil rights activist (b. 1939)
  • 1967 – Theodore Sizer, American professor of the history of art (b. 1892)
  • 1969 – Maureen Connolly, American tennis player (b. 1934)
  • 1970 – Sukarno, Indonesian engineer and politician, 1st President of Indonesia (b. 1901)
  • 1970 – Piers Courage, English race car driver (b. 1942)
  • 1976 – Margaret Herrick, American librarian (b. 1902)
  • 1980 – Bert Kaempfert, German conductor and composer (b. 1923)
  • 1981 – Don Figlozzi, American illustrator and animator (b. 1909)
  • 1985 – Hector Boyardee, Italian-American chef and businessman, founded Chef Boyardee (b. 1897)
  • 1985 – Tage Erlander, Swedish lieutenant and politician, 25th Prime Minister of Sweden (b. 1901)
  • 1986 – Assi Rahbani, Lebanese singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1923)
  • 1987 – Madman Muntz, American engineer and businessman, founded the Muntz Car Company (b. 1914)
  • 1988 – Bobby Dodd, American football coach (b. 1908)
  • 1990 – Cedric Belfrage, English journalist and author, co-founded the National Guardian (b. 1904)
  • 1990 – June Christy, American singer (b. 1925)
  • 1992 – Ben Alexander, Australian rugby league player (b. 1971)
  • 1992 – Arthur Gorrie, Australian hobby shop proprietor (b. 1922)
  • 1992 – Rudra Mohammad Shahidullah, Bangladeshi poet, author, and playwright (b. 1956)
  • 1992 – Li Xiannian, Chinese captain and politician, 3rd President of the People’s Republic of China (b. 1909)
  • 1994 – William Wilson Morgan, American astronomer and astrophysicist (b. 1906)
  • 1997 – Shintaro Katsu, Japanese actor, singer, director, and producer (b. 1931)
  • 1997 – Fidel Velázquez Sánchez, Mexican trade union leader (b. 1900)
  • 1998 – Harry Cranbrook Allen, English historian (b. 1917)
  • 1998 – Anastasio Ballestrero, Italian cardinal (b. 1913)
  • 1998 – Al Campanis, American baseball player and manager (b. 1916)
  • 1999 – Kami, Japanese drummer (b. 1973)
  • 2000 – Alan Hovhaness, Armenian-American pianist and composer (b. 1911)
  • 2001 – John Lee Hooker, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1917)
  • 2001 – Soad Hosny, Egyptian actress and singer (b. 1942)
  • 2001 – Carroll O’Connor, American actor and producer (b. 1924)
  • 2002 – Timothy Findley, Canadian author and playwright (b. 1930)
  • 2003 – Roger Neilson, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1934)
  • 2003 – Leon Uris, American soldier and author (b. 1924)
  • 2004 – Leonel Brizola, Brazilian engineer and politician, Governor of Rio de Janeiro (b. 1922)
  • 2004 – Ruth Leach Amonette, American businesswoman (b. 1916)
  • 2005 – Jaime Sin, Filipino cardinal (b. 1928)
  • 2006 – Jared C. Monti, American sergeant, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1975)
  • 2007 – Bob Evans, American businessman, founded Bob Evans Restaurants (b. 1918)
  • 2008 – Scott Kalitta, American race car driver (b. 1962)
  • 2010 – Russell Ash, English author (b. 1946)
  • 2010 – Irwin Barker, Canadian actor and screenwriter (b. 1956)
  • 2010 – İlhan Selçuk, Turkish lawyer, journalist, and author (b. 1925)
  • 2011 – Robert Kroetsch, Canadian author and poet (b. 1927)
  • 2012 – Richard Adler, American composer and producer (b. 1921)
  • 2012 – Abid Hussain, Indian economist and diplomat, Indian Ambassador to the United States (b. 1926)
  • 2012 – Sunil Janah, Indian photographer and journalist (b. 1918)
  • 2012 – Anna Schwartz, American economist and author (b. 1915)
  • 2013 – James P. Gordon, American physicist and academic (b. 1928)
  • 2013 – Elliott Reid, American actor and screenwriter (b. 1920)
  • 2014 – Yozo Ishikawa, Japanese politician, Japanese Minister of Defense (b. 1925)
  • 2014 – Walter Kieber, Austrian-Liechtenstein politician, 7th Prime Minister of Liechtenstein (b. 1931)
  • 2014 – Wong Ho Leng, Malaysian lawyer and politician (b. 1959)
  • 2015 – Darryl Hamilton, American baseball player and sportscaster (b. 1964)
  • 2015 – Veijo Meri, Finnish author and poet (b. 1928)
  • 2015 – Remo Remotti, Italian actor, playwright, and poet (b. 1924)
  • 2015 – Alexander Schalck-Golodkowski, German soldier and politician (b. 1932)
  • 2015 – Gunther Schuller, American horn player, composer, and conductor (b. 1925)
  • 2016 – Pierre Lalonde, Canadian television host and singer (b. 1941)
  • 2018 – Charles Krauthammer, American columnist and conservative political commentator (b.1950)

Holidays and observances on June 21

  • Christian feast day:
    • Alban of Mainz
    • Aloysius Gonzaga
    • Engelmund of Velsen
    • Martin of Tongres
    • Onesimos Nesib (Lutheran)
    • June 21 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Day of the Martyrs (Togo)
  • Father’s Day (Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Uganda, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates)
  • Go Skateboarding Day
  • International Yoga Day (international)
  • National Aboriginal Day (Canada)
  • Solstice-related observances (see also June 20):
    • Day of Private Reflection
    • International Surfing Day
    • National Day (Greenland)
    • We Tripantu, a winter solstice festival in the southern hemisphere. (Mapuche, southern Chile)
    • Willkakuti, an Andean-Amazonic New Year (Aymara)
    • Fête de la Musique
  • World Humanist Day (Humanism)
  • World Hydrography Day (international)

June 21 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

June 20 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /

In the Northern Hemisphere, the Summer solstice sometimes occurs on this date, while the Winter solstice occurs in the Southern Hemisphere.

  • 451 – Battle of Chalons: Flavius Aetius’ battles Attila the Hun. After the battle, which was inconclusive, Attila retreats, causing the Romans to interpret it as a victory.
  • 1180 – First Battle of Uji, starting the Genpei War in Japan.
  • 1620 – The Battle of Höchst takes place during the Thirty Years’ War.
  • 1631 – The Sack of Baltimore: The Irish village of Baltimore is attacked by Algerian pirates.
  • 1652 – Tarhoncu Ahmed Pasha is appointed Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire.
  • 1685 – Monmouth Rebellion: James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth declares himself King of England at Bridgwater.
  • 1756 – A British garrison is imprisoned in the Black Hole of Calcutta.
  • 1782 – The U.S. Congress adopts the Great Seal of the United States.
  • 1787 – Oliver Ellsworth moves at the Federal Convention to call the government the ‘United States’.
  • 1789 – Deputies of the French Third Estate take the Tennis Court Oath.
  • 1819 – The U.S. vessel SS Savannah arrives at Liverpool, United Kingdom. It is the first steam-propelled vessel to cross the Atlantic, although most of the journey is made under sail.
  • 1837 – Queen Victoria succeeds to the British throne.
  • 1840 – Samuel Morse receives the patent for the telegraph.
  • 1862 – Barbu Catargiu, the Prime Minister of Romania, is assassinated.
  • 1863 – American Civil War: West Virginia is admitted as the 35th U.S. state.
  • 1877 – Alexander Graham Bell installs the world’s first commercial telephone service in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
  • 1893 – Lizzie Borden is acquitted of the murders of her father and stepmother.
  • 1895 – The Kiel Canal, crossing the base of the Jutland peninsula and the busiest artificial waterway in the world, is officially opened.
  • 1900 – Boxer Rebellion: The Imperial Chinese Army begins a 55-day siege of the Legation Quarter in Beijing, China.
  • 1900 – Baron Eduard Toll, leader of the Russian Polar Expedition of 1900, departs Saint Petersburg in Russia on the explorer ship Zarya, never to return.
  • 1921 – Workers of Buckingham and Carnatic Mills in the city of Chennai, India, begin a four-month strike.
  • 1942 – The Holocaust: Kazimierz Piechowski and three others, dressed as members of the SS-Totenkopfverbände, steal an SS staff car and escape from the Auschwitz concentration camp.
  • 1943 – The Detroit race riot breaks out and continues for three more days.
  • 1943 – World War II: The Royal Air Force launches Operation Bellicose, the first shuttle bombing raid of the war. Lancaster bombers damage the V-2 rocket production facilities at the Zeppelin Works while en route to an air base in Algeria.
  • 1944 – World War II: The Battle of the Philippine Sea concludes with a decisive U.S. naval victory. The lopsided naval air battle is also known as the “Great Marianas Turkey Shoot”.
  • 1944 – Continuation War: The Soviet Union demands an unconditional surrender from Finland during the beginning of partially successful Vyborg–Petrozavodsk Offensive. The Finnish government refuses.
  • 1944 – The experimental MW 18014 V-2 rocket reaches an altitude of 176 km, becoming the first man-made object to reach outer space.
  • 1945 – The United States Secretary of State approves the transfer of Wernher von Braun and his team of Nazi rocket scientists to the U.S. under Operation Paperclip.
  • 1948 – The Deutsche Mark is introduced in Western Allied-occupied Germany. The Soviet Military Administration in Germany responded by imposing the Berlin Blockade four days later.
  • 1956 – A Venezuelan Super-Constellation crashes in the Atlantic Ocean off Asbury Park, New Jersey, killing 74 people.
  • 1959 – A rare June hurricane strikes Canada’s Gulf of St. Lawrence killing 35.
  • 1960 – The Mali Federation gains independence from France (it later splits into Mali and Senegal).
  • 1963 – Following the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Soviet Union and the United States sign an agreement to establish the so-called “red telephone” link between Washington and Moscow.
  • 1972 – Watergate scandal: An 18½-minute gap appears in the tape recording of the conversations between U.S. President Richard Nixon and his advisers regarding the recent arrests of his operatives while breaking into the Watergate complex.
  • 1973 – Snipers fire upon left-wing Peronists in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in what is known as the Ezeiza massacre. At least 13 are killed and more than 300 are injured.
  • 1973 – Aeroméxico Flight 229 crashes on approach to Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport, killing all 27 people on board.
  • 1975 – The film Jaws is released in the United States, becoming the highest-grossing film of that time and starting the trend of films known as “summer blockbusters”.
  • 1979 – ABC News correspondent Bill Stewart is shot dead by a Nicaraguan soldier under the regime of Anastasio Somoza Debayle. The murder is caught on tape and sparks an international outcry against the regime.
  • 1982 – The Argentine Corbeta Uruguay base on Southern Thule surrenders to Royal Marine commandos in the final action of the Falklands War.
  • 1990 – Asteroid Eureka is discovered.
  • 1990 – The 7.4 Mw  Manjil–Rudbar earthquake affects northern Iran with a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme), killing 35,000–50,000, and injuring 60,000–105,000.
  • 1991 – German Bundestag votes to move seat of government from the former West German capital of Bonn to the present capital Berlin.
  • 1994 – The 1994 Imam Reza shrine bomb explosion in Iran leaves at least 25 dead and 70 to 300 injured.
  • 2003 – The Wikimedia Foundation is founded in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Births on June 20

  • 1005 – Ali az-Zahir, Fatimid caliph of Egypt (d. 1036)
  • 1389 – John of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Bedford, English statesman (d. 1435)
  • 1469 – Gian Galeazzo Sforza, duke of Milan (d. 1494)
  • 1566 – Sigismund III Vasa, Polish and Swedish king (d. 1632)
  • 1583 – Jacob De la Gardie, Swedish soldier and politician, Lord High Constable of Sweden (d. 1652)
  • 1634 – Charles Emmanuel II, duke of Savoy (d. 1675)
  • 1642 – George Hickes, English minister and scholar (d. 1715)
  • 1647 – John George III, Elector of Saxony (d. 1691)
  • 1717 – Jacques Saly, French sculptor and painter (d. 1776)
  • 1723 – Adam Ferguson, Scottish philosopher and historian (d. 1816)
  • 1737 – Tokugawa Ieharu, Japanese shōgun (d. 1786)
  • 1754 – Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt, princess of Baden (d. 1832)
  • 1756 – Joseph Martin Kraus, German-Swedish composer and educator (d. 1792)
  • 1761 – Jacob Hübner, German entomologist and author (d. 1826)
  • 1763 – Wolfe Tone, Irish rebel leader (d. 1798)
  • 1770 – Moses Waddel, American minister and academic (d. 1840)
  • 1771 – Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk, Scottish philanthropist, and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Kirkcudbright (d. 1820)
  • 1771 – Hermann von Boyen, Prussian general and politician, Prussian Minister of War (d. 1848)
  • 1777 – Jean-Jacques Lartigue, Canadian bishop (d. 1840)
  • 1778 – Jean Baptiste Gay, vicomte de Martignac, French politician, 7th Prime Minister of France (d. 1832)
  • 1786 – Marceline Desbordes-Valmore, French poet and author (d. 1859)
  • 1796 – Luigi Amat di San Filippo e Sorso, Italian cardinal (d. 1878)
  • 1808 – Samson Raphael Hirsch, German rabbi and scholar (d. 1888)
  • 1809 – Isaak August Dorner, German theologian and academic (d. 1884)
  • 1813 – Joseph Autran, French poet and author (d. 1877)
  • 1819 – Jacques Offenbach, German-French cellist and composer (d. 1880)
  • 1847 – Gina Krog, Norwegian suffragist and women’s rights activist (d. 1916)
  • 1855 – Richard Lodge, English historian and academic (d. 1936)
  • 1858 – Charles W. Chesnutt, American novelist and short story writer (d. 1932)
  • 1860 – Alexander Winton, Scottish-American race car driver and engineer (d. 1932)
  • 1860 – Jack Worrall, Australian cricketer, footballer, and coach (d. 1937)
  • 1861 – Frederick Gowland Hopkins, English biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1947)
  • 1865 – George Redmayne Murray, English biologist and physician (d. 1939)
  • 1866 – James Burns, English cricketer (d. 1957)
  • 1869 – Laxmanrao Kirloskar, Indian businessman, founded the Kirloskar Group (d. 1956)
  • 1870 – Georges Dufrénoy, French painter and academic (d. 1943)
  • 1872 – George Carpenter, American 5th General of The Salvation Army (d. 1948)
  • 1875 – Reginald Punnett, English geneticist, statistician, and academic (d. 1967)
  • 1882 – Daniel Sawyer, American golfer (d. 1937)
  • 1884 – Mary R. Calvert, American astronomer and author (d. 1974)
  • 1884 – Johannes Heinrich Schultz, German psychiatrist and psychotherapist (d. 1970)
  • 1885 – Andrzej Gawroński, Polish linguist and academic (d. 1927)
  • 1887 – Kurt Schwitters, German painter and illustrator (d. 1948)
  • 1889 – John S. Paraskevopoulos, Greek-South African astronomer and academic (d. 1951)
  • 1891 – Giannina Arangi-Lombardi, Italian soprano (d. 1951)
  • 1891 – John A. Costello, Irish lawyer and politician, 3rd Taoiseach of Ireland (d. 1976)
  • 1893 – Wilhelm Zaisser, German soldier and politician (d. 1958)
  • 1894 – Lloyd Hall, American chemist and academic (d. 1971)
  • 1896 – Wilfrid Pelletier, Canadian pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1982)
  • 1897 – Elisabeth Hauptmann, German author and playwright (d. 1973)
  • 1899 – Jean Moulin, French soldier and engineer (d. 1943)
  • 1903 – Sam Rabin, English wrestler, sculptor, and singer (d. 1991)
  • 1905 – Lillian Hellman, American playwright and screenwriter (d. 1984)
  • 1906 – Bob King, American high jumper and obstetrician (d. 1965)
  • 1907 – Jimmy Driftwood, American singer-songwriter and banjo player (d. 1998)
  • 1908 – Billy Werber, American baseball player (d. 2009)
  • 1908 – Gus Schilling, American actor (d. 1957)
  • 1909 – Errol Flynn, Australian-American actor (d. 1959)
  • 1910 – Josephine Johnson, American author and poet (d. 1990)
  • 1911 – Gail Patrick, American actress (d. 1980)
  • 1912 – Anthony Buckeridge, English author (d. 2004)
  • 1912 – Jack Torrance, American shot putter and football player (d. 1969)
  • 1914 – Gordon Juckes, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1994)
  • 1914 – Muazzez İlmiye Çığ, Turkish archaeologist and academic
  • 1915 – Dick Reynolds, Australian footballer and coach (d. 2002)
  • 1915 – Terence Young, Chinese-English director and screenwriter (d. 1994)
  • 1916 – Jean-Jacques Bertrand, Canadian lawyer and politician, 21st Premier of Quebec (d. 1973)
  • 1916 – T. Texas Tyler, American country music singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1972)
  • 1917 – Helena Rasiowa, Austrian-Polish mathematician and academic (d. 1994)
  • 1918 – George Lynch, American race car driver (d. 1997)
  • 1918 – Zoltán Sztáray, Hungarian-American author (d. 2011)
  • 1920 – Geoffrey Baker, English Field Marshal and Chief of the General Staff of the British Army (d. 1980)
  • 1920 – Danny Cedrone, American guitarist and bandleader (d. 1954)
  • 1920 – Thomas Jefferson, American trumpet player (d. 1986)
  • 1921 – Byron Farwell, American historian and author (d. 1999)
  • 1921 – Pancho Segura, Ecuadorian tennis player (d. 2017)
  • 1923 – Peter Gay, German-American historian, author, and academic (d. 2015)
  • 1923 – Jerzy Nowak, Polish actor and educator (d. 2013)
  • 1924 – Chet Atkins, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (d. 2001)
  • 1924 – Fritz Koenig, German sculptor and academic, designed The Sphere (d. 2017)
  • 1925 – Doris Hart, American tennis player and educator (d. 2015)
  • 1925 – Audie Murphy, American lieutenant and actor, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 1971)
  • 1926 – Rehavam Ze’evi, Israeli general and politician, 9th Israeli Minister of Tourism (d. 2001)
  • 1927 – Simin Behbahani, Iranian poet and activist (d. 2014)
  • 1928 – Eric Dolphy, American saxophonist, flute player, and composer (d. 1964)
  • 1928 – Martin Landau, American actor and producer (d. 2017)
  • 1928 – Jean-Marie Le Pen, French intelligence officer and politician
  • 1928 – Asrat Woldeyes, Ethiopian surgeon and educator (d. 1999)
  • 1929 – Edgar Bronfman, Sr., Canadian-American businessman and philanthropist (d. 2013)
  • 1929 – Anne Weale, English journalist and author (d. 2007)
  • 1929 – Edith Windsor, American lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights activist (d. 2017)
  • 1930 – Magdalena Abakanowicz, Polish sculptor and academic (d. 2017)
  • 1930 – John Waine, English bishop
  • 1931 – Olympia Dukakis, American actress
  • 1931 – James Tolkan, American actor and director
  • 1932 – Robert Rozhdestvensky, Russian poet and author (d. 1994)
  • 1933 – Danny Aiello, American actor (d. 2019)
  • 1933 – Claire Tomalin, English journalist and author
  • 1934 – Wendy Craig, English actress
  • 1935 – Jim Barker, American politician (d. 2005)
  • 1935 – Len Dawson, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1935 – Armando Picchi, Italian footballer and coach (d. 1971)
  • 1936 – Billy Guy, American singer (d. 2002)
  • 1936 – Enn Vetemaa, Estonian author and screenwriter (d. 2017)
  • 1937 – Stafford Dean, English actor and singer
  • 1937 – Jerry Keller, American singer-songwriter
  • 1938 – Joan Kirner, Australian educator and politician, 42nd Premier of Victoria (d. 2015)
  • 1938 – Mickie Most, English music producer (d. 2003)
  • 1939 – Ramakant Desai, Indian cricketer (d. 1998)
  • 1939 – Budge Rogers, English rugby player and manager
  • 1940 – Eugen Drewermann, German priest and theologian
  • 1940 – John Mahoney, English actor (d. 2018)
  • 1941 – Stephen Frears, English actor, director, and producer
  • 1941 – Ulf Merbold, German physicist and astronaut
  • 1942 – Neil Trudinger, Australian mathematician and theorist
  • 1942 – Brian Wilson, American singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1945 – Anne Murray, Canadian singer and guitarist
  • 1946 – Xanana Gusmão, Timorese soldier and politician, 1st President of East Timor
  • 1946 – David Kazhdan, Russian-Israeli mathematician and academic
  • 1946 – Bob Vila, American television host
  • 1946 – André Watts, American pianist and educator
  • 1947 – Dolores “LaLa” Brooks, American pop singer (The Crystals)
  • 1948 – Cirilo Flores, American bishop (d. 2014)
  • 1948 – Ludwig Scotty, Nauruan politician, 10th President of Nauru
  • 1949 – Alan Longmuir, Scottish bass player and songwriter (d. 2018)
  • 1949 – Lionel Richie, American singer-songwriter, pianist, producer, and actor
  • 1949 – Gotabaya Rajapaksa, 8th president of Sri Lanka
  • 1950 – Nouri al-Maliki, Iraqi politician, 76th Prime Minister of Iraq
  • 1951 – Tress MacNeille, American actress and voice artist
  • 1951 – Sheila McLean, Scottish scholar and academic
  • 1951 – Paul Muldoon, Irish poet and academic
  • 1952 – John Goodman, American actor
  • 1952 – Vikram Seth, Indian author and poet
  • 1953 – Robert Crais, American author and screenwriter
  • 1953 – Raúl Ramírez, Mexican tennis player
  • 1953 – Willy Rampf, German engineer
  • 1954 – Allan Lamb, South African-English cricketer and sportscaster
  • 1954 – Ilan Ramon, Israeli colonel, pilot, and astronaut (d. 2003)
  • 1955 – E. Lynn Harris, American author (d. 2009)
  • 1956 – Peter Reid, English footballer and manager
  • 1956 – Sohn Suk-hee, South Korean newscaster
  • 1958 – Kelly Johnson, English hard rock guitarist and songwriter (d. 2007)
  • 1960 – Philip M. Parker, American economist and author
  • 1960 – John Taylor, English singer-songwriter, bass player, and actor
  • 1963 – Kirk Baptiste, American sprinter
  • 1963 – Mark Ovenden, British author and broadcaster
  • 1964 – Pierfrancesco Chili, Italian motorcycle racer
  • 1964 – Silke Möller, German runner
  • 1966 – Boaz Yakin, American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1967 – Nicole Kidman, American-Australian actress
  • 1967 – Dan Tyminski, American singer-songwriter
  • 1968 – Robert Rodriguez, American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1969 – Paulo Bento, Portuguese footballer and manager
  • 1969 – Misha Verbitsky, Russian mathematician and academic
  • 1969 – MaliVai Washington, American tennis player and sportscaster
  • 1970 – Andrea Nahles, German politician, German Minister of Labour and Social Affairs
  • 1970 – Athol Williams, South African poet and social philosopher
  • 1971 – Rodney Rogers, American basketball player and coach
  • 1971 – Jeordie White, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and bass player
  • 1972 – Alexis Alexoudis, Greek footballer
  • 1973 – Chino Moreno, American singer-songwriter
  • 1975 – Joan Balcells, Spanish tennis player
  • 1975 – Daniel Zítka, Czech footballer
  • 1976 – Juliano Belletti, Brazilian footballer
  • 1976 – Carlos Lee, Panamanian baseball player
  • 1977 – Gordan Giriček, Croatian basketball player
  • 1977 – Amos Lee, American singer-songwriter
  • 1978 – Frank Lampard, English footballer
  • 1978 – Jan-Paul Saeijs, Dutch footballer
  • 1979 – Charles Howell III, American golfer
  • 1980 – Franco Semioli, Italian footballer
  • 1980 – Tika Sumpter, American actress
  • 1980 – Fabian Wegmann, German cyclist
  • 1981 – Brede Hangeland, Norwegian footballer
  • 1982 – Aleksei Berezutski, Russian footballer
  • 1982 – Vasili Berezutski, Russian footballer
  • 1982 – Example, English singer/rapper
  • 1983 – Josh Childress, American basketball player
  • 1983 – Darren Sproles, American football player
  • 1984 – Hassan Adams, American basketball player
  • 1985 – Saki Aibu, Japanese actress
  • 1985 – Aurélien Chedjou, Cameroonian footballer
  • 1985 – Matt Flynn, American football player
  • 1986 – Dreama Walker, American actress
  • 1987 – A-fu, Taiwanese singer and songwriter
  • 1987 – Carsten Ball, Australian tennis player
  • 1987 – Asmir Begović, Bosnian footballer
  • 1987 – Joseph Ebuya, Kenyan runner
  • 1987 – Kierra Sheard, American gospel singer
  • 1989 – Christopher Mintz-Plasse, American actor
  • 1989 – Javier Pastore, Argentinian footballer
  • 1989 – Terrelle Pryor, American football player
  • 1990 – DeQuan Jones, American basketball player
  • 1991 – Kalidou Koulibaly, Senegalese footballer
  • 1991 – Rick ten Voorde, Dutch footballer
  • 1993 – Sead Kolašinac, Bosnian footballer
  • 1994 – Leonard Williams, American football player
  • 1995 – Caroline Weir, Scottish footballer
  • 1996 – Sam Bennett, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1997 – Bálint Kopasz, Hungarian sprint canoeist

Deaths on June 20

  • 465 – Emperor Wencheng of Northern Wei (b. 440)
  • 656 – Uthman ibn Affan, Rashidun caliph (b. 577)
  • 840 – Louis the Pious, Carolingian emperor (b. 778)
  • 930 – Hucbald, Frankish monk and music theorist
  • 981 – Adalbert, archbishop of Magdeburg
  • 1176 – Mikhail of Vladimir, Russian prince
  • 1351 – Margareta Ebner, German nun and mystic (b. 1291)
  • 1405 – Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan, fourth son of King Robert II of Scotland (b. 1343)
  • 1597 – Willem Barentsz, Dutch cartographer and explorer (b. 1550)
  • 1605 – Feodor II of Russia (b. 1589)
  • 1668 – Heinrich Roth, German missionary and scholar (b. 1620)
  • 1776 – Benjamin Huntsman, English businessman (b. 1704)
  • 1787 – Carl Friedrich Abel, German viol player and composer (b. 1723)
  • 1800 – Abraham Gotthelf Kästner, German mathematician and academic (b. 1719)
  • 1810 – Axel von Fersen the Younger, Swedish general and politician (b. 1755)
  • 1815 – Guillaume Philibert Duhesme, French general (b. 1766)
  • 1820 – Manuel Belgrano, Argentinian general, economist, and politician (b. 1770)
  • 1837 – William IV of the United Kingdom (b. 1765)
  • 1840 – Pierre Claude François Daunou, French historian and politician (b. 1761)
  • 1847 – Juan Larrea, Argentinian captain and politician (b. 1782)
  • 1869 – Hijikata Toshizō, Japanese commander (b. 1835)
  • 1870 – Jules de Goncourt, French historian and author (b. 1830)
  • 1872 – Élie Frédéric Forey, French general (b. 1804)
  • 1875 – Joseph Meek, American police officer and politician (b. 1810)
  • 1888 – Johannes Zukertort, Polish-English chess player (b. 1842)
  • 1906 – John Clayton Adams, English painter (b. 1840)
  • 1909 – Friedrich Martens, Estonian-Russian historian, lawyer, and diplomat (b. 1845)
  • 1925 – Josef Breuer, Austrian physician and psychologist (b. 1842)
  • 1929 – Emmanouil Benakis, Greek merchant and politician, 35th Mayor of Athens (b. 1843)
  • 1945 – Bruno Frank, German author, poet, and playwright (b. 1878)
  • 1947 – Bugsy Siegel, American mobster (b. 1906)
  • 1952 – Luigi Fagioli, Italian race car driver (b. 1898)
  • 1958 – Kurt Alder, German chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1902)
  • 1963 – Raphaël Salem, Greek-French mathematician and academic (b. 1898)
  • 1965 – Bernard Baruch, American financier and politician (b. 1870)
  • 1966 – Georges Lemaître, Belgian priest, physicist, and astronomer (b. 1894)
  • 1974 – Horace Lindrum, Australian snooker player (b. 1912)
  • 1975 – Suzanne Comhaire-Sylvain, Hatian anthropologist (b. 1898)
  • 1978 – Mark Robson, Canadian-American director and producer (b. 1913)
  • 1984 – Estelle Winwood, English actress (b. 1883)
  • 1995 – Emil Cioran, Romanian-French philosopher and educator (b. 1911)
  • 1997 – Cahit Külebi, Turkish poet and author (b. 1917)
  • 1999 – Clifton Fadiman, American game show host, author, and critic (b. 1902)
  • 2001 – Gina Cigna, French-Italian soprano (b. 1900)
  • 2002 – Erwin Chargaff, Austrian-American biochemist and academic (b. 1905)
  • 2002 – Tinus Osendarp, Dutch runner (b. 1916)
  • 2004 – Jim Bacon, Australian politician, 41st Premier of Tasmania (b. 1950)
  • 2005 – Larry Collins, American journalist, historian, and author (b. 1929)
  • 2005 – Jack Kilby, American physicist and engineer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1923)
  • 2010 – Roberto Rosato, Italian footballer (b. 1943)
  • 2010 – Harry B. Whittington, English palaeontologist and academic (b. 1916)
  • 2011 – Ryan Dunn, American television personality (b. 1977)
  • 2012 – Judy Agnew, Second Lady of the United States. (b. 1921)
  • 2012 – LeRoy Neiman, American painter (b. 1921)
  • 2012 – Heinrich IV, Prince Reuss of Köstritz (b. 1919)
  • 2012 – Andrew Sarris, American critic (b. 1928)
  • 2013 – Ingvar Rydell, Swedish footballer (b. 1922)
  • 2015 – Angelo Niculescu, Romanian footballer and manager (b. 1921)
  • 2015 – Miriam Schapiro, Canadian-American painter and sculptor (b. 1923)
  • 2017 – Prodigy, American music artist (b. 1974)

Holidays and observances on June 20

  • Christian feast day:
    • Adalbert of Magdeburg
    • Florentina
    • John of Matera
    • Blessed Margareta Ebner
    • Methodius of Olympus
    • Pope Silverius
    • June 20 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Day of the National Flag (Argentina)
  • The earliest date for the summer solstice in the Northern hemisphere and the winter solstice in the Southern hemisphere, and its related observance:
    • Earliest day on which Day of the Finnish Flag can fall, while June 26 is the latest; celebrated on Saturday of Midsummer’s Day (Finland)
    • International Surfing Day (on or near Summer solstice)
    • Litha / Midsummer celebrations in the northern hemisphere, Yule in the southern hemisphere.
  • Gas Sector Day (Azerbaijan)
  • Martyrs’ Day (Eritrea)
  • West Virginia Day (West Virginia)
  • World Refugee Day (International)

June 20 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

June 19 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 325 – The original Nicene Creed is adopted at the First Council of Nicaea.
  • 1179 – The Battle of Kalvskinnet takes place outside Nidaros (now Trondheim), Norway. Earl Erling Skakke is killed, and the battle changes the tide of the civil wars.
  • 1306 – The Earl of Pembroke’s army defeats Bruce’s Scottish army at the Battle of Methven.
  • 1586 – English colonists leave Roanoke Island, after failing to establish England’s first permanent settlement in North America.
  • 1770 – New Church Day: Emanuel Swedenborg writes: “The Lord sent forth His twelve disciples, who followed Him in the world into the whole spiritual world to preach the Gospel that the Lord God Jesus Christ reign. This took place on the 19th day of June, in the year 1770.”
  • 1800 – War of the Second Coalition Battle of Höchstädt results in a French victory over Austria.
  • 1816 – Battle of Seven Oaks between North West Company and Hudson’s Bay Company, near Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
  • 1821 – Decisive defeat of the Filiki Eteria by the Ottomans at Drăgășani (in Wallachia).
  • 1846 – The first officially recorded, organized baseball game is played under Alexander Cartwright’s rules on Hoboken, New Jersey’s Elysian Fields with the New York Base Ball Club defeating the Knickerbockers 23–1. Cartwright umpired.
  • 1850 – Princess Louise of the Netherlands marries Crown Prince Karl of Sweden–Norway.
  • 1862 – The U.S. Congress prohibits slavery in United States territories, nullifying Dred Scott v. Sandford.
  • 1865 – Over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, slaves in Galveston, Texas, United States, are finally informed of their freedom. The anniversary is still officially celebrated in Texas and 41 other contiguous states as Juneteenth.
  • 1867 – Maximilian I of the Second Mexican Empire is executed by a firing squad in Querétaro, Querétaro.
  • 1875 – The Herzegovinian rebellion against the Ottoman Empire begins.
  • 1903 – Benito Mussolini, at the time a radical Socialist, is arrested by Bern police for advocating a violent general strike.
  • 1910 – The first Father’s Day is celebrated in Spokane, Washington.
  • 1913 – Natives Land Act, 1913 in South Africa implemented.
  • 1934 – The Communications Act of 1934 establishes the United States’ Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
  • 1943 – The Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL merge for one season due to player shortages caused by World War II.
  • 1953 – Cold War: Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are executed at Sing Sing, in New York.
  • 1960 – The first NASCAR race was held at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
  • 1961 – Kuwait declares independence from the United Kingdom.
  • 1964 – The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is approved after surviving an 83-day filibuster in the United States Senate.
  • 1965 – Nguyễn Cao Kỳ becomes Prime Minister of South Vietnam at the head of a military junta; General Nguyễn Văn Thiệu becomes the figurehead chief of state.
  • 1985 – Members of the Revolutionary Party of Central American Workers, dressed as Salvadoran soldiers, attack the Zona Rosa area of San Salvador.
  • 1987 – Basque separatist group ETA commits one of its most violent attacks, in which a bomb is set off in a supermarket, Hipercor, killing 21 and injuring 45.
  • 1988 – Pope John Paul II canonizes 117 Vietnamese Martyrs.
  • 1990 – The current international law defending indigenous peoples, Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989, is ratified for the first time by Norway.
  • 1990 – The Communist Party of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic is founded in Moscow.
  • 1991 – The last Soviet army units in Hungary are withdrawn.
  • 2007 – The al-Khilani Mosque bombing in Baghdad leaves 78 people dead and another 218 injured.
  • 2009 – Mass riots involving over 10,000 people and 10,000 police officers break out in Shishou, China, over the dubious circumstances surrounding the death of a local chef.
  • 2009 – War in North-West Pakistan: The Pakistani Armed Forces open Operation Rah-e-Nijat against the Taliban and other Islamist rebels in the South Waziristan area of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.
  • 2012 – WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange requested asylum in London’s Ecuadorian Embassy for fear of extradition to the US after publication of previously classified documents including footage of civilian killings by the US army.
  • 2018 – The 10,000,000th United States Patent is issued.

Births on June 19

  • 1301 – Prince Morikuni, shōgun of Japan (d. 1333)
  • 1417 – Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta, lord of Rimini (d. 1468)
  • 1566 – James VI and I of the United Kingdom (d. 1625)
  • 1590 – Philip Bell, British colonial governor (d. 1678)
  • 1595 – Hargobind, sixth Sikh guru (d. 1644)
  • 1598 – Gilbert Sheldon, Archbishop of Canterbury (d. 1677)
  • 1606 – James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton, Scottish soldier and politician, Lord Chancellor of Scotland (d. 1649)
  • 1623 – Blaise Pascal, French mathematician and physicist (d. 1662)
  • 1633 – Philipp van Limborch, Dutch author and theologian (d. 1712)
  • 1701 – François Rebel, French violinist and composer (d. 1775)
  • 1731 – Joaquim Machado de Castro, Portuguese sculptor (d. 1822)
  • 1764 – José Gervasio Artigas, Uruguayan general and politician (d. 1850)
  • 1771 – Joseph Diaz Gergonne, French mathematician and philosopher (d. 1859)
  • 1776 – Francis Johnson, American lawyer and politician (d. 1842)
  • 1783 – Friedrich Sertürner, German chemist and pharmacist (d. 1841)
  • 1793 – Joseph Earl Sheffield, American businessman and philanthropist (d. 1882)
  • 1795 – James Braid, Scottish-English surgeon (d. 1860)
  • 1797 – Hamilton Hume, Australian explorer (d. 1873)
  • 1815 – Cornelius Krieghoff, Dutch-Canadian painter (d. 1872)
  • 1816 – William H. Webb, American shipbuilder and philanthropist, founded the Webb Institute (d. 1899)
  • 1833 – Mary Tenney Gray, American editorial writer, club-woman, philanthropist, and suffragette (d. 1904)
  • 1834 – Charles Spurgeon, English pastor and author (d. 1892)
  • 1840 – Georg Karl Maria Seidlitz, German entomologist and academic (d. 1917)
  • 1843 – Mary Sibbet Copley, American philanthropist (d. 1929)
  • 1845 – Cléophas Beausoleil, Canadian journalist and politician (d. 1904)
  • 1846 – Antonio Abetti, Italian astronomer and academic (d. 1928)
  • 1850 – David Jayne Hill, American historian and politician, 24th United States Assistant Secretary of State (d. 1932)
  • 1851 – Billy Midwinter, English-Australian cricketer (d. 1890)
  • 1851 – Silvanus P. Thompson, English physicist, engineer, and academic (d. 1916)
  • 1854 – Alfredo Catalani, Italian composer and academic (d. 1893)
  • 1854 – Hjalmar Mellin, Finnish mathematician and theorist (d. 1933)
  • 1855 – George F. Roesch, American lawyer and politician (d. 1917)
  • 1858 – Sam Walter Foss, American poet and librarian (d. 1911)
  • 1861 – Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig, Scottish-English field marshal (d. 1928)
  • 1861 – Émile Haug, French geologist and paleontologist (d. 1927)
  • 1861 – José Rizal, Filipino journalist, author, and poet (d. 1896)
  • 1865 – May Whitty, English actress (d. 1948)
  • 1871 – Alajos Szokolyi, Hungarian hurdler, jumper, and physician (d. 1932)
  • 1872 – Theodore Payne, English-American gardener and botanist (d. 1963)
  • 1874 – Peder Oluf Pedersen, Danish physicist and engineer (d. 1941)
  • 1876 – Nigel Gresley, Scottish-English engineer (d. 1941)
  • 1877 – Charles Coburn, American actor (d. 1961)
  • 1881 – Maginel Wright Enright, American illustrator (d. 1966)
  • 1883 – Gladys Mills Phipps, American horse breeder (d. 1970)
  • 1884 – Georges Ribemont-Dessaignes, French painter and historian (d. 1974)
  • 1886 – Finley Hamilton, American lawyer and politician (d. 1940)
  • 1888 – Arthur Massey Berry, Canadian soldier and pilot (d. 1970)
  • 1891 – John Heartfield, German photographer and activist (d. 1968)
  • 1896 – Rajani Palme Dutt, English journalist and politician (d. 1974)
  • 1896 – Wallis Simpson, American wife of Edward VIII (d. 1986)
  • 1897 – Cyril Norman Hinshelwood, English chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1967)
  • 1897 – Moe Howard, American comedian (d. 1975)
  • 1902 – Guy Lombardo, Canadian-American violinist and bandleader (d. 1977)
  • 1903 – Mary Callery, American-French sculptor and academic (d. 1977)
  • 1903 – Lou Gehrig, American baseball player (d. 1941)
  • 1903 – Wally Hammond, English cricketer and coach (d. 1965)
  • 1903 – Hans Litten, German lawyer (d. 1938)
  • 1905 – Mildred Natwick, American actress (d. 1994)
  • 1906 – Ernst Boris Chain, German-Irish biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1979)
  • 1906 – Knut Kroon, Swedish footballer (d. 1975)
  • 1906 – Walter Rauff, German SS officer (d. 1984)
  • 1907 – Clarence Wiseman, Canadian 10th General of the Salvation Army (d. 1985)
  • 1909 – Osamu Dazai, Japanese author (d. 1948)
  • 1909 – Rūdolfs Jurciņš, Latvian basketball player (d. 1948)
  • 1910 – Sydney Allard, English race car driver, founded the Allard Company (d. 1966)
  • 1910 – Paul Flory, American chemist and engineer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1985)
  • 1910 – Abe Fortas, American lawyer and jurist (d. 1982)
  • 1912 – Don Gutteridge, American baseball player and manager (d. 2008)
  • 1912 – Virginia MacWatters, American soprano and actress (d. 2005)
  • 1913 – Helene Madison, American swimmer (d. 1970)
  • 1914 – Alan Cranston, American journalist and politician (d. 2000)
  • 1914 – Lester Flatt, American bluegrass singer-songwriter, guitarist, and mandolin player (d. 1979)
  • 1915 – Pat Buttram, American actor (d. 1994)
  • 1915 – Julius Schwartz, American publisher and agent (d. 2004)
  • 1917 – Joshua Nkomo, Zimbabwean guerrilla leader and politician, Vice President of Zimbabwe (d. 1999)
  • 1919 – Pauline Kael, American film critic (d. 2001)
  • 1920 – Yves Robert, French actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2002)
  • 1921 – Louis Jourdan, French-American actor and singer (d. 2015)
  • 1922 – Aage Bohr, Danish physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2009)
  • 1922 – Marilyn P. Johnson, American educator and diplomat, 8th United States Ambassador to Togo
  • 1923 – Bob Hank, Australian footballer and coach (d. 2012)
  • 1926 – Erna Schneider Hoover, American mathematician and inventor
  • 1927 – Luciano Benjamín Menéndez, Argentine general and human rights violator (d. 2018)
  • 1928 – Tommy DeVito, American singer and guitarist
  • 1928 – Nancy Marchand, American actress (d. 2000)
  • 1930 – Gena Rowlands, American actress
  • 1932 – Pier Angeli, Italian actress (d. 1971)
  • 1932 – José Sanchis Grau, Spanish author and illustrator (d. 2011)
  • 1932 – Marisa Pavan, Italian actress
  • 1933 – Viktor Patsayev, Kazakh engineer and astronaut (d. 1971)
  • 1934 – Gérard Latortue, Haitian politician, 12th Prime Minister of Haiti
  • 1936 – Marisa Galvany, American soprano and actress
  • 1937 – André Glucksmann, French philosopher and author (d. 2015)
  • 1938 – Wahoo McDaniel, American football player and wrestler (d. 2002)
  • 1939 – Bernd Hoss, German footballer and manager (d. 2016)
  • 1939 – John F. MacArthur, American minister and theologian
  • 1941 – Václav Klaus, Czech economist and politician, 2nd President of the Czech Republic
  • 1942 – Merata Mita, New Zealand director and producer (d. 2010)
  • 1944 – Chico Buarque, Brazilian singer, composer, writer and poet
  • 1945 – Radovan Karadžić, Serbian-Bosnian politician and convicted war criminal, 1st President of Republika Srpska
  • 1945 – Aung San Suu Kyi, Burmese politician, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1945 – Tobias Wolff, American short story writer, memoirist, and novelist
  • 1946 – Jimmy Greenhoff, English footballer and manager
  • 1947 – Salman Rushdie, Indian-English novelist and essayist
  • 1947 – John Ralston Saul, Canadian philosopher and author
  • 1948 – Nick Drake, English singer-songwriter (d. 1974)
  • 1948 – Phylicia Rashad, American actress
  • 1950 – Neil Asher Silberman, American archaeologist and historian
  • 1950 – Ann Wilson, American singer-songwriter and musician
  • 1951 – Ayman al-Zawahiri, Egyptian terrorist
  • 1951 – Francesco Moser, Italian cyclist
  • 1952 – Bob Ainsworth, English politician, Secretary of State for Defence
  • 1954 – Mike O’Brien, English lawyer and politician, Solicitor General for England and Wales
  • 1954 – Lou Pearlman, American music producer and fraudster (d. 2016)
  • 1954 – Kathleen Turner, American actress
  • 1954 – Richard Wilkins, New Zealand-Australian journalist and television presenter
  • 1955 – Mary O’Connor, New Zealand runner
  • 1955 – Mary Schapiro, American lawyer and politician
  • 1957 – Anna Lindh, Swedish politician, 39th Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 2003)
  • 1957 – Jean Rabe, American journalist and author
  • 1958 – Sergei Makarov, Russian-American ice hockey player and coach
  • 1959 – Mark DeBarge, American singer-songwriter and trumpet player
  • 1959 – Christian Wulff, German lawyer and politician, 10th President of Germany
  • 1960 – Andrew Dilnot, English economist and academic
  • 1960 – Johnny Gray, American runner and coach
  • 1960 – Luke Morley, English guitarist, songwriter, and producer
  • 1960 – Patti Rizzo, American golfer
  • 1962 – Paula Abdul, American singer-songwriter, dancer, actress, and presenter
  • 1962 – Jeremy Bates, English tennis player
  • 1962 – Ashish Vidyarthi, Indian actor
  • 1963 – Laura Ingraham, American radio host and author
  • 1963 – Margarita Ponomaryova, Russian hurdler
  • 1963 – Rory Underwood, English rugby player, lieutenant, and pilot
  • 1964 – Brent Goulet, American soccer player and manager
  • 1964 – Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and former Mayor of London
  • 1964 – Brian Vander Ark, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1965 – Sabine Braun, German heptathlete
  • 1965 – Sadie Frost, English actress and producer
  • 1966 – Michalis Romanidis, Greek basketball player
  • 1967 – Bjørn Dæhlie, Norwegian skier and businessman
  • 1968 – Alastair Lynch, Australian footballer and sportscaster
  • 1968 – Timothy Morton, American philosopher and academic
  • 1968 – Kimberly Anne “Kim” Walker, American film and television actress (d. 2001)
  • 1970 – Rahul Gandhi, Indian politician
  • 1970 – Quincy Watts, American sprinter and football player
  • 1970 – Brian Welch, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1971 – José Emilio Amavisca, Spanish footballer
  • 1971 – Chris Armstrong, English footballer
  • 1972 – Jean Dujardin, French actor
  • 1972 – Ilya Markov, Russian race walker
  • 1972 – Brian McBride, American soccer player and coach
  • 1972 – Poppy Montgomery, Australian-American actress
  • 1972 – Robin Tunney, American actress
  • 1973 – Jahine Arnold, American football player
  • 1973 – Yuko Nakazawa, Japanese singer
  • 1973 – Yasuhiko Yabuta, Japanese baseball player
  • 1974 – Doug Mientkiewicz, American baseball player, coach, and manager
  • 1974 – Mustaque Ahmed Ruhi, Bangladeshi member of parliament
  • 1975 – Hugh Dancy, English actor and model
  • 1975 – Anthony Parker, American basketball player
  • 1976 – Anar Baghirov, Azerbaijani lawyer
  • 1976 – Dennis Crowley, American businessman, co-founded Foursquare
  • 1976 – Bryan Hughes, English footballer and manager
  • 1976 – Anita Wilson, American singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1978 – Dirk Nowitzki, German basketball player
  • 1978 – Zoe Saldana, American actress
  • 1978 – Claudio Vargas, Dominican baseball player
  • 1979 – José Kléberson, Brazilian footballer
  • 1980 – Jean Carroll, Irish cricketer
  • 1980 – Dan Ellis, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1980 – Robbie Neilson, Scottish footballer and manager
  • 1980 – Nuno Santos, Portuguese footballer
  • 1981 – Mohammed Al-Khuwalidi, Saudi Arabian long jumper
  • 1981 – Moss Burmester, New Zealand swimmer
  • 1982 – Alexander Frolov, Russian ice hockey player
  • 1982 – Chris Vermuelen, Australian motorcycle racer
  • 1983 – Macklemore, American rapper
  • 1983 – Aidan Turner, Irish actor
  • 1984 – Paul Dano, American actor
  • 1984 – Wieke Dijkstra, Dutch field hockey player
  • 1984 – Andri Eleftheriou, Cypriot sport shooter
  • 1985 – Ai Miyazato, Japanese golfer
  • 1985 – José Ernesto Sosa, Argentinian footballer
  • 1985 – Dire Tune, Ethiopian runner
  • 1986 – Aoiyama Kōsuke, Bulgarian sumo wrestler
  • 1986 – Lázaro Borges, Cuban pole vaulter
  • 1986 – Diego Hypólito, Brazilian gymnast
  • 1986 – Marvin Williams, American basketball player
  • 1987 – Rashard Mendenhall, American football player
  • 1988 – Jacob deGrom, American baseball player
  • 1990 – Moa Hjelmer, Swedish sprinter
  • 1990 – Xavier Rhodes, American football player
  • 1992 – Keaton Jennings, South African-English cricketer
  • 1992 – C. J. Mosley, American football player
  • 1993 – Olajide Olatunji, English YouTuber

Deaths on June 19

  • 404 – Huan Xuan, Jin-dynasty warlord and emperor of Huan Chu (b. 369)
  • 626 – Soga no Umako, Japanese son of Soga no Iname (b. 551)
  • 930 – Xiao Qing, chancellor of Later Liang (b. 862)
  • 1027 – Romuald, Italian mystic and saint (b. 951)
  • 1185 – Taira no Munemori, Japanese soldier (b. 1147)
  • 1282 – Eleanor de Montfort, Welsh princess (b. 1252)
  • 1312 – Piers Gaveston, 1st Earl of Cornwall, English politician (b. 1284)
  • 1341 – Juliana Falconieri, Italian nun and saint (b. 1270)
  • 1364 – Elisenda of Montcada, queen consort and regent of Aragon (b. 1292)
  • 1504 – Bernhard Walther, German astronomer and humanist (b. 1430)
  • 1542 – Leo Jud, Swiss theologian and reformer (b. 1482)
  • 1545 – Abraomas Kulvietis, Lithuanian-Russian lawyer and jurist (b. 1509)
  • 1567 – Anna of Brandenburg, Duchess of Mecklenburg (b. 1507)
  • 1584 – Francis, Duke of Anjou (b. 1555)
  • 1608 – Alberico Gentili, Italian lawyer and jurist (b. 1551)
  • 1650 – Matthäus Merian, Swiss-German engraver and publisher (b. 1593)
  • 1747 – Alessandro Marcello, Italian composer and educator (b. 1669)
  • 1747 – Nader Shah, Persian leader (b. 1688)
  • 1762 – Johann Ernst Eberlin, German organist and composer (b. 1702)
  • 1768 – Benjamin Tasker Sr., American soldier and politician, 10th Colonial Governor of Maryland (b. 1690)
  • 1786 – Nathanael Greene, American general (b. 1742)
  • 1805 – Louis-Jean-François Lagrenée, French painter and educator (b. 1724)
  • 1820 – Joseph Banks, English botanist and author (b. 1743)
  • 1844 – Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, French zoologist and biologist (b. 1772)
  • 1864 – Richard Heales, English-Australian politician, 4th Premier of Victoria (b. 1822)
  • 1864 – Sarah Rosetta Wakeman, American soldier (b. 1843)
  • 1865 – Evangelos Zappas, Greek-Romanian businessman and philanthropist (b. 1800)
  • 1867 – Miguel Miramón, Unconstitutional president of Mexico, 1859-1860 (b. 1832)
  • 1867 – Maximilian I of Mexico (b. 1832)
  • 1874 – Ferdinand Stoliczka, Moravian palaeontologist and ornithologist (b. 1838)
  • 1884 – Juan Bautista Alberdi, Argentinian-French politician and diplomat (b. 1810)
  • 1903 – Herbert Vaughan, English cardinal (b. 1832)
  • 1918 – Francesco Baracca, Italian fighter pilot (b. 1888)
  • 1921 – Ramón López Velarde, Mexican poet and author (b. 1888)
  • 1922 – Hitachiyama Taniemon, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 19th Yokozuna (b. 1874)
  • 1932 – Sol Plaatje, South African journalist and activist (b. 1876)
  • 1937 – J. M. Barrie, Scottish novelist and playwright (b. 1860)
  • 1939 – Grace Abbott, American social worker and activist (b. 1878)
  • 1940 – Maurice Jaubert, French composer and conductor (b. 1900)
  • 1941 – C. V. Hartman, Swiss botanist and anthropologist (b. 1862)
  • 1941 – Otto Hirsch, German jurist and politician (b. 1885)
  • 1949 – Syed Zafarul Hasan, Indian philosopher and academic (b. 1885)
  • 1951 – Angelos Sikelianos, Greek poet and playwright (b. 1884)
  • 1953 – Ethel Rosenberg, American spy (b. 1915)
  • 1953 – Julius Rosenberg, American spy (b. 1918)
  • 1956 – Thomas J. Watson, American businessman (b. 1874)
  • 1962 – Frank Borzage, American film director and actor (b. 1894)
  • 1966 – Ed Wynn, American actor and comedian (b. 1886)
  • 1968 – James Joseph Sweeney, American bishop (b. 1898)
  • 1975 – Sam Giancana, American mob boss (b. 1908)
  • 1977 – Ali Shariati, Iranian sociologist and philosopher (b. 1933)
  • 1979 – Paul Popenoe, American explorer and scholar, founded Relationship counseling (b. 1888)
  • 1981 – Anya Phillips, Chinese-American band manager and co-founder of the Mudd Club (b. 1955)
  • 1984 – Lee Krasner, American painter and educator (b. 1908)
  • 1986 – Len Bias, American basketball player (b. 1963)
  • 1987 – Margaret Carver Leighton, American author (b. 1896)
  • 1988 – Fernand Seguin, Canadian biochemist and academic (b. 1922)
  • 1988 – Gladys Spellman, American lawyer and politician (b. 1918)
  • 1989 – Betti Alver, Estonian author and poet (b. 1906)
  • 1990 – George Addes, American trade union leader, co-founded United Automobile Workers (b. 1911)
  • 1990 – Isabella Smith Andrews, New Zealand writer (b. 1905)
  • 1991 – Jean Arthur, American actress (b. 1900)
  • 1993 – William Golding, British novelist, playwright, and poet, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1911)
  • 1995 – Peter Townsend, Burmese-English captain and pilot (b. 1914)
  • 2001 – Stanley Mosk, American lawyer, jurist, and politician (b. 1912)
  • 2001 – John Heyer, Australian director and producer (b. 1916)
  • 2004 – Clayton Kirkpatrick, journalist and newspaper editor (b. 1915)
  • 2007 – Antonio Aguilar, Mexican singer-songwriter, actor, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1919)
  • 2007 – Alberto Mijangos, Mexican-American painter and educator (b. 1925)
  • 2007 – Terry Hoeppner, American football player and coach (b. 1947)
  • 2007 – Ze’ev Schiff, Israeli journalist and author (b. 1932)
  • 2008 – Barun Sengupta, Bengali journalist, founded Bartaman (b. 1934)
  • 2009 – Tomoji Tanabe, Japanese engineer and surveyor (b. 1895)
  • 2010 – Manute Bol, Sudanese-American basketball player and activist (b. 1962)
  • 2010 – Anthony Quinton, Baron Quinton, English philosopher and academic (b. 1925)
  • 2010 – Carlos Monsiváis, Mexican writer, journalist and political activist (b. 1938)
  • 2012 – Norbert Tiemann, American soldier and politician, 32nd Governor of Nebraska (b. 1924)
  • 2013 – Vince Flynn, American author (b. 1966)
  • 2013 – James Gandolfini, American actor and producer (b. 1961)
  • 2013 – Gyula Horn, Hungarian politician, 37th Prime Minister of Hungary (b. 1932)
  • 2013 – Dave Jennings, American football player and sportscaster (b. 1952)
  • 2013 – Filip Topol, Czech singer-songwriter and pianist (b. 1965)
  • 2013 – Slim Whitman, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1923)
  • 2014 – Oskar-Hubert Dennhardt, German general (b. 1915)
  • 2014 – Gerry Goffin, American songwriter (b. 1939)
  • 2014 – Ibrahim Touré, Ivorian footballer (b. 1985)
  • 2015 – James Salter, American novelist and short-story writer (b. 1925)
  • 2016 – Anton Yelchin, American actor (b. 1989)
  • 2017 – Otto Warmbier, American college student detained in North Korea (b. 1994)
  • 2018 – Koko, western lowland gorilla and user of American Sign Language (b. 1971)
  • 2019 – Etika, American YouTuber and streamer (b. 1990)

Holidays and observances on June 19

  • Christian feast day:
    • Deodatus (or Didier) of Nevers (or of Jointures)
    • Gervasius and Protasius (Catholic Church)
    • Hildegrim of Châlons
    • Juliana Falconieri
    • Romuald
    • Ursicinus of Ravenna
    • Zosimus
    • June 19 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • New Church feast day
    • New Church Day
  • Day of the Independent Hungary (Hungary)
  • Feast of Forest (Palawan)
  • Juneteenth (United States, especially African Americans)
  • Labour Day (Trinidad and Tobago)
  • Laguna Day (Laguna)
  • Never Again Day (Uruguay)
  • World Sickle Cell Day (International)

June 19 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

June 18 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 618 – Li Yuan becomes Emperor Gaozu of Tang, initiating three centuries of Tang dynasty rule over China.
  • 656 – Ali becomes Caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate.
  • 860 – Byzantine–Rus’ War: A fleet of about 200 Rus’ vessels sails into the Bosphorus and starts pillaging the suburbs of the Byzantine capital Constantinople.
  • 1053 – Battle of Civitate: Three thousand horsemen of Norman Count Humphrey rout the troops of Pope Leo IX.
  • 1178 – Five Canterbury monks see what is possibly the Giordano Bruno crater being formed. It is believed that the current oscillations of the Moon’s distance from the Earth (on the order of meters) are a result of this collision.
  • 1264 – The Parliament of Ireland meets at Castledermot in County Kildare, the first definitively known meeting of this Irish legislature.
  • 1265 – A draft Byzantine–Venetian treaty is concluded between Venetian envoys and Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos, but is not ratified by Doge Reniero Zeno.
  • 1429 – French forces under the leadership of Joan of Arc defeat the main English army under Sir John Fastolf at the Battle of Patay. This turns the tide of the Hundred Years’ War.
  • 1633 – Charles I is crowned King of Scots at St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh.
  • 1684 – The charter of the Massachusetts Bay Colony is revoked via a scire facias writ issued by an English court.
  • 1757 – Battle of Kolín between Prussian forces under Frederick the Great and an Austrian army under the command of Field Marshal Count Leopold Joseph von Daun in the Seven Years’ War.
  • 1778 – American Revolutionary War: British troops abandon Philadelphia.
  • 1799 – Action of 18 June 1799: A frigate squadron under Rear-admiral Perrée is captured by the British fleet under Lord Keith.
  • 1812 – The United States declaration of war upon the United Kingdom is signed by President James Madison, beginning the War of 1812.
  • 1815 – Napoleonic Wars: The Battle of Waterloo results in the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte by the Duke of Wellington and Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher forcing him to abdicate the throne of France for the second and last time.
  • 1822 – Constantine Kanaris blows up the Ottoman navy’s flagship at Chios, killing the Kapudan Pasha Nasuhzade Ali Pasha.
  • 1858 – Charles Darwin receives a paper from Alfred Russel Wallace that includes nearly identical conclusions about evolution as Darwin’s own, prompting Darwin to publish his theory.
  • 1859 – First ascent of Aletschhorn, second summit of the Bernese Alps.
  • 1873 – Susan B. Anthony is fined $100 for attempting to vote in the 1872 presidential election.
  • 1887 – The Reinsurance Treaty between Germany and Russia is signed.
  • 1900 – Empress Dowager Cixi of China orders all foreigners killed, including foreign diplomats and their families.
  • 1908 – Japanese immigration to Brazil begins when 781 people arrive in Santos aboard the ship Kasato-Maru.
  • 1908 – The University of the Philippines is established.
  • 1923 – Checker Taxi puts its first taxi on the streets.
  • 1928 – Aviator Amelia Earhart becomes the first woman to fly in an aircraft across the Atlantic Ocean (she is a passenger; Wilmer Stultz is the pilot and Lou Gordon the mechanic).
  • 1935 – Police in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, clash with striking longshoremen, resulting in a total of 60 injuries and 24 arrests.
  • 1940 – Appeal of 18 June by Charles de Gaulle.
  • 1940 – The “Finest Hour” speech is delivered by Winston Churchill.
  • 1945 – William Joyce (“Lord Haw-Haw”) is charged with treason for his pro-German propaganda broadcasting during World War II.
  • 1946 – Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia, a Socialist, calls for a Direct Action Day against the Portuguese in Goa.
  • 1948 – Columbia Records introduces the long-playing record album in a public demonstration at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City.
  • 1953 – The Egyptian revolution of 1952 ends with the overthrow of the Muhammad Ali dynasty and the declaration of the Republic of Egypt.
  • 1953 – A United States Air Force C-124 crashes and burns near Tachikawa, Japan, killing 129.
  • 1954 – Carlos Castillo Armas leads an invasion force across the Guatemalan border, setting in motion the 1954 Guatemalan coup d’état.
  • 1965 – Vietnam War: The United States uses B-52 bombers to attack National Liberation Front guerrilla fighters in South Vietnam.
  • 1972 – Staines air disaster: One hundred eighteen people are killed when a BEA H.S. Trident crashes two minutes after take off from London’s Heathrow Airport.
  • 1979 – SALT II is signed by the United States and the Soviet Union.
  • 1981 – The Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk, the first operational aircraft initially designed around stealth technology, makes its first flight.
  • 1982 – Italian banker Roberto Calvi’s body is discovered hanging beneath Blackfriars Bridge in London, England.
  • 1983 – Space Shuttle program: STS-7, Astronaut Sally Ride becomes the first American woman in space.
  • 1983 – Mona Mahmudnizhad, together with nine other Bahá’í women, is sentenced to death and hanged in Shiraz, Iran over her religious beliefs.
  • 1984 – A major clash between about 5,000 police and a similar number of miners takes place at Orgreave, South Yorkshire, during the 1984–85 UK miners’ strike.
  • 1994 – The Troubles: Members of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) attack a crowded pub with assault rifles in Loughinisland, Northern Ireland. Six Catholic civilians are killed and five wounded. It was crowded with people watching the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
  • 2006 – The first Kazakh space satellite, KazSat-1 is launched.
  • 2007 – The Charleston Sofa Super Store fire happened in Charleston, South Carolina, killing nine firefighters.
  • 2009 – The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), a NASA robotic spacecraft is launched.
  • 2018 – An earthquake of magnitude 6.1 strikes northern Osaka.

Births on June 18

  • 1269 – Eleanor of England, Countess of Bar (d. 1298)
  • 1318 – Eleanor of Woodstock (d. 1355)
  • 1332 – John V Palaiologos, Byzantine Emperor (d. 1391)
  • 1466 – Ottaviano Petrucci, Italian printer (d. 1539)
  • 1511 – Bartolomeo Ammannati, Italian architect and sculptor, designed the Ponte Santa Trinita (d. 1592)
  • 1517 – Emperor Ōgimachi of Japan (d. 1593)
  • 1521 – Maria of Portugal, Duchess of Viseu (d. 1577)
  • 1667 – Ivan Trubetskoy, Russian field marshal (d. 1750)
  • 1673 – Antonio de Literes, Spanish composer (d. 1747)
  • 1677 – Antonio Maria Bononcini, Italian cellist and composer (d. 1726)
  • 1716 – Joseph-Marie Vien, French painter and educator (d. 1809)
  • 1717 – Johann Stamitz, Czech violinist and composer (d. 1757)
  • 1757 – Ignaz Pleyel, Austrian-French pianist and composer (d. 1831)
  • 1757 – Gervasio Antonio de Posadas, Argentinian lawyer and politician 1st Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata (d. 1833)
  • 1769 – Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh, Irish-English politician, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (d. 1822)
  • 1799 – William Lassell, English astronomer and merchant (d. 1880)
  • 1812 – Ivan Goncharov, Russian journalist and author (d. 1891)
  • 1815 – Ludwig Freiherr von und zu der Tann-Rathsamhausen, German general (d. 1881)
  • 1816 – Hélène Napoleone Bonaparte, French daughter of Napoleon (d. 1907)
  • 1816 – Jung Bahadur Rana, Nepali ruler (d. 1877)
  • 1833 – Manuel González Flores, Mexican general and President (1880-1884) (d. 1893)
  • 1834 – Auguste-Théodore-Paul de Broglie, French philosopher and academic (d. 1895)
  • 1839 – William H. Seward Jr., American general and banker (d. 1920)
  • 1845 – Charles Louis Alphonse Laveran, French physician and parasitologist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1922)
  • 1850 – Richard Heuberger, Austrian composer and critic (d. 1914)
  • 1854 – E. W. Scripps, American publisher, founded the E. W. Scripps Company (d. 1926)
  • 1857 – Henry Clay Folger, American businessman and philanthropist, founded the Folger Shakespeare Library (d. 1930)
  • 1858 – Andrew Forsyth, Scottish-English mathematician and academic (d. 1942)
  • 1858 – Hector Rason, English-Australian politician, 7th Premier of Western Australia (d. 1927)
  • 1862 – Carolyn Wells, American novelist and poet (d. 1942)
  • 1863 – George Essex Evans, English-Australian poet and author (d. 1909)
  • 1868 – Miklós Horthy, Hungarian admiral and politician, Regent of Hungary (d. 1957)
  • 1870 – Édouard Le Roy, French mathematician and philosopher (d. 1954)
  • 1877 – James Montgomery Flagg, American painter and illustrator (d. 1960)
  • 1881 – Zoltán Halmay, Hungarian swimmer (d. 1956)
  • 1882 – Georgi Dimitrov, Bulgarian compositor and politician, 32nd Prime Minister of Bulgaria (d. 1949)
  • 1884 – Édouard Daladier, French captain and politician, Prime Minister of France (d. 1970)
  • 1886 – George Mallory, English lieutenant and mountaineer (d. 1924)
  • 1886 – Alexander Wetmore, American ornithologist and paleontologist (d. 1978)
  • 1887 – Tancrède Labbé, Canadian businessman and politician (d. 1956)
  • 1896 – Blanche Sweet, American actress (d. 1986)
  • 1897 – Martti Marttelin, Finnish runner (d. 1940)
  • 1900 – Vlasta Vraz, Czech-American relief worker, editor, and fundraiser (d. 1989)
  • 1901 – Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia (d. 1918)
  • 1901 – Llewellyn Rees, English actor (d. 1994)
  • 1902 – Louis Alter, American musician (d. 1980)
  • 1902 – Paavo Yrjölä, Finnish decathlete (d. 1980)
  • 1903 – Jeanette MacDonald, American actress and singer (d. 1965)
  • 1903 – Raymond Radiguet, French author and poet (d. 1923)
  • 1904 – Keye Luke, Chinese-American actor (d. 1991)
  • 1904 – Manuel Rosenthal, French conductor and composer (d. 2003)
  • 1905 – Eduard Tubin, Estonian composer and conductor (d. 1982)
  • 1907 – Frithjof Schuon, Swiss-American metaphysicist, philosopher, and author (d. 1998)
  • 1908 – Bud Collyer, American actor and game show host (d. 1969)
  • 1908 – Stanley Knowles, American-Canadian academic and politician (d. 1997)
  • 1908 – Nedra Volz, American actress (d. 2003)
  • 1910 – Dick Foran, American actor and singer (d. 1979)
  • 1910 – Avon Long, American actor and singer (d. 1984)
  • 1910 – Ray McKinley, American singer, drummer, and bandleader (d. 1995)
  • 1912 – Glenn Morris, American decathlete (d. 1974)
  • 1913 – Wilfred Gordon Bigelow, Canadian soldier and surgeon (d. 2005)
  • 1913 – Sammy Cahn, American pianist and composer (d. 1993)
  • 1913 – Sylvia Porter, American economist and journalist (d. 1991)
  • 1913 – Françoise Loranger, Canadian playwright and producer (d. 1995)
  • 1913 – Robert Mondavi, American winemaker and philanthropist (d. 2008)
  • 1913 – Oswald Teichmüller, German mathematician (d. 1943)
  • 1914 – E. G. Marshall, American actor (d. 1998)
  • 1914 – Efraín Huerta, Mexican poet (d.1982)
  • 1915 – Red Adair, American firefighter (d. 2004)
  • 1915 – Robert Kanigher, American author (d. 2002)
  • 1915 – Alice T. Schafer, American mathematician (d. 2009)
  • 1916 – Julio César Turbay Ayala, Colombian lawyer and politician, 25th President of Colombia (d. 2005)
  • 1917 – Richard Boone, American actor, singer, and director (d. 1981)
  • 1917 – Jack Karnehm, English snooker player and sportscaster (d. 2002)
  • 1917 – Erik Ortvad, Danish painter and illustrator (d. 2008)
  • 1918 – Alf Francis, West Prussia-born, English motor racing mechanic and race car constructor (d. 1983)
  • 1918 – Jerome Karle, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2013)
  • 1918 – Franco Modigliani, Italian-American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2003)
  • 1919 – Jüri Järvet, Estonian actor and screenwriter (d. 1995)
  • 1920 – Ian Carmichael, English actor and singer (d. 2010)
  • 1920 – Lode Van Den Bergh, Belgian author and academic
  • 1922 – Claude Helffer, French pianist and educator (d. 2004)
  • 1924 – George Mikan, American basketball player and coach (d. 2005)
  • 1925 – Robert Beadell, American composer and educator (d. 1994)
  • 1926 – Philip B. Crosby, American businessman and author (d. 2001)
  • 1926 – Allan Sandage, American astronomer and cosmologist (d. 2010)
  • 1926 – Tom Wicker, American journalist and author (d. 2011)
  • 1927 – Eva Bartok, Hungarian-English actress (d. 1998)
  • 1927 – Paul Eddington, English actor (d. 1995)
  • 1928 – Michael Blakemore, Australian actor, director, and screenwriter
  • 1928 – David T. Lykken, American geneticist and academic (d. 2006)
  • 1929 – Jürgen Habermas, German sociologist and philosopher
  • 1929 – Tibor Rubin, Hungarian-American soldier, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 2015)
  • 1931 – Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Brazilian sociologist, academic, and politician, 34th President of Brazil
  • 1932 – Dudley R. Herschbach, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1932 – Geoffrey Hill, English poet and academic (d. 2016)
  • 1933 – Colin Brumby, Australian composer and conductor (d. 2018)
  • 1933 – Tommy Hunt, American singer
  • 1934 – Brian Kenny, English general (d. 2017)
  • 1934 – Mitsuteru Yokoyama, Japanese author and illustrator (d. 2004)
  • 1936 – Denny Hulme, New Zealand race car driver (d. 1992)
  • 1936 – Barack Obama Sr., Kenyan economist (d. 1982)
  • 1936 – Ronald Venetiaan, Surinamese politician, 6th President of Suriname
  • 1937 – Del Harris, American basketball player and coach
  • 1937 – Jay Rockefeller, American lawyer and politician, 29th Governor of West Virginia
  • 1937 – Bruce Trigger, Canadian archaeologist, anthropologist and historian (d. 2006)
  • 1937 – Vitaly Zholobov, Ukrainian colonel, engineer, and astronaut
  • 1938 – Kevin Murray, Australian footballer and coach
  • 1939 – Lou Brock, American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1939 – Jean-Claude Germain, Canadian historian, author, and journalist
  • 1939 – Brooks Firestone, American businessman and politician
  • 1941 – Roger Lemerre, French footballer and manager
  • 1941 – Paul Mayersberg, English director and screenwriter
  • 1941 – Delia Smith, English chef and author
  • 1942 – John Bellany, Scottish painter and academic (d. 2013)
  • 1942 – Roger Ebert, American journalist, critic, and screenwriter (d. 2013)
  • 1942 – Pat Hutchins, English author and illustrator
  • 1942 – Thabo Mbeki, South African politician, 23rd President of South Africa
  • 1942 – Paul McCartney, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1942 – Richard Perry, American record producer
  • 1942 – Carl Radle, American bass player and producer (d. 1980)
  • 1942 – Nick Tate, Australian actor and director
  • 1942 – Hans Vonk, Dutch conductor (d. 2004)
  • 1943 – Barry Evans, English actor (d. 1997)
  • 1943 – Raffaella Carrà, Italian singer, dancer, and actress
  • 1944 – Bruce DuMont, American broadcaster and political analyst
  • 1944 – Sandy Posey, American pop/country singer
  • 1946 – Russell Ash, English journalist and author (d. 2010)
  • 1946 – Bruiser Brody, American wrestler (d. 1988)
  • 1946 – Fabio Capello, Italian footballer and manager
  • 1946 – Maria Bethânia, Brazilian singer
  • 1947 – Ivonne Coll, Puerto Rican-American model and actress, Miss Puerto Rico 1967
  • 1947 – Bernard Giraudeau, French actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2010)
  • 1947 – Linda Thorson, Canadian actress
  • 1948 – Philip Jackson, English actor
  • 1948 – Éva Marton, Hungarian soprano and actress
  • 1948 – Sherry Turkle, American academic, psychologist, and sociologist
  • 1949 – Chris Van Allsburg, American author and illustrator
  • 1949 – Jarosław Kaczyński, Polish lawyer and politician, 13th Prime Minister of Poland
  • 1949 – Lech Kaczyński, Polish lawyer and politician, 4th President of Poland (d. 2010)
  • 1949 – Lincoln Thompson, Jamaican singer-songwriter (d. 1999)
  • 1950 – Rod de’Ath, Welsh drummer and producer (d. 2014)
  • 1950 – Annelie Ehrhardt, German hurdler
  • 1950 – Mike Johanns, American lawyer and politician, 28th United States Secretary of Agriculture
  • 1950 – Jackie Leven, Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2011)
  • 1951 – Mohammed Al-Sager, Kuwaiti journalist and politician
  • 1951 – Miriam Flynn, American actress and comedian
  • 1951 – Ian Hargreaves, English-Welsh journalist and academic
  • 1951 – Stephen Hopper, Australian botanist and academic
  • 1951 – Gyula Sax, Hungarian chess player (d. 2014)
  • 1952 – Tiiu Aro, Estonian physician and politician, Estonian Minister of Social Affairs
  • 1952 – Denis Herron, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1952 – Carol Kane, American actress
  • 1952 – Isabella Rossellini, Italian actress, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1952 – Lee Soo-man, South Korean singer and businessman, founded S.M. Entertainment
  • 1953 – Peter Donohoe, English pianist and educator
  • 1955 – Ed Fast, Canadian lawyer and politician
  • 1956 – Brian Benben, American actor and producer
  • 1956 – John Scott, English organist and conductor (d. 2015)
  • 1957 – Miguel Ángel Lotina, Spanish footballer and manager
  • 1957 – Richard Powers, American novelist
  • 1958 – Peter Altmaier, German jurist and politician, Federal Minister for Special Affairs of Germany
  • 1958 – Gary Martin, British voice actor and actor
  • 1959 – Joe Ansolabehere, American animation screenwriter and producer
  • 1960 – Barbara Broccoli, American director and producer
  • 1960 – Steve Murphy, Canadian journalist
  • 1961 – Oz Fox, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1961 – Andrés Galarraga, Venezuelan-American baseball player
  • 1961 – Angela Johnson, American novelist and poet
  • 1961 – Alison Moyet, English singer-songwriter
  • 1962 – Lisa Randall, American physicist and academic
  • 1963 – Dizzy Reed, American keyboard player and songwriter
  • 1963 – Bruce Smith, American football player
  • 1964 – Uday Hussein, Iraqi commander (d. 2003)
  • 1964 – Patti Webster, American publicist and author (d. 2013)
  • 1966 – Kurt Browning, Canadian figure skater, choreographer, and sportscaster
  • 1966 – Troy Kemp, Bahamian high jumper
  • 1968 – Frank Müller, German decathlete
  • 1969 – Haki Doku, Albanian cyclist
  • 1969 – Christopher Largen, American journalist and author (d. 2012)
  • 1970 – Katie Derham, English journalist
  • 1970 – Ivan Kozák, Slovak footballer
  • 1970 – Greg Yaitanes, American director and producer
  • 1971 – Kerry Butler, American actress and singer
  • 1971 – Jason McAteer, English-Irish footballer and manager
  • 1971 – Nathan Morris, American soul singer
  • 1972 – Anu Tali, Estonian pianist and conductor
  • 1972 – Wikus du Toit, South African actor, director, and composer
  • 1973 – Julie Depardieu, French actress
  • 1973 – Stephen Thomas Erlewine, American author and music critic
  • 1973 – Ray LaMontagne, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1973 – Alexandra Meissnitzer, Austrian skier
  • 1973 – Matt Parsons, Australian rugby league player
  • 1973 – Gavin Wanganeen Australian footballer and coach
  • 1974 – Vincenzo Montella, Italian footballer and manager
  • 1974 – Sergey Sharikov, Russian fencer and coach (d. 2015)
  • 1975 – Marie Gillain, Belgian actress
  • 1975 – Aleksandrs Koļinko, Latvian footballer
  • 1975 – Martin St. Louis, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1976 – Blake Shelton, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1978 – Wang Liqin, Chinese table tennis player
  • 1979 – Yumiko Kobayashi, Japanese voice actress and singer
  • 1979 – Ivana Wong, Hong Kong singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1980 – Antonio Gates, American football player
  • 1980 – Sergey Kirdyapkin, Russian race walker
  • 1980 – Craig Mottram, Australian runner
  • 1980 – Antero Niittymäki, Finnish ice hockey player
  • 1980 – Tara Platt, American actress, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1981 – Clint Newton, American-Australian rugby league player
  • 1981 – Marco Streller, Swiss footballer
  • 1982 – Nadir Belhadj, French-Algerian footballer
  • 1982 – Marco Borriello, Italian footballer
  • 1982 – Nathan Cavaleri, Australian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
  • 1983 – Billy Slater, Australian rugby league player
  • 1983 – Cameron Smith, Australian rugby league player
  • 1984 – Nanyak Dala, Canadian rugby player
  • 1985 – Chris Coghlan, American baseball player
  • 1985 – Alex Hirsch, American animator and television producer
  • 1986 – Edgars Eriņš, Latvian decathlete
  • 1986 – Richard Gasquet, French tennis player
  • 1987 – Omar Arellano, Mexican footballer
  • 1987 – Moeen Ali, English cricketer
  • 1988 – Elini Dimoutsos, Greek footballer
  • 1988 – Josh Dun, American musician
  • 1989 – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, French-born Gabonese footballer
  • 1989 – Chris Harris Jr., American football player
  • 1990 – Luke Adam, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1990 – Sandra Izbașa, Romanian gymnast
  • 1990 – Derek Stepan, American ice hockey player
  • 1990 – Christian Taylor, American triple jumper
  • 1993 – Dennis Lloyd, Israeli musician, producer, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist
  • 1994 – Sean McMahon, Australian rugby player
  • 1994 – Takeoff, American rapper
  • 1995 – Maxim Kovtun, Russian figure skater
  • 1996 – Alen Halilović, Croatian footballer
  • 1996 – Niki Wories, Dutch figure skater
  • 1997 – Katharina Hobgarski, German tennis player
  • 1997 – Latrell Mitchell, Australian rugby league player
  • 1999 – Trippie Redd, American rapper

Deaths on June 18

  • 741 – Leo III the Isaurian, Byzantine emperor (b. 685)
  • 908 – Zhang Hao, general of Yang Wu
  • 1095 – Sophia of Hungary (b. c. 1050)
  • 1164 – Elisabeth of Schönau, German Benedictine visionary (b. c. 1129)
  • 1234 – Emperor Chūkyō of Japan (b. 1218)
  • 1250 – Theresa of Portugal, Queen of León
  • 1291 – Alfonso III of Aragon (b. 1265)
  • 1333 – Henry XV, Duke of Bavaria (b. 1312)
  • 1464 – Rogier van der Weyden, Flemish painter (b. 1400)
  • 1588 – Robert Crowley, English minister and poet (b. 1517)
  • 1629 – Piet Pieterszoon Hein, Dutch admiral (b. 1577)
  • 1650 – Christoph Scheiner, German priest, physicist, and astronomer (b. 1575)
  • 1673 – Jeanne Mance, French-Canadian nurse, founded the Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal (b. 1606)
  • 1704 – Tom Brown, English author and translator (b. 1662)
  • 1726 – Michel Richard Delalande, French organist and composer (b. 1657)
  • 1742 – John Aislabie, English politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer (b. 1670)
  • 1749 – Ambrose Philips, English poet and politician (b. 1674)
  • 1772 – Johann Ulrich von Cramer, German jurist and scholar (b. 1706)
  • 1772 – Gerard van Swieten, Dutch-Austrian physician and reformer (b. 1700)
  • 1788 – Adam Gib, Scottish religious leader (b. 1714)
  • 1794 – François Buzot, French lawyer and politician (b. 1760)
  • 1794 – James Murray, Scottish-English general and politician, 20th Governor of the Province of Quebec (b. 1721)
  • 1815 – Thomas Picton, Welsh-English general and politician (b. 1758)
  • 1833 – Robert Hett Chapman, American minister, missionary, and academic (b. 1771)
  • 1835 – William Cobbett, English farmer and journalist (b. 1763)
  • 1860 – Friedrich Wilhelm von Bismarck, German army officer and writer (b. 1783)
  • 1866 – Prince Sigismund of Prussia (b. 1864)
  • 1902 – Samuel Butler, English novelist, satirist, and critic (b. 1835)
  • 1905 – Carmine Crocco, Italian soldier (b. 1830)
  • 1916 – Max Immelmann, German lieutenant and pilot (b. 1890)
  • 1917 – Titu Maiorescu, Romanian critic and politician, 23rd Prime Minister of Romania (b. 1840)
  • 1922 – Jacobus Kapteyn, Dutch astronomer and academic (b. 1851)
  • 1928 – Roald Amundsen, Norwegian pilot and explorer (b. 1872)
  • 1936 – Maxim Gorky, Russian novelist, short story writer, and playwright (b. 1868)
  • 1937 – Gaston Doumergue, French politician, 13th President of France (b. 1863)
  • 1942 – Arthur Pryor, American trombonist, bandleader, and politician (b. 1870)
  • 1943 – Elias Degiannis, Greek commander (b. 1912)
  • 1945 – Florence Bascom, American geologist and educator (b. 1862)[10]
  • 1945 – Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr., American general (b. 1886)
  • 1947 – Shigematsu Sakaibara, Japanese admiral (b. 1898)
  • 1948 – Edward Brooker, English-Australian politician, 31st Premier of Tasmania (b. 1891)
  • 1959 – Ethel Barrymore, American actress (b. 1879)
  • 1963 – Pedro Armendáriz, Mexican-American actor (b. 1912)
  • 1964 – Giorgio Morandi, Italian painter (b. 1890)
  • 1967 – Geki, Italian race car driver (b. 1937)
  • 1967 – Beat Fehr, Swiss race car driver (b. 1942)
  • 1971 – Thomas Gomez, American actor (b. 1905)
  • 1971 – Paul Karrer, Russian-Swiss chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1889)
  • 1974 – Júlio César de Mello e Souza, Brazilian mathematician and academic (b. 1896)
  • 1974 – Georgy Zhukov, Russian marshal and politician, Minister of Defence for the Soviet Union (b. 1896)
  • 1975 – Hugo Bergmann, German-Israeli philosopher and author (b. 1883)
  • 1978 – Walter C. Alvarez, American physician and author (b. 1884)
  • 1980 – Terence Fisher, English director and screenwriter (b. 1904)
  • 1980 – André Leducq, French cyclist (b. 1904)
  • 1982 – Djuna Barnes, American novelist, journalist, and playwright (b. 1892)
  • 1982 – John Cheever, American novelist and short story writer (b. 1912)
  • 1982 – Curd Jürgens, German-Austrian actor and director (b. 1915)
  • 1984 – Alan Berg, American lawyer and radio host (b. 1934)
  • 1985 – Paul Colin, French illustrator (b. 1892)
  • 1986 – Frances Scott Fitzgerald, American journalist (b. 1921)
  • 1989 – I. F. Stone, American journalist and author (b. 1907)
  • 1992 – Kofoworola Abeni Pratt, the first black Chief Nursing Officer of Nigeria  (b. 1910)
  • 1992 – Peter Allen, Australian singer-songwriter and pianist (b. 1944)
  • 1992 – Mordecai Ardon, Polish-Israeli painter and educator (b. 1896)
  • 1993 – Craig Rodwell, American activist, founded the Oscar Wilde Bookshop (b. 1940)
  • 1996 – Endel Puusepp, Estonian-Soviet military pilot and politician (b. 1909)
  • 1997 – Lev Kopelev, Ukrainian-German author and academic (b. 1912)
  • 1998 – Felix Knight, American actor and tenor (b. 1908)
  • 2000 – Nancy Marchand, American actress (b. 1928)
  • 2003 – Larry Doby, American baseball player and manager (b. 1923)
  • 2005 – Mushtaq Ali, Indian cricketer (b. 1914)
  • 2005 – Manuel Sadosky, Argentinian mathematician and academic (b. 1914)
  • 2006 – Vincent Sherman, American actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1906)
  • 2006 – Joseph Zobel, Martinique-French author (b. 1915)
  • 2007 – Bernard Manning, English comedian and actor (b. 1930)
  • 2007 – Hank Medress, American singer and producer (b. 1938)
  • 2007 – Georges Thurston, Canadian singer-songwriter (b. 1951)
  • 2008 – Jean Delannoy, French actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1908)
  • 2008 – Tasha Tudor, American author and illustrator (b. 1915)
  • 2008 – Hans Steinbrenner, German sculptor (b. 1928)
  • 2010 – Trent Acid, American wrestler (b. 1980)
  • 2010 – José Saramago, Portuguese novelist Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1922)
  • 2010 – Okan Demiriş, Turkish composer (b. 1942)
  • 2011 – Yelena Bonner, Russian activist (b. 1923)
  • 2011 – Frederick Chiluba, Zambian politician, 2nd President of Zambia (b. 1943)
  • 2011 – Clarence Clemons, American saxophonist (b. 1942)
  • 2012 – Horacio Coppola, Argentinian photographer and director (b. 1906)
  • 2012 – Lina Haag, German author and activist (b. 1907)
  • 2012 – Tom Maynard, Welsh cricketer (b. 1989)
  • 2012 – Luis Edgardo Mercado Jarrín, Peruvian general and politician, 109th Prime Minister of Peru (b. 1919)
  • 2012 – Alketas Panagoulias, Greek footballer and manager (b. 1934)
  • 2012 – William Van Regenmorter, American businessman and politician (b. 1939)
  • 2013 – Brent F. Anderson, American engineer and politician (b. 1932)
  • 2013 – Alastair Donaldson, Scottish bass player (b. 1955)
  • 2013 – Garde Gardom, Canadian lawyer and politician, 26th Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia (b. 1924)
  • 2013 – Michael Hastings, American journalist and author (b. 1980)
  • 2013 – David Wall, English ballet dancer (b. 1946)
  • 2014 – Stephanie Kwolek, American chemist and engineer (b. 1923)
  • 2014 – Johnny Mann, American singer-songwriter and conductor (b. 1928)
  • 2014 – Claire Martin, Canadian author (b. 1914)
  • 2014 – Vladimir Popovkin, Russian general (b. 1957)
  • 2014 – Horace Silver, American pianist and composer (b. 1928)
  • 2015 – Phil Austin, American comedian, actor, and screenwriter (b. 1941)
  • 2015 – Ralph J. Roberts, American businessman, co-founded Comcast (b. 1920)
  • 2015 – Danny Villanueva, American football player and broadcaster, co-founded Univision (b. 1937)
  • 2015 – Allen Weinstein, American historian and academic (b. 1937)
  • 2016 – Jeppiaar, Indian educationist, founder and chancellor of Sathyabama University (b. 1931)
  • 2018 – XXXTentacion, American rapper (b. 1998)
  • 2018 – Big Van Vader (also known as Vader) American professional wrestler (b. 1955)
  • 2018 – Jimmy Wopo, American rapper (b. 1997)
  • 2020 – Vera Lynn, English singer who was the “Forces’ Sweetheart” in World War II (b. 1917)

Holidays and observances on June 18

  • Autistic Pride Day (International)
  • Christian feast day:
    • Bernard Mizeki (Anglican and Episcopal Church)
    • Elisabeth of Schönau
    • Gregorio Barbarigo
    • Leontius, Hypatius and Theodulus
    • Marina the Monk (Maronite Church, Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria)
    • Mark and Marcellian
    • June 18 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Foundation Day (Benguet)
  • Human Rights Day (Azerbaijan)
  • National Day (Seychelles)
  • Queen Mother’s Birthday (Cambodia)
  • Waterloo Day (United Kingdom)

June 18 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

June 15 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 763 BC – Assyrians record a solar eclipse that is later used to fix the chronology of Mesopotamian history.
  • 844 – Louis II is crowned as king of Italy at Rome by pope Sergius II.
  • 923 – Battle of Soissons: King Robert I of France is killed and King Charles the Simple is arrested by the supporters of Duke Rudolph of Burgundy.
  • 1184 – The naval Battle of Fimreite is won by the Birkebeiner pretender Sverre Sigurdsson. Sigurdsson takes the Norwegian throne and King Magnus V of Norway is killed.
  • 1215 – King John of England puts his seal to Magna Carta.
  • 1219 – Northern Crusades: Danish victory at the Battle of Lindanise (modern-day Tallinn) establishes the Danish Duchy of Estonia.
  • 1246 – With the death of Frederick II, Duke of Austria, the Babenberg dynasty ends in Austria.
  • 1300 – The city of Bilbao is founded.
  • 1312 – At the Battle of Rozgony, King Charles I of Hungary wins a decisive victory over the family of Palatine Amade Aba.
  • 1389 – Battle of Kosovo: The Ottoman Empire defeats Serbs and Bosnians.
  • 1410 – In a decisive battle at Onon River, the Mongol forces of Oljei Temur were decimated by the Chinese armies of the Yongle Emperor.
  • 1502 – Christopher Columbus lands on the island of Martinique on his fourth voyage.
  • 1520 – Pope Leo X threatens to excommunicate Martin Luther in Exsurge Domine.
  • 1648 – Margaret Jones is hanged in Boston for witchcraft in the first such execution for the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
  • 1667 – The first human blood transfusion is administered by Dr. Jean-Baptiste Denys.
  • 1670 – The first stone of Fort Ricasoli is laid down in Malta.
  • 1752 – Benjamin Franklin proves that lightning is electricity (traditional date, the exact date is unknown).
  • 1776 – Delaware Separation Day: Delaware votes to suspend government under the British Crown and separate officially from Pennsylvania.
  • 1800 – The Provisional Army of the United States is dissolved.
  • 1804 – New Hampshire approves the Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratifying the document.
  • 1808 – Joseph Bonaparte becomes King of Spain.
  • 1836 – Arkansas is admitted as the 25th U.S. state.
  • 1844 – Charles Goodyear receives a patent for vulcanization, a process to strengthen rubber.
  • 1846 – The Oregon Treaty extends the border between the United States and British North America, established by the Treaty of 1818, westward to the Pacific Ocean.
  • 1859 – Ambiguity in the Oregon Treaty leads to the “Northwestern Boundary Dispute” between American and British/Canadian settlers.
  • 1864 – American Civil War: The Second Battle of Petersburg begins.
  • 1864 – Arlington National Cemetery is established when 200 acres (0.81 km2) of the Arlington estate (formerly owned by Confederate General Robert E. Lee) are officially set aside as a military cemetery by U.S. Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton.
  • 1877 – Henry Ossian Flipper becomes the first African American cadet to graduate from the United States Military Academy.
  • 1878 – Eadweard Muybridge takes a series of photographs to prove that all four feet of a horse leave the ground when it runs; the study becomes the basis of motion pictures.
  • 1888 – Crown Prince Wilhelm becomes Kaiser Wilhelm II; he will be the last Emperor of the German Empire. Due to the death of his predecessors Wilhelm I and Frederick III, 1888 is the Year of the Three Emperors.
  • 1896 – The deadliest tsunami in Japan’s history kills more than 22,000 people.
  • 1904 – A fire aboard the steamboat SS General Slocum in New York City’s East River kills 1,000.
  • 1916 – United States President Woodrow Wilson signs a bill incorporating the Boy Scouts of America, making them the only American youth organization with a federal charter.
  • 1919 – John Alcock and Arthur Brown complete the first nonstop transatlantic flight when they reach Clifden, County Galway, Ireland.
  • 1920 – Following the 1920 Schleswig plebiscites, Northern Schleswig is transferred from Germany to Denmark.
  • 1921 – Bessie Coleman earns her pilot’s license, becoming the first female pilot of African-American descent.
  • 1934 – The United States Great Smoky Mountains National Park is founded.
  • 1936 – First flight of the Vickers Wellington bomber.
  • 1937 – A German expedition led by Karl Wien loses sixteen members in an avalanche on Nanga Parbat. It is the worst single disaster to occur on an 8000m peak.
  • 1940 – World War II: Operation Ariel begins: Allied troops start to evacuate France, following Germany’s takeover of Paris and most of the nation.
  • 1944 – World War II: The United States invades Saipan, capital of Japan’s South Seas Mandate.
  • 1944 – In the Saskatchewan general election, the CCF, led by Tommy Douglas, is elected and forms the first socialist government in North America.
  • 1970 – Charles Manson goes on trial for the Sharon Tate murders.
  • 1972 – Red Army Faction co-founder Ulrike Meinhof is captured by police in Langenhagen.
  • 1977 – After the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975, the first democratic elections took place in Spain.
  • 1978 – King Hussein of Jordan marries American Lisa Halaby, who takes the name Queen Noor.
  • 1985 – Rembrandt’s painting Danaë is attacked by a man (later judged insane) who throws sulfuric acid on the canvas and cuts it twice with a knife.
  • 1991 – In the Philippines, Mount Pinatubo erupts in the second largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century, killing over 800 people.
  • 1992 – The United States Supreme Court rules in United States v. Álvarez-Machaín that it is permissible for the United States to forcibly extradite suspects in foreign countries and bring them to the United States for trial, without approval from those other countries.
  • 1994 – Israel and Vatican City establish full diplomatic relations.
  • 1996 – The Troubles: The Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) detonates a powerful truck bomb in the middle of Manchester, England, devastating the city centre and injuring 200 people.
  • 2001 – Leaders of the People’s Republic of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan formed the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
  • 2012 – Nik Wallenda becomes the first person to successfully tightrope walk directly over Niagara Falls.
  • 2013 – A bomb explodes on a bus in the Pakistani city of Quetta, killing at least 25 people and wounding 22 others.

Births on June 15

  • 1330 – Edward, the Black Prince of England (d. 1376)
  • 1479 – Lisa del Giocondo, Italian model, subject of the Mona Lisa (d. 1542)
  • 1519 – Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset, English politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (d. 1536)
  • 1542 – Richard Grenville, English captain and explorer (d. 1591)
  • 1549 – Elizabeth Knollys, English noblewoman (d. 1605)
  • 1553 – Archduke Ernest of Austria (d. 1595)
  • 1605 – Thomas Randolph, English poet and playwright (d. 1635)
  • 1618 – François Blondel, French architect (d. 1686)
  • 1623 – Cornelis de Witt, Dutch politician (d. 1672)
  • 1624 – Hiob Ludolf, German orientalist and philologist (d. 1704)
  • 1640 – Bernard Lamy, French mathematician and theologian (d. 1715)
  • 1645 – Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin, English politician (d. 1712)
  • 1749 – Georg Joseph Vogler, German organist, composer, and theorist (d. 1814)
  • 1754 – Juan José Elhuyar, Spanish chemist and mineralogist (d. 1796)
  • 1755 – Antoine François, comte de Fourcroy, French chemist and entomologist (d. 1809)
  • 1763 – Franz Danzi, German cellist, composer, and conductor (d. 1826)
  • 1763 – Kobayashi Issa, Japanese priest and poet (d. 1827)
  • 1765 – Martin Baum, American businessman and politician, Mayor of Cincinnati (d. 1831)
  • 1765 – Johann Gottlieb Friedrich von Bohnenberger, German astronomer and mathematician (d. 1831)
  • 1767 – Rachel Jackson, American wife of Andrew Jackson (d. 1828)
  • 1777 – David Daniel Davis, Welsh physician and academic (d. 1841)
  • 1789 – Josiah Henson, American minister, author, and activist (d. 1883)
  • 1792 – Thomas Mitchell, Scottish-Australian colonel and explorer (d. 1855)
  • 1801 – Benjamin Wright Raymond, American merchant and politician, 3rd Mayor of Chicago (d. 1883)
  • 1805 – William B. Ogden, American businessman and politician, 1st Mayor of Chicago (d. 1877)
  • 1809 – François-Xavier Garneau, Canadian poet and historian (d. 1866)
  • 1835 – Adah Isaacs Menken, American actress, painter, and poet (d. 1868)
  • 1843 – Edvard Grieg, Norwegian pianist and composer (d. 1907)
  • 1848 – Gheevarghese Mar Gregorios of Parumala, Indian bishop and saint (d. 1902)
  • 1872 – Thomas William Burgess, English swimmer and water polo player (d. 1950)
  • 1875 – Herman Smith-Johannsen, Norwegian-Canadian skier (d. 1987)
  • 1878 – Margaret Abbott, Indian-American golfer (d. 1955)
  • 1881 – Kesago Nakajima, Japanese lieutenant general in the Imperial Japanese Army (d. 1945)
  • 1884 – Harry Langdon, American actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 1944)
  • 1886 – Frank Clement, British racing driver (d. 1970)
  • 1888 – Ramón López Velarde, Mexican poet and author (d. 1921)
  • 1890 – Georg Wüst, German oceanographer and academic (d. 1977)
  • 1894 – Robert Russell Bennett, American composer and conductor (d. 1981)
  • 1894 – Nikolai Chebotaryov, Ukrainian-Russian mathematician and theorist (d. 1947)
  • 1898 – Hubertus Strughold, German-American physiologist and academic (d. 1986)
  • 1900 – Gotthard Günther, German philosopher and academic (d. 1984)
  • 1900 – Otto Luening, German-American composer and conductor (d. 1996)
  • 1901 – Elmar Lohk, Russian-Estonian architect (d. 1963)
  • 1902 – Erik Erikson, German-American psychologist and psychoanalyst (d. 1994)
  • 1906 – Gordon Welchman, English-American mathematician and author (d. 1985)
  • 1906 – Léon Degrelle, Belgian SS officer (d. 1994)
  • 1907 – James Robertson Justice, English actor and educator (d. 1975)
  • 1909 – Elena Nikolaidi, Greek-American soprano and educator (d. 2002)
  • 1910 – David Rose, English-American pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1990)
  • 1911 – Wilbert Awdry, English author, co-created Thomas the Tank Engine (d. 1997)
  • 1913 – Tom Adair, American songwriter, composer, and screenwriter (d. 1988)
  • 1914 – Yuri Andropov, Russian politician (d. 1984)
  • 1914 – Saul Steinberg, Romanian-American cartoonist (d. 1999)
  • 1914 – Hilda Terry, American cartoonist (d. 2006)
  • 1915 – Nini Theilade, Danish ballet dancer, choreographer, and educator (d. 2018)
  • 1915 – Thomas Huckle Weller, American biologist and virologist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2008)
  • 1916 – Olga Erteszek, Polish-American fashion designer (d. 1989)
  • 1916 – Horacio Salgán, Argentinian pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 2016)
  • 1916 – Herbert A. Simon, American political scientist and economist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2001)
  • 1917 – John Fenn, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2010)
  • 1917 – Michalis Genitsaris, Greek singer-songwriter (d. 2005)
  • 1917 – Lash LaRue, American actor and producer (d. 1996)
  • 1918 – François Tombalbaye, Chadian politician, 1st President of Chad (d. 1975)
  • 1920 – Keith Andrews, American race car driver (d. 1957)
  • 1920 – Alla Kazanskaya, Russian actress (d. 2008)
  • 1920 – Sam Sniderman, Canadian businessman, founded Sam the Record Man (d. 2012)
  • 1920 – Alberto Sordi, Italian actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2003)
  • 1921 – Erroll Garner, American pianist and composer (d. 1977)
  • 1922 – Jaki Byard, American pianist and composer (d. 1999)
  • 1923 – Erland Josephson, Swedish actor and director (d. 2012)
  • 1923 – Ninian Stephen, English-Australian lieutenant, judge, and politician, 20th Governor-General of Australia (d. 2017)
  • 1924 – Hédi Fried, Swedish author and psychologist
  • 1924 – Ezer Weizman, Israeli general and politician, 7th President of Israel (d. 2005)
  • 1925 – Richard Baker, English journalist and author (d. 2018)
  • 1925 – Attilâ İlhan, Turkish poet, author, and critic (d. 2005)
  • 1926 – Alfred Duraiappah, Sri Lankan Tamil lawyer and politician (d. 1975)
  • 1927 – Ross Andru, American illustrator (d. 1993)
  • 1927 – Ibn-e-Insha, Indian-Pakistani poet and author (d. 1978)
  • 1927 – Hugo Pratt, Italian author and illustrator (d. 1995)
  • 1930 – Miguel Méndez, American author and academic (d. 2013)
  • 1930 – Marcel Pronovost, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (d. 2015)
  • 1931 – Joseph Gilbert, English air marshal
  • 1931 – Brian Sewell, English art dealer and critic (d. 2015)
  • 1932 – David Alliance, Baron Alliance, Iranian-English businessman and politician
  • 1932 – Mario Cuomo, American lawyer and politician, 52nd Governor of New York (d. 2015)
  • 1932 – Zia Fariduddin Dagar, Indian singer (d. 2013)
  • 1932 – Bernie Faloney, American-Canadian football player and sportscaster (d. 1999)
  • 1933 – Mohammad-Ali Rajai, Iranian politician, 2nd President of Iran (d. 1981)
  • 1933 – Predrag Koraksić Corax, Serbian political caricaturist
  • 1934 – Ruby Nash Garnett, American R&B singer
  • 1936 – William Levada, American cardinal
  • 1937 – Pierre Billon, Swiss-Canadian author and screenwriter
  • 1937 – Waylon Jennings, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2002)
  • 1938 – Billy Williams, American baseball player and coach
  • 1939 – Ward Connerly, American activist and businessman, founded the American Civil Rights Institute
  • 1941 – Neal Adams, American illustrator
  • 1941 – Harry Nilsson, American singer-songwriter (d. 1994)
  • 1942 – Ian Greenberg, Canadian broadcaster, founded Astral Media
  • 1942 – John E. McLaughlin, American diplomat
  • 1942 – Peter Norman, Australian sprinter (d. 2006)
  • 1943 – Johnny Hallyday, French singer and actor (d. 2017)
  • 1943 – Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, Danish politician, 38th Prime Minister of Denmark
  • 1944 – Robert D. Keppel, American police officer and academic
  • 1945 – Miriam Defensor Santiago, Filipino judge and politician (d. 2016)
  • 1945 – Robert Sarah, Guinean cardinal
  • 1945 – Lawrence Wilkerson, American colonel
  • 1946 – Noddy Holder, English rock singer-songwriter, musician, and actor
  • 1946 – John Horner, American paleontologist and academic
  • 1946 – Demis Roussos, Egyptian-Greek singer-songwriter and bass player (d. 2015)
  • 1947 – John Hoagland, American photographer and journalist (d. 1984)
  • 1948 – Mike Holmgren, American football player and coach
  • 1948 – Alan Huckle, English politician and diplomat, Governor of Anguilla
  • 1948 – Henry McLeish, Scottish footballer, academic, and politician, 2nd First Minister of Scotland
  • 1949 – Dusty Baker, American baseball player and manager
  • 1949 – Simon Callow, English actor and director
  • 1949 – Russell Hitchcock, Australian singer-songwriter
  • 1949 – Jim Varney, American actor, comedian, and screenwriter (d. 2000)
  • 1950 – Uğur Erdener, Turkish ophthalmologist and professor
  • 1950 – Juliana Azumah-Mensah, Ghanaian nurse and politician
  • 1950 – Deney Terrio, American choreographer and host of the television musical variety series Dance Fever
  • 1950 – Lakshmi Mittal, Indian-English businessman
  • 1951 – Jane Amsterdam, American magazine and newspaper editor (Manhattan, inc., New York Post)
  • 1951 – Vance A. Larson, American painter (d. 2000)
  • 1951 – John Redwood, English politician, Secretary of State for Wales
  • 1951 – Steve Walsh, American rock singer-songwriter and musician
  • 1952 – Satya Pal Jain, Indian lawyer and politician, Additional Solicitor General of India
  • 1953 – Vilma Bardauskienė, Lithuanian long jumper
  • 1953 – Marc Brickman, American lighting and production designer
  • 1953 – Eje Elgh, Swedish racing driver and sportscaster
  • 1953 – Xi Jinping, Chinese engineer and politician, General Secretary of the Communist Party and President of China
  • 1953 – Raphael Wallfisch, English cellist and educator
  • 1954 – Jim Belushi, American actor
  • 1954 – Terri Gibbs, American country music singer and keyboard player
  • 1954 – Paul Rusesabagina, Rwandan humanitarian
  • 1954 – Zdeňka Šilhavá, Czech discus thrower and shot putter
  • 1954 – Beverley Whitfield, Australian swimmer (d. 1996)
  • 1955 – Polly Draper, American actress, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1955 – Julie Hagerty, American model and actress
  • 1956 – Yevgeny Kiselyov, Russian-Ukrainian journalist
  • 1956 – Lance Parrish, American baseball player, coach, and manager
  • 1958 – Wade Boggs, American baseball player
  • 1958 – Riccardo Paletti, Italian racing driver (d. 1982)
  • 1959 – Alan Brazil, Scottish footballer and sportscaster
  • 1959 – Eileen Davidson, American model and actress
  • 1960 – Michèle Laroque, French actress, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1960 – Marieke van Doorn, Dutch field hockey player and coach
  • 1961 – Dave McAuley, Irish boxer and sportscaster
  • 1961 – Scott Norton, American wrestler
  • 1962 – Brad Armstrong, American wrestler (d. 2012)
  • 1962 – Chris Morris, English actor, satirist, director, and producer
  • 1962 – Andrea Rost, Hungarian soprano
  • 1963 – Marina Azyabina, Russian hurdler
  • 1963 – Mario Gosselin, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
  • 1963 – Helen Hunt, American actress, director, and producer
  • 1964 – Courteney Cox, American actress and producer
  • 1964 – Michael Laudrup, Danish footballer and manager
  • 1965 – Annelies Bredael, Belgian rower
  • 1965 – Karim Massimov, Kazakhstani politician, 7th Prime Minister of Kazakhstan
  • 1965 – Adam Smith, American lawyer and politician
  • 1966 – Raimonds Vējonis, Latvian politician, 9th President of Latvia
  • 1968 – Károly Güttler, Hungarian swimmer
  • 1969 – Jesse Bélanger, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1969 – Ice Cube, American rapper, producer, and actor
  • 1969 – Idalis DeLeón, American singer and actress
  • 1969 – Nasos Galakteros, Greek basketball player
  • 1969 – Oliver Kahn, German footballer and sportscaster
  • 1969 – Maurice Odumbe, Kenyan cricketer
  • 1969 – Cédric Pioline, French tennis player
  • 1970 – Christian Bauman, American soldier and author
  • 1970 – David Bayssari, Australian rugby league player
  • 1970 – Gaëlle Méchaly, French soprano
  • 1970 – Leah Remini, American actress and producer
  • 1970 – Žan Tabak, Croatian basketball player and coach
  • 1971 – Christos Myriounis, Greek basketball player
  • 1971 – Jake Busey, American actor, musician, and film producer
  • 1972 – Justin Leonard, American golfer
  • 1972 – Andy Pettitte, American baseball player
  • 1973 – Tore Andre Flo, Norwegian footballer and coach
  • 1973 – Neil Patrick Harris, American actor and singer
  • 1973 – Pia Miranda, Australian actress
  • 1976 – Jiří Ryba, Czech decathlete
  • 1977 – Michael Doleac, American basketball player and manager
  • 1978 – Wilfred Bouma, Dutch footballer
  • 1978 – Zach Day, American baseball player
  • 1979 – Yulia Nestsiarenka, Belarusian sprinter
  • 1979 – Christian Rahn, German footballer
  • 1979 – Charles Zwolsman, Jr., Dutch racing driver
  • 1980 – David Lyons, Australian rugby player
  • 1981 – John Paintsil, Ghanaian footballer
  • 1982 – Mike Delany, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1982 – Abdur Razzak, Bangladeshi cricketer
  • 1983 – Julia Fischer, German violinist and pianist[citation needed]
  • 1983 – Laura Imbruglia, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist[citation needed]
  • 1983 – Josh McGuire, Canadian fencer
  • 1984 – Luke Hodge, Australian footballer
  • 1984 – Eva Hrdinová, Czech tennis player
  • 1984 – Tim Lincecum, American baseball player
  • 1984 – Edison Toloza, Colombian footballer
  • 1985 – Ashley Nicole Black, American comedian, actress, and writer
  • 1986 – James Maloney, Australian rugby league player
  • 1986 – Trevor Plouffe, American baseball player
  • 1989 – Víctor Cabedo, Spanish cyclist (d. 2012)
  • 1989 – Bryan Clauson, American race car driver (d. 2016)
  • 1992 – Michał Kopczyński, Polish footballer
  • 1992 – Mohamed Salah, Egyptian footballer
  • 1992 – Dafne Schippers, Dutch heptathlete and sprinter
  • 1993 – Irfan Hadžić, Bosnian footballer
  • 1994 – Inaki Williams, Basque footballer
  • 1997 – Madison Kocian, American gymnast

Deaths on June 15

  • 923 – Robert I of France (b. 866)
  • 948 – Romanos I Lekapenos, Byzantine Emperor (b. c. 870)
  • 952 – Murong Yanchao, Chinese general
  • 960 – Eadburh of Winchester, English princess and saint
  • 970 – Adalbert, bishop of Passau
  • 991 – Theophanu, Byzantine wife of Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 960)
  • 1073 – Emperor Go-Sanjō of Japan (b. 1034)
  • 1184 – Magnus Erlingsson, King of Norway (b. 1156)
  • 1189 – Minamoto no Yoshitsune, Japanese general (b. 1159)
  • 1246 – Frederick II, Duke of Austria (b. 1219)
  • 1337 – Angelo da Clareno, Italian Franciscan and leader of a group of Fraticelli (b. 1247)
  • 1341 – Andronikos III Palaiologos, Byzantine emperor (b. 1297)
  • 1381 – John Cavendish, English lawyer and judge (b. 1346)
  • 1381 – Wat Tyler, English rebel leader (b. 1341)
  • 1383 – John VI Kantakouzenos, Byzantine emperor (b. 1292)
  • 1383 – Matthew Kantakouzenos, Byzantine emperor
  • 1389 – Lazar of Serbia (b. 1329)
  • 1389 – Murad I, Ottoman Sultan (b. 1319)
  • 1389 – Miloš Obilić, Serbian knight.
  • 1416 – John, Duke of Berry (b. 1340)
  • 1467 – Philip III, Duke of Burgundy (b. 1396)
  • 1521 – Tamás Bakócz, Hungarian cardinal (b. 1442)
  • 1614 – Henry Howard, 1st Earl of Northampton, English courtier and politician, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports (b. 1540)
  • 1724 – Henry Sacheverell, English minister and politician (b. 1674)
  • 1768 – James Short, Scottish mathematician and optician (b. 1710)
  • 1772 – Louis-Claude Daquin, French organist and composer (b. 1694)
  • 1844 – Thomas Campbell, Scottish poet and academic (b. 1777)
  • 1849 – James K. Polk, American lawyer and politician, 11th President of the United States (b. 1795)
  • 1858 – Ary Scheffer, Dutch-French painter and academic (b. 1795)
  • 1888 – Frederick III, German Emperor (b. 1831)
  • 1889 – Mihai Eminescu, Romanian journalist, author, and poet (b. 1850)
  • 1890 – Unryū Kyūkichi, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 10th Yokozuna (b. 1822)
  • 1917 – Kristian Birkeland, Norwegian physicist and academic (b. 1867)
  • 1934 – Alfred Bruneau, French cellist and composer (b. 1857)
  • 1938 – Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, German painter and illustrator (b. 1880)
  • 1941 – Otfrid Foerster, German neurologist and physician (b. 1873)
  • 1941 – Evelyn Underhill, English mystic and author (b. 1875)
  • 1945 – Count Albert von Mensdorff-Pouilly-Dietrichstein, Austrian diplomat
  • 1961 – Giulio Cabianca, Italian racing driver (b. 1923)
  • 1961 – Peyami Safa, Turkish journalist and author (b. 1899)
  • 1962 – Alfred Cortot, Swiss pianist and conductor (b. 1877)
  • 1967 – Tatu Kolehmainen, Finnish runner (b. 1885)
  • 1968 – Sam Crawford, American baseball player, coach, and umpire (b. 1880)
  • 1968 – Wes Montgomery, American guitarist and songwriter (b. 1925)
  • 1971 – Wendell Meredith Stanley, American biochemist and virologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1904)
  • 1976 – Jimmy Dykes, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1896)
  • 1984 – Meredith Willson, American playwright, composer, and conductor (b. 1902)
  • 1985 – Andy Stanfield, American sprinter (b. 1927)
  • 1989 – Maurice Bellemare, Canadian lawyer and politician (b. 1912)
  • 1989 – Ray McAnally, Irish actor (b. 1926)
  • 1991 – Happy Chandler, American businessman and politician, 49th Governor of Kentucky (b. 1898)
  • 1991 – Arthur Lewis, Saint Lucian economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1915)
  • 1992 – Chuck Menville, American animator, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1940)
  • 1992 – Brett Whiteley, Australian painter (b. 1939)
  • 1993 – John Connally, American commander, lawyer, and politician, 61st United States Secretary of the Treasury (b. 1917)
  • 1993 – James Hunt, English racing driver and sportscaster (b. 1947)
  • 1994 – Manos Hatzidakis, Greek composer and theorist (b. 1925)
  • 1995 – John Vincent Atanasoff, American physicist and inventor, invented the Atanasoff–Berry computer (b. 1903)
  • 1996 – Ella Fitzgerald, American singer and actress (b. 1917)
  • 1996 – Sir Fitzroy Maclean, 1st Baronet, Scottish general and politician (b. 1911)
  • 1996 – Dick Murdoch, American wrestler (b. 1946)
  • 1999 – Omer Côté, Canadian lawyer and politician (b. 1906)
  • 2000 – Jules Roy, French author, poet, and playwright (b. 1907)
  • 2001 – Henri Alekan, French cinematographer (b. 1909)
  • 2002 – Choi Hong Hi, South Korean general and martial artist, founded Taekwondo (b. 1918)
  • 2003 – Hume Cronyn, Canadian-American actor (b. 1911)
  • 2004 – Ahmet Piriştina, Turkish politician and mayor of İzmir (b. 1952)
  • 2005 – Suzanne Flon, French actress (b. 1918)
  • 2006 – Raymond Devos, Belgian-French comedian and clown (b. 1922)
  • 2006 – Herb Pearson, New Zealand cricketer (b. 1910)
  • 2008 – Ray Getliffe, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1914)
  • 2011 – Bill Haast, American herpetologist and academic (b. 1910)
  • 2012 – Phillip D. Cagan, American economist and author (b. 1927)
  • 2012 – Capitola Dickerson, American pianist and educator (b. 1913)
  • 2012 – Barry MacKay, American tennis player and sportscaster (b. 1935)
  • 2012 – Israel Nogueda Otero, Mexican economist and politician, 10th Governor of Guerrero (b. 1935)
  • 2012 – Jerry Tubbs, American football player and coach (b. 1935)
  • 2013 – Heinz Flohe, German footballer and manager (b. 1948)
  • 2013 – José Froilán González, Argentinian racing driver (b. 1922)
  • 2013 – Dennis O’Rourke, Australian director and producer (b. 1945)
  • 2013 – Kenneth G. Wilson, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1936)
  • 2014 – Jacques Bergerac, French actor and businessman (b. 1927)
  • 2014 – Casey Kasem, American radio host, producer, and voice actor, co-created American Top 40 (b. 1932)
  • 2014 – Daniel Keyes, American short story writer and novelist (b. 1927)
  • 2014 – Moise Safra, Brazilian businessman and philanthropist, co-founded Banco Safra (b. 1934)
  • 2015 – Kirk Kerkorian, American businessman, founded the Tracinda Corporation (b. 1917)
  • 2016 – Lois Duncan, American author (b. 1934)
  • 2018 – Matt “Guitar” Murphy, American Blues guitarist (The Blues Brothers) (b. 1929)
  • 2019 – Franco Zeffirelli, Italian film director (b. 1923)

Holidays and observances on June 15

  • Arbor Day (Costa Rica)
  • Christian feast day:
    • Abraham of Clermont (or of St Cyriacus)
    • Alice (or Adelaide) of Schaerbeek
    • Augustine of Hippo (Eastern Orthodox Church)
    • Blessed Albertina Berkenbrock
    • Blessed Clement Vismara
    • Edburga of Winchester
    • Evelyn Underhill (Church of England and The Episcopal Church)
    • Germaine Cousin
    • Landelin (of Crespin or of Lobbes)
    • Trillo
    • Vitus (Guy), Modestus and Crescentia
    • June 15 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Day of Valdemar and Reunion Day (Flag Day) (Denmark)
  • Earliest day on which Father’s Day can fall, while June 21 is the latest; celebrated on the third Sunday in June. (United States, and most other countries.)
  • Engineer’s Day (Italy)
  • Global Wind Day (international)
  • National Beer Day (United Kingdom)
  • National Salvation Day (Azerbaijan)

June 15 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

June 14 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 1158 – Munich is founded by Henry the Lion on the banks of the river Isar.
  • 1216 – First Barons’ War: Prince Louis of France captures the city of Winchester and soon conquers over half of the Kingdom of England.
  • 1276 – While taking exile in Fuzhou, away from the advancing Mongol invaders, the remnants of the Song dynasty court hold the coronation ceremony for Emperor Duanzong.
  • 1285 – Second Mongol invasion of Vietnam: Forces led by Prince Trần Quang Khải of the Trần dynasty destroy most of the invading Mongol naval fleet in a battle at Chuong Duong.
  • 1287 – Kublai Khan defeats the force of Nayan and other traditionalist Borjigin princes in East Mongolia and Manchuria.
  • 1381 – Richard II of England meets leaders of Peasants’ Revolt at Mile End. The Tower of London is stormed by rebels who enter without resistance.
  • 1404 – Welsh rebel leader Owain Glyndŵr, having declared himself Prince of Wales, allies himself with the French against King Henry IV of England.
  • 1618 – Joris Veseler prints the first Dutch newspaper Courante uyt Italien, Duytslandt, &c. in Amsterdam (approximate date).
  • 1645 – English Civil War: Battle of Naseby: Twelve thousand Royalist forces are beaten by 15,000 Parliamentarian soldiers.
  • 1667 – The Raid on the Medway by the Dutch fleet in the Second Anglo-Dutch War ends. It had lasted for five days and resulted in the worst ever defeat of the Royal Navy.
  • 1690 – King William III of England (William of Orange) lands in Ireland to confront the former King James II.
  • 1775 – American Revolutionary War: the Continental Army is established by the Continental Congress, marking the birth of the United States Army.
  • 1777 – The Second Continental Congress passes the Flag Act of 1777 adopting the Stars and Stripes as the Flag of the United States.
  • 1789 – Mutiny on the Bounty: HMS Bounty mutiny survivors including Captain William Bligh and 18 others reach Timor after a nearly 7,400 km (4,600 mi) journey in an open boat.
  • 1800 – The French Army of First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte defeats the Austrians at the Battle of Marengo in Northern Italy and re-conquers Italy.
  • 1807 – Emperor Napoleon’s French Grande Armée defeats the Russian Army at the Battle of Friedland in Poland (modern Russian Kaliningrad Oblast) ending the War of the Fourth Coalition.
  • 1821 – Badi VII, king of Sennar, surrenders his throne and realm to Ismail Pasha, general of the Ottoman Empire, bringing the 300 year old Sudanese kingdom to an end.
  • 1822 – Charles Babbage proposes a difference engine in a paper to the Royal Astronomical Society.
  • 1830 – Beginning of the French colonization of Algeria: Thirty-four thousand French soldiers begin their invasion of Algiers, landing 27 kilometers west at Sidi Fredj.
  • 1839 – Henley Royal Regatta: the village of Henley-on-Thames, on the River Thames in Oxfordshire, stages its first regatta.
  • 1846 – Bear Flag Revolt begins: Anglo settlers in Sonoma, California, start a rebellion against Mexico and proclaim the California Republic.
  • 1863 – American Civil War: Second Battle of Winchester: A Union garrison is defeated by the Army of Northern Virginia in the Shenandoah Valley town of Winchester, Virginia.
  • 1863 – Second Assault on the Confederate works at the Siege of Port Hudson during the American Civil War.
  • 1872 – Trade unions are legalized in Canada.
  • 1881 – The White Rajahs territories become the British protectorate of Sarawak.
  • 1900 – Hawaii becomes a United States territory.
  • 1900 – The second German Naval Law calls for the Imperial German Navy to be doubled in size.
  • 1907 – The National Association for Women’s Suffrage succeeds in getting Norwegian women the right to vote in parliamentary elections.
  • 1919 – John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown depart from St. John’s, Newfoundland on the first nonstop transatlantic flight.
  • 1926 – Brazil leaves the League of Nations.
  • 1937 – Pennsylvania becomes the first (and only) state of the United States to celebrate Flag Day officially as a state holiday.
  • 1937 – U.S. House of Representatives passes the Marihuana Tax Act.
  • 1940 – World War II: The German occupation of Paris begins.
  • 1940 – The Soviet Union presents an ultimatum to Lithuania resulting in Lithuanian loss of independence.
  • 1940 – Seven hundred twenty-eight Polish political prisoners from Tarnów become the first inmates of the Auschwitz concentration camp.
  • 1941 – June deportation: the first major wave of Soviet mass deportations and murder of Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians, begins.
  • 1944 – World War II: After several failed attempts, the British Army abandons Operation Perch, its plan to capture the German-occupied town of Caen.
  • 1945 – World War II: Filipino troops of the Philippine Commonwealth Army liberate the captured in Ilocos Sur and start the Battle of Bessang Pass in Northern Luzon.
  • 1949 – Albert II, a rhesus monkey, rides a V-2 rocket to an altitude of 134 km (83 mi), thereby becoming the first monkey in space.
  • 1951 – UNIVAC I is dedicated by the U.S. Census Bureau.
  • 1954 – U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs a bill into law that places the words “under God” into the United States Pledge of Allegiance.
  • 1955 – Chile becomes a signatory to the Buenos Aires copyright treaty.
  • 1959 – Disneyland Monorail System, the first daily operating monorail system in the Western Hemisphere, opens to the public in Anaheim, California.
  • 1959 – Dominican exiles depart from Cuba and land in the Dominican Republic to overthrow the totalitarian government of Rafael Trujillo. All but four are killed or executed.
  • 1962 – The European Space Research Organisation is established in Paris – later becoming the European Space Agency.
  • 1966 – The Vatican announces the abolition of the Index Librorum Prohibitorum (“index of prohibited books”), which was originally instituted in 1557.
  • 1967 – Mariner program: Mariner 5 is launched towards Venus.
  • 1982 – Falklands War: Argentine forces in the capital Stanley conditionally surrender to British forces.
  • 1986 – The Mindbender derails and kills three riders at the Fantasyland (known today as Galaxyland) indoor amusement park in Edmonton, Alberta.
  • 1994 – The 1994 Vancouver Stanley Cup riot occurs after the New York Rangers win the Stanley Cup from Vancouver, causing an estimated C$1.1 million, leading to 200 arrests and injuries.
  • 2002 – Near-Earth asteroid 2002 MN misses the Earth by 75,000 miles (121,000 km), about one-third of the distance between the Earth and the Moon.
  • 2014 – A Ukraine military Ilyushin Il-76 airlifter is shot down, killing all 49 people on board.
  • 2017 – London: A fire in a high-rise apartment building in North Kensington leaves 72 people dead and another 74 injured.
  • 2017 – In Alexandria, Virginia, Republican member of Congress and House Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana is shot while practicing for charity baseball.

Births on June 14

  • 1444 – Nilakantha Somayaji, Indian astronomer and mathematician (d. 1544)
  • 1463 – Henry IV, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (d. 1514)
  • 1479 – Giglio Gregorio Giraldi, Italian poet and scholar (d. 1552)
  • 1529 – Ferdinand II, Archduke of Austria (d. 1595)
  • 1627 – Johann Abraham Ihle, German astronomer (d. 1699)
  • 1691 – Jan Francisci, Slovak organist and composer (d. 1758)
  • 1726 – Thomas Pennant, Welsh ornithologist and historian (d. 1798)
  • 1730 – Antonio Sacchini, Italian composer and educator (d. 1786)
  • 1736 – Charles-Augustin de Coulomb, French physicist and engineer (d. 1806)
  • 1763 – Simon Mayr, German composer and educator (d. 1845)
  • 1780 – Henry Salt, English historian and diplomat, British Consul-General in Egypt (d. 1827)
  • 1796 – Nikolai Brashman, Czech-Russian mathematician and academic (d. 1866)
  • 1798 – František Palacký, Czech historian and politician (d. 1876)
  • 1801 – Heber C. Kimball, American religious leader (d. 1868)
  • 1811 – Harriet Beecher Stowe, American author and activist (d. 1896)
  • 1812 – Fernando Wood, American merchant and politician, 73rd Mayor of New York City (d. 1881)
  • 1819 – Henry Gardner, American merchant and politician, 23rd Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1892)
  • 1820 – John Bartlett, American author and publisher (d. 1905)
  • 1829 – Bernard Petitjean, French Roman Catholic missionary to Japan (d. 1884)
  • 1838 – Yamagata Aritomo, Japanese Field Marshal and politician, 3rd and 9th Prime Minister of Japan (d. 1922)
  • 1840 – William F. Nast, American businessman (d. 1893)
  • 1848 – Bernard Bosanquet, English philosopher and theorist (d. 1923)
  • 1848 – Max Erdmannsdörfer, German conductor and composer (d. 1905)
  • 1855 – Robert M. La Follette, American lawyer and politician, 20th Governor of Wisconsin (d. 1925)
  • 1856 – Andrey Markov, Russian mathematician and theorist (d. 1922)
  • 1862 – John Ulric Nef, Swiss-American chemist and academic (d. 1915)
  • 1864 – Alois Alzheimer, German psychiatrist and neuropathologist (d. 1915)
  • 1868 – Karl Landsteiner, Austrian biologist and physician, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1943)
  • 1868 – Anna B. Eckstein, German peace activist (d. 1947)
  • 1870 – Sophia of Prussia (d. 1932)
  • 1871 – Hermanus Brockmann, Dutch rower (d. 1936)
  • 1871 – Jacob Ellehammer, Danish mechanic and engineer (d. 1946)
  • 1872 – János Szlepecz, Slovene priest and author (d. 1936)
  • 1877 – Jane Bathori, French soprano (d. 1970)
  • 1877 – Ida MacLean, British biochemist, the first woman admitted to the London Chemical Society (d. 1944)
  • 1878 – Léon Thiébaut, French fencer (d. 1943)
  • 1879 – Arthur Duffey, American sprinter and coach (d. 1955)
  • 1884 – John McCormack, Irish tenor and actor (d. 1945)
  • 1884 – Georg Zacharias, German swimmer (d. 1953)
  • 1890 – May Allison, American actress (d. 1989)
  • 1894 – Marie-Adélaïde, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg (d. 1924)
  • 1894 – José Carlos Mariátegui (d. 1930)
  • 1894 – W. W. E. Ross, Canadian geophysicist and poet (d. 1966)
  • 1895 – Jack Adams, Canadian-American ice hockey player, coach, and manager (d. 1968)
  • 1900 – Ruth Nanda Anshen, American writer, editor, and philosopher (d. 2003)
  • 1900 – June Walker, American stage and film actress (d. 1966)
  • 1903 – Alonzo Church, American mathematician and logician (d. 1995)
  • 1903 – Rose Rand, Austrian-American logician and philosopher from the Vienna Circle (d. 1980)
  • 1904 – Margaret Bourke-White, American photographer and journalist (d. 1971)
  • 1905 – Steve Broidy, American businessman (d. 1991)
  • 1905 – Arthur Davis, American animator and director (d. 2000)
  • 1907 – Nicolas Bentley, English author and illustrator (d. 1978)
  • 1907 – René Char, French poet and author (d. 1988)
  • 1909 – Burl Ives, American actor and singer (d. 1995)
  • 1910 – Rudolf Kempe, German pianist and conductor (d. 1976)
  • 1913 – Joe Morris, English-Canadian lieutenant and trade union leader (d. 1996)
  • 1916 – Dorothy McGuire, American actress (d. 2001)
  • 1917 – Lise Nørgaard, Danish journalist, author, and screenwriter
  • 1917 – Gilbert Prouteau, French poet and director (d. 2012)
  • 1917 – Atle Selberg, Norwegian-American mathematician and academic (d. 2007)
  • 1918 – Fred Baur, American chemist and founder of Pringles (d. 2008)
  • 1919 – Gene Barry, American actor (d. 2009)
  • 1919 – Sam Wanamaker, American actor and director (d. 1993)
  • 1921 – Martha Greenhouse, American actress (d. 2013)
  • 1923 – Judith Kerr, German-English author and illustrator (d. 2019)
  • 1923 – Green Wix Unthank, American soldier, lawyer, and judge (d. 2013)
  • 1924 – James Black, Scottish pharmacologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2010)
  • 1925 – Pierre Salinger, American journalist and politician, 11th White House Press Secretary (d. 2004)
  • 1926 – Don Newcombe, American baseball player (d. 2019)
  • 1928 – Ernesto “Che” Guevara, Argentinian-Cuban physician, author, guerrilla leader and politician (d. 1967)
  • 1929 – Cy Coleman, American pianist and composer (d. 2004)
  • 1929 – Alan Davidson, Australian cricketer
  • 1929 – Johnny Wilson, Canadian-American ice hockey player and coach (d. 2011)
  • 1931 – Marla Gibbs, American actress and comedian
  • 1931 – Ross Higgins, Australian actor (d. 2016)
  • 1931 – Junior Walker, American saxophonist (d. 1995)
  • 1933 – Jerzy Kosiński, Polish-American novelist and screenwriter (d. 1991)
  • 1933 – Vladislav Rastorotsky, Russian gymnast and coach
  • 1936 – Renaldo Benson, American singer-songwriter (d. 2005)
  • 1936 – Irmelin Sandman Lilius, Finnish author, poet, and translator
  • 1938 – Julie Felix, American-English singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2020)
  • 1939 – Steny Hoyer, American lawyer and politician
  • 1939 – Peter Mayle, English author and screenwriter (d. 2018)
  • 1939 – Colin Thubron, English journalist and author
  • 1942 – Jonathan Raban, English author and academic
  • 1942 – Roberto García-Calvo Montiel, Spanish judge (d. 2008)
  • 1943 – Barry Burman, English painter and academic (d. 2001)
  • 1943 – Jennifer Gretton, Baroness Gretton, English politician, Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire
  • 1943 – John Miles, English racing driver and journalist
  • 1943 – Harold Wheeler, American composer, conductor, and producer
  • 1944 – Laurie Colwin, American novelist and short story writer (d. 1992)
  • 1945 – Rod Argent, English singer-songwriter and keyboard player
  • 1945 – Carlos Reichenbach, Brazilian director and producer (d. 2012)
  • 1945 – Richard Stebbins, American sprinter and educator
  • 1946 – Robert Louis-Dreyfus, French-Swiss businessman (d. 2009)
  • 1946 – Tõnu Sepp, Estonian instrument maker and educator
  • 1946 – Donald Trump, American businessman, television personality and 45th President of the United States
  • 1947 – Roger Liddle, Baron Liddle, English politician
  • 1947 – Barry Melton, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1947 – Paul Rudolph, Canadian singer, guitarist, and cyclist
  • 1948 – Laurence Yep, American author and playwright
  • 1949 – Jim Lea, English singer-songwriter, bass player, and producer
  • 1949 – Roger Powell, English-Australian scientist and academic
  • 1949 – Antony Sher, South African-British actor, director, and screenwriter
  • 1949 – Harry Turtledove, American historian and author
  • 1949 – Alan White, English drummer and songwriter
  • 1950 – Rowan Williams, Welsh archbishop and theologian
  • 1951 – Paul Boateng, English lawyer and politician, British High Commissioner to South Africa
  • 1951 – Danny Edwards, American golfer
  • 1952 – Robert Lepikson, Estonian racing driver and politician, Estonian Minister of the Interior (d. 2006)
  • 1952 – Pat Summitt, American basketball player and coach (d. 2016)
  • 1952 – Leon Wieseltier, American philosopher, journalist, and critic
  • 1953 – Janet Mackey, New Zealand lawyer and politician
  • 1954 – Will Patton, American actor
  • 1955 – Michael D. Duvall, American businessman and politician
  • 1955 – Paul O’Grady, English television host, producer, and drag performer
  • 1955 – Kirron Kher, Indian theatre, film & television actress, TV talk show host, politician and Member of Parliament
  • 1956 – Fred Funk, American golfer and coach
  • 1956 – King Diamond (Kim Bendix Petersen), heavy metal musician
  • 1957 – Suzanne Nora Johnson, American lawyer and businesswoman
  • 1957 – Mona Simpson, American novelist
  • 1958 – Pamela Geller, American activist and blogger
  • 1959 – Marcus Miller, American bass player, composer, and producer
  • 1960 – Tonie Campbell, American hurdler
  • 1960 – Mike Laga, American baseball player
  • 1961 – Boy George, English singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1961 – Dušan Kojić, Serbian singer-songwriter and bass player
  • 1961 – Sam Perkins, American basketball player
  • 1963 – Grant Kenny, Australian iron man and canoeist
  • 1964 – Peter Gilliver, English lexicographer and academic
  • 1967 – Dedrick Dodge, American football player and coach
  • 1968 – Campbell Brown, American journalist
  • 1968 – Faizon Love, Cuban-American actor and screenwriter
  • 1969 – Éric Desjardins, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1969 – Steffi Graf, German tennis player
  • 1970 – Heather McDonald, American comedian, actress, and author
  • 1971 – Bruce Bowen, American basketball player and sportscaster
  • 1971 – Ramon Vega, Swiss footballer
  • 1972 – Rick Brunson, American basketball player and coach
  • 1972 – Matthias Ettrich, German computer scientist and engineer, founded KDE
  • 1972 – Dominic Brown, English guitarist and songwriter
  • 1972 – Claude Henderson, South African cricketer
  • 1972 – Danny McFarlane, Jamaican hurdler and sprinter
  • 1973 – Sami Kapanen, Finnish-American ice hockey player and manager
  • 1976 – Alan Carr, English comedian, actor, and screenwriter
  • 1976 – Massimo Oddo, Italian footballer and manager
  • 1977 – Boeta Dippenaar, South African cricketer
  • 1977 – Chris McAlister, American football player
  • 1977 – Joe Worsley, English rugby player and coach
  • 1978 – Steve Bégin, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1978 – Diablo Cody, American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1978 – Annia Hatch, Cuban-American gymnast and coach
  • 1978 – Nikola Vujčić, Croatian former professional basketball player
  • 1979 – Shannon Hegarty, Australian rugby league player
  • 1981 – Elano, Brazilian footballer and manager
  • 1982 – Jamie Green, English racing driver
  • 1982 – Nicole Irving, Australian swimmer
  • 1982 – Lang Lang, Chinese pianist
  • 1983 – Trevor Barry, Bahamian high jumper
  • 1983 – Louis Garrel, French actor, director, and screenwriter
  • 1984 – Lorenzo Booker, American football player
  • 1984 – Mark Cosgrove, Australian cricketer
  • 1984 – Siobhán Donaghy, English singer-songwriter
  • 1984 – Yury Prilukov, Russian swimmer
  • 1985 – Oleg Medvedev. Russian luger
  • 1985 – Andy Soucek, Spanish racing driver
  • 1986 – Matt Read, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1987 – Andrew Cogliano, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1987 – Mohamed Diamé, Senegalese footballer
  • 1988 – Adrián Aldrete, Mexican footballer
  • 1988 – Kevin McHale, American actor, singer, dancer and radio personality
  • 1989 – Lucy Hale, American actress and singer-songwriter
  • 1989 – Brad Takairangi, Australian-Cook Islands rugby league player
  • 1990 – Patrice Cormier, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1990 – Stephen McLaughlin, Irish footballer
  • 1991 – Kostas Manolas, Greek footballer
  • 1991 – Jesy Nelson, English singer
  • 1992 – Devante Smith-Pelly, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1993 – Gunna, American rapper
  • 1993 – Ryan McCartan, American actor and singer
  • 1999 – Tzuyu, Taiwanese singer

Deaths on June 14

  • 809 – Ōtomo no Otomaro, Japanese general (b. 731)
  • 847 – Methodius I, patriarch of Constantinople
  • 957 – Guadamir, bishop of Vic (Spain)
  • 976 – Aron, Bulgarian nobleman
  • 1161 – Emperor Qinzong of the Song dynasty (b. 1100)
  • 1205 – Walter III, Count of Brienne
  • 1349 – Günther von Schwarzburg, German king (b. 1304)
  • 1381 – Simon Sudbury, English archbishop (b. 1316)
  • 1497 – Giovanni Borgia, 2nd Duke of Gandía, Italian son of Pope Alexander VI (b. 1474)
  • 1516 – John III of Navarre (b. 1469)
  • 1544 – Antoine, Duke of Lorraine (b. 1489)
  • 1548 – Carpentras, French composer (b. 1470)
  • 1583 – Shibata Katsuie, Japanese samurai (b. 1522)
  • 1594 – Jacob Kroger, German goldsmith, hanged in Edinburgh for stealing the jewels of Anne of Denmark.
  • 1594 – Orlande de Lassus, Flemish composer and educator (b. 1532)
  • 1662 – Henry Vane the Younger, English-American politician, Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony (b. 1613)
  • 1674 – Marin le Roy de Gomberville, French author and poet (b. 1600)
  • 1679 – Guillaume Courtois, French painter and illustrator (b. 1628)
  • 1746 – Colin Maclaurin, Scottish mathematician (b. 1698)
  • 1794 – Francis Seymour-Conway, 1st Marquess of Hertford, English courtier and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (b. 1718)
  • 1800 – Louis Desaix, French general (b. 1768)
  • 1800 – Jean-Baptiste Kléber, French general (b. 1753)
  • 1801 – Benedict Arnold, American general during the American Revolution later turned British spy (b. 1741)
  • 1825 – Pierre Charles L’Enfant, French-American architect and engineer, designed Washington, D.C. (b. 1754)
  • 1837 – Giacomo Leopardi, Italian poet and philosopher (b. 1798)
  • 1864 – Leonidas Polk, American general and bishop (b. 1806)
  • 1887 – Mary Carpenter, English educational and social reformer (b. 1807)
  • 1883 – Edward FitzGerald, English poet and author (b. 1809)
  • 1886 – Alexander Ostrovsky, Russian director and playwright (b. 1823)
  • 1907 – William Le Baron Jenney, American architect and engineer, designed the Home Insurance Building (b. 1832)
  • 1907 – Bartolomé Masó, Cuban soldier and politician (b. 1830)
  • 1908 – Frederick Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby, English captain and politician, 6th Governor General of Canada (b. 1841)
  • 1914 – Adlai Stevenson I, American lawyer and politician, 23rd Vice President of the United States (b. 1835)
  • 1916 – João Simões Lopes Neto, Brazilian author (b. 1865)
  • 1920 – Max Weber, German sociologist and economist (b. 1864)
  • 1923 – Isabelle Bogelot, French philanthropist (b. 1838)
  • 1926 – Mary Cassatt, American-French painter (b. 1843)
  • 1927 – Ottavio Bottecchia, Italian cyclist (b. 1894)
  • 1927 – Jerome K. Jerome, English author (b. 1859)
  • 1928 – Emmeline Pankhurst, English activist and academic (b. 1857)
  • 1932 – Dorimène Roy Desjardins, Canadian businesswoman, co-founded Desjardins Group (b. 1858)
  • 1933 – Justinien de Clary, French target shooter (b. 1860)
  • 1936 – G. K. Chesterton, English essayist, poet, playwright, and novelist (b. 1874)
  • 1936 – Hans Poelzig, German architect, painter, and designer, designed the IG Farben Building (b. 1869)
  • 1946 – John Logie Baird, Scottish-English physicist and engineer (b. 1888)
  • 1946 – Jorge Ubico, 21st President of Guatemala (b. 1878)
  • 1953 – Tom Cole, Welsh-American racing driver (b. 1922)
  • 1968 – Salvatore Quasimodo, Italian novelist and poet, Nobel Prize Laureate (b. 1901)
  • 1972 – Dündar Taşer, Turkish soldier and politician (b. 1925)
  • 1977 – Robert Middleton, American actor (b. 1911)
  • 1977 – Alan Reed, American actor, original voice of Fred Flintstone (b.1907)
  • 1979 – Ahmad Zahir, Afghan singer-songwriter (b. 1946)
  • 1980 – Charles Miller, American saxophonist and flute player (b. 1939)
  • 1986 – Jorge Luis Borges, Argentine short-story writer, essayist, poet and translator (b. 1899)
  • 1986 – Alan Jay Lerner, American composer and songwriter (b. 1918)
  • 1987 – Stanisław Bareja, Polish actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1929)
  • 1990 – Erna Berger, German soprano and actress (b. 1900)
  • 1991 – Peggy Ashcroft, English actress (b. 1907)
  • 1994 – Lionel Grigson, English pianist, composer, and educator (b. 1942)
  • 1994 – Henry Mancini, American composer and conductor (b. 1924)
  • 1994 – Marcel Mouloudji, French singer and actor (b. 1922)
  • 1995 – Els Aarne, Ukrainian-Estonian pianist, composer, and educator (b. 1917)
  • 1995 – Rory Gallagher, Irish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (b. 1949)
  • 1995 – Roger Zelazny, American author and poet (b. 1937)
  • 1996 – Noemí Gerstein, Argentinian sculptor and illustrator (b. 1908)
  • 1997 – Richard Jaeckel, American actor (b. 1926)
  • 1999 – Bernie Faloney, American-Canadian football player and sportscaster (b. 1932)
  • 2000 – Attilio Bertolucci, Italian poet and author (b. 1911)
  • 2002 – June Jordan, American author and activist (b. 1936)
  • 2003 – Dale Whittington, American race car driver (b. 1959)
  • 2004 – Ulrich Inderbinen, Swiss mountaineer and guide (b. 1900)
  • 2005 – Carlo Maria Giulini, Italian conductor and director (b. 1914)
  • 2005 – Mimi Parent, Canadian-Swiss painter (b. 1924)
  • 2006 – Monty Berman, English director, producer, and cinematographer (b. 1905)
  • 2006 – Jean Roba, Belgian author and illustrator (b. 1930)
  • 2007 – Ruth Graham, Chinese-American author, poet, and painter (b. 1920)
  • 2007 – Robin Olds, American general and pilot (b. 1922)
  • 2007 – Kurt Waldheim, Secretary-General of the United Nations, Austrian politician, 9th President of Austria (b. 1918)
  • 2009 – Bob Bogle, American musician (The Ventures) (b. 1934)
  • 2009 – William McIntyre, Canadian soldier, lawyer, and judge (b. 1918)
  • 2012 – Peter Archer, Baron Archer of Sandwell, English lawyer and politician, Solicitor General for England and Wales (b. 1926)
  • 2012 – Bob Chappuis, American football player and soldier (b. 1923)
  • 2012 – Margie Hyams, American pianist and vibraphone player (b. 1920)
  • 2012 – Karl-Heinz Kämmerling, German pianist and academic (b. 1930)
  • 2012 – Carlos Reichenbach, Brazilian director and producer (b. 1945)
  • 2012 – Gitta Sereny, Austrian-English historian, journalist, and author (b. 1921)
  • 2013 – Elroy Schwartz, American screenwriter and producer (b. 1923)
  • 2014 – Alberto Cañas Escalante, Costa Rican journalist and politician (b. 1920)
  • 2014 – Isabelle Collin Dufresne, French actress (b. 1935)
  • 2014 – Robert Lebeck, German photographer and journalist (b. 1929)
  • 2014 – James E. Rogers, American lawyer, businessman, and academic (b. 1938)
  • 2015 – Richard Cotton, Australian geneticist and academic (b. 1940)
  • 2015 – Anne Nicol Gaylor, American activist, co-founded the Freedom From Religion Foundation (b. 1926)
  • 2015 – Qiao Shi, Chinese politician (b. 1924)
  • 2016 – Ann Morgan Guilbert, American actress and singer (b. 1928)
  • 2016 – Gilles Lamontagne, Canadian politician, Lieutenant Governor of Quebec (b. 1919)
  • 2020 – Sushant Singh Rajput, Indian film actor (b. 1986)

Holidays and observances on June 14

  • Christian feast day:
    • Burchard of Meissen
    • Caomhán of Inisheer
    • Elisha (Roman Catholic and Lutheran)
    • Fortunatus of Naples (Roman Catholic)
    • Blessed Francisca de Paula de Jesus (Nhá Chica)
    • Joseph the Hymnographer (Roman Catholic: Orthodox April 3)
    • Methodios I of Constantinople
    • Quintian of Rodez (Rodez)
    • Richard Baxter (Church of England)
    • Valerius and Rufinus
    • June 14 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Commemoration of the Soviet Deportation related observances:
    • Baltic Freedom Day (United States)
    • Mourning and Commemoration Day or Leinapäev (Estonia)
    • Mourning and Hope Day (Lithuania)
  • Day of Memory for Repressed People (Armenia)
  • Flag Day (United States)
  • Freedom Day (Malawi)
  • Liberation Day (Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands)
  • World Blood Donor Day

June 14 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

June 11- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 1184 BC – Trojan War: Troy is sacked and burned, according to calculations by Eratosthenes.
  • 173 – Marcomannic Wars: The Roman army in Moravia is encircled by the Quadi, who have broken the peace treaty (171). In a violent thunderstorm emperor Marcus Aurelius defeats and subdues them in the so-called “miracle of the rain”.
  • 631 – Emperor Taizong of Tang sends envoys to the Xueyantuo bearing gold and silk in order to seek the release of Chinese prisoners captured during the transition from Sui to Tang.
  • 786 – A Hasanid Alid uprising in Mecca is crushed by the Abbasids at the Battle of Fakhkh.
  • 980 – Vladimir the Great consolidates the Kievan realm from Ukraine to the Baltic Sea. He is proclaimed ruler (knyaz) of all Kievan Rus’.
  • 1011 – Lombard Revolt: Greek citizens of Bari rise up against the Lombard rebels led by Melus and deliver the city to Basil Mesardonites, Byzantine governor (catepan) of the Catepanate of Italy.
  • 1118 – Roger of Salerno, Prince of Antioch, captures Azaz from the Seljuk Turks.
  • 1157 – Albert I of Brandenburg, also called The Bear (Ger: Albrecht der Bär), becomes the founder of the Margraviate of Brandenburg, Germany and the first margrave.
  • 1345 – The megas doux Alexios Apokaukos, chief minister of the Byzantine Empire, is lynched by political prisoners.
  • 1429 – Hundred Years’ War: Start of the Battle of Jargeau.
  • 1488 – Battle of Sauchieburn: Fought between rebel Lords and James III of Scotland, resulting in the death of the king.
  • 1509 – Henry VIII of England marries Catherine of Aragon.
  • 1594 – Philip II recognizes the rights and privileges of the local nobles and chieftains in the Philippines, which paved way to the stabilization of the rule of the Principalía (an elite ruling class of native nobility in Spanish Philippines).
  • 1748 – Denmark adopts the characteristic Nordic Cross flag later taken up by all other Scandinavian countries.
  • 1770 – British explorer Captain James Cook runs aground on the Great Barrier Reef.
  • 1775 – The American Revolutionary War’s first naval engagement, the Battle of Machias, results in the capture of a small British naval vessel.
  • 1776 – The Continental Congress appoints Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston to the Committee of Five to draft a declaration of independence.
  • 1788 – Russian explorer Gerasim Izmailov reaches Alaska.
  • 1805 – A fire consumes large portions of Detroit in the Michigan Territory.
  • 1825 – The first cornerstone is laid for Fort Hamilton in New York City.
  • 1837 – The Broad Street Riot occurs in Boston, fueled by ethnic tensions between Yankees and Irish.
  • 1865 – The Naval Battle of the Riachuelo is fought on the rivulet Riachuelo (Argentina), between the Paraguayan Navy on one side and the Brazilian Navy on the other. The Brazilian victory was crucial for the later success of the Triple Alliance (Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina) in the Paraguayan War.
  • 1892 – The Limelight Department, one of the world’s first film studios, is officially established in Melbourne, Australia.
  • 1895 – Paris–Bordeaux–Paris, sometimes called the first automobile race in history or the “first motor race”, takes place.
  • 1898 – The Hundred Days’ Reform, a planned movement to reform social, political, and educational institutions in China, is started by the Guangxu Emperor, but is suspended by Empress Dowager Cixi after 104 days. (The failed reform led to the abolition of the Imperial examination in 1905.)
  • 1901 – The boundaries of the Colony of New Zealand are extended by the UK to include the Cook Islands.
  • 1903 – A group of Serbian officers stormed the royal palace and assassinated King Alexander Obrenović and his wife, Queen Draga.
  • 1917 – King Alexander assumes the throne of Greece after his father, Constantine I, abdicates under pressure from allied armies occupying Athens.
  • 1919 – Sir Barton wins the Belmont Stakes, becoming the first horse to win the U.S. Triple Crown.
  • 1920 – During the U.S. Republican National Convention in Chicago, U.S. Republican Party leaders gathered in a room at the Blackstone Hotel to come to a consensus on their candidate for the U.S. presidential election, leading the Associated Press to coin the political phrase “smoke-filled room”.
  • 1935 – Inventor Edwin Armstrong gives the first public demonstration of FM broadcasting in the United States at Alpine, New Jersey.
  • 1936 – The London International Surrealist Exhibition opens.
  • 1937 – Great Purge: The Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin executes eight army leaders.
  • 1938 – Second Sino-Japanese War: The Battle of Wuhan starts.
  • 1940 – World War II: The Siege of Malta begins with a series of Italian air raids.
  • 1942 – World War II: The United States agrees to send Lend-Lease aid to the Soviet Union.
  • 1942 – Free French Forces retreat from Bir Hakeim after having successfully delayed the Axis advance.
  • 1944 – USS Missouri, the last battleship built by the United States Navy and future site of the signing of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, is commissioned.
  • 1955 – Eighty-three spectators are killed and at least 100 are injured after an Austin-Healey and a Mercedes-Benz collide at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the deadliest ever accident in motorsports.
  • 1956 – Start of Gal Oya riots, the first reported ethnic riots that target minority Sri Lankan Tamils in the Eastern Province. The total number of deaths is reportedly 150.
  • 1962 – Frank Morris, John Anglin and Clarence Anglin allegedly become the only prisoners to escape from the prison on Alcatraz Island.
  • 1963 – American Civil Rights Movement: Governor of Alabama George Wallace defiantly stands at the door of Foster Auditorium at the University of Alabama in an attempt to block two black students, Vivian Malone and James Hood, from attending that school. Later in the day, accompanied by federalized National Guard troops, they are able to register.
  • 1963 – Buddhist monk Thích Quảng Đức burns himself with gasoline in a busy Saigon intersection to protest the lack of religious freedom in South Vietnam.
  • 1963 – John F. Kennedy addresses Americans from the Oval Office proposing the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which would revolutionize American society by guaranteeing equal access to public facilities, ending segregation in education, and guaranteeing federal protection for voting rights.
  • 1964 – World War II veteran Walter Seifert attacks an elementary school in Cologne, Germany, killing at least eight children and two teachers and seriously injuring several more with a home-made flamethrower and a lance.
  • 1968 – Lloyd J. Old identified the first cell surface antigens that could differentiate among different cell types.
  • 1970 – After being appointed on May 15, Anna Mae Hays and Elizabeth P. Hoisington officially receive their ranks as U.S. Army Generals, becoming the first women to do so.
  • 1971 – The U.S. Government forcibly removes the last holdouts to the Native American Occupation of Alcatraz, ending 19 months of control.
  • 1978 – Altaf Hussain founds the student political movement All Pakistan Muhajir Students Organisation (APMSO) in Karachi University.
  • 1981 – A magnitude 6.9 earthquake at Golbaf, Iran, kills at least 2,000.
  • 1987 – Diane Abbott, Paul Boateng and Bernie Grant are elected as the first black MPs in Great Britain.
  • 1998 – Compaq Computer pays US$9 billion for Digital Equipment Corporation in the largest high-tech acquisition.
  • 2001 – Timothy McVeigh is executed for his role in the Oklahoma City bombing.
  • 2002 – Antonio Meucci is acknowledged as the first inventor of the telephone by the United States Congress.
  • 2004 – Cassini–Huygens makes its closest flyby of the Saturn moon Phoebe.
  • 2007 – Mudslides in Chittagong, Bangladesh, kill 130 people.
  • 2008 – Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper makes a historic official apology to Canada’s First Nations in regard to abuses at a Canadian Indian residential school.
  • 2008 – The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope is launched into orbit.
  • 2010 – The first African FIFA World Cup kicks off in South Africa.
  • 2012 – More than 80 people die in a landslide triggered by two earthquakes in Afghanistan; an entire village is buried.
  • 2013 – Greece’s public broadcaster ERT is shut down by then-prime minister Antonis Samaras. It reopened exactly two years later by then-prime minister Alexis Tsipras.
  • 2018 – 3 World Trade Center officially opens.

Births on June 11

  • 1403 – John IV, Duke of Brabant (d. 1427)
  • 1431 – Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond (d. 1456)
  • 1456 – Anne Neville, Princess of Wales and Queen of England (d. 1485)
  • 1540 – Barnabe Googe, English poet and translator (d. 1594)
  • 1555 – Lodovico Zacconi, Italian composer and theorist (d. 1627)
  • 1572 – Ben Jonson, English poet, playwright, and critic (d. 1637)
  • 1585 – Evert Horn, Swedish soldier (d. 1615)
  • 1588 – George Wither, English poet (d. 1667)
  • 1620 – John Moore, English businessman and politician, Lord Mayor of London (d. 1702)
  • 1655 – Antonio Cifrondi, Italian painter (d. 1730)
  • 1662 – Tokugawa Ienobu, Japanese shōgun (d. 1712)
  • 1672 – Francesco Antonio Bonporti, Italian priest and composer (d. 1749)
  • 1690 – Giovanni Antonio Giay, Italian composer (d. 1764)
  • 1696 – James Francis Edward Keith, Scottish-Prussian field marshal (d. 1758)
  • 1697 – Francesco Antonio Vallotti, Italian organist and composer (d. 1780)
  • 1704 – Carlos Seixas, Portuguese harpsichord player and composer (d. 1742)
  • 1709 – Joachim Martin Falbe, German painter (d. 1782)
  • 1712 – Benjamin Ingham, American missionary (d. 1772)
  • 1723 – Johann Georg Palitzsch, German astronomer (d. 1788)
  • 1726 – Infanta Maria Teresa Rafaela of Spain (d. 1746)
  • 1741 – Joseph Warren, American physician and general (d. 1775)
  • 1776 – John Constable, English painter and academic (d. 1837)
  • 1797 – José Trinidad Reyes, Honduran philosopher and theorist (d. 1855)
  • 1807 – James F. Schenck, American admiral (d. 1882)
  • 1815 – Julia Margaret Cameron, Indian-Sri Lankan photographer (d. 1879)
  • 1818 – Alexander Bain, Scottish philosopher and academic (d. 1903)
  • 1829 – Edward Braddon, English-Australian politician, 18th Premier of Tasmania (d. 1904)
  • 1832 – Lucy Pickens, American wife of Francis Wilkinson Pickens (d. 1899)
  • 1842 – Carl von Linde, German engineer and academic (d. 1934)
  • 1846 – William Louis Marshall, American general and engineer (d. 1920)
  • 1847 – Millicent Fawcett, English academic and activist (d. 1929)
  • 1861 – Alexander Peacock, Australian politician, 20th Premier of Victoria (d. 1933)
  • 1864 – Richard Strauss, German composer and conductor (d. 1949)
  • 1867 – Charles Fabry, French physicist and academic (d. 1945)
  • 1871 – Stjepan Radić, Croatian lawyer and politician (d. 1928)
  • 1876 – Alfred L. Kroeber, American-French anthropologist and ethnologist (d. 1960)
  • 1877 – Renée Vivien, English-French poet and author (d. 1909)
  • 1879 – Roger Bresnahan, American baseball player and manager (d. 1944)
  • 1880 – Jeannette Rankin, American social worker and politician (d. 1973)
  • 1881 – Spiros Xenos, Greek-Swedish painter (d. 1963)
  • 1881 – Mordecai Kaplan, Lithuanian rabbi, founded Reconstructionist Judaism (d. 1983)
  • 1888 – Bartolomeo Vanzetti, Italian-American anarchist and convicted criminal (d. 1927)
  • 1889 – Hugo Wieslander, Swedish decathlete (d. 1976)
  • 1894 – Kiichiro Toyoda, Japanese businessman, founded Toyota (d. 1952)
  • 1895 – Nikolai Bulganin, Soviet politician (d. 1975)
  • 1897 – Ram Prasad Bismil, Indian activist, founded the Hindustan Republican Association (d. 1927)
  • 1897 – Reg Latta, Australian rugby league player (d. 1970)
  • 1899 – Yasunari Kawabata, Japanese novelist and short story writer Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1972)
  • 1901 – Cap Fear, Canadian football player and rower (d. 1978)
  • 1901 – Benny Wearing, Australian rugby league player (d. 1968)
  • 1902 – Eric Fraser, British illustrator and graphic designer (d. 1983)
  • 1903 – Ernie Nevers, American football player and coach (d. 1976)
  • 1908 – Karl Hein, German hammer thrower (d. 1982)
  • 1908 – Francisco Marto, Portuguese saint (d. 1919)
  • 1909 – Natascha Artin Brunswick, German-American mathematician and photographer (d. 2003)
  • 1910 – Carmine Coppola, American flute player and composer (d. 1991)
  • 1910 – Jacques Cousteau, French biologist, author, and inventor, co-developed the aqua-lung (d. 1997)
  • 1912 – James Algar, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1998)
  • 1912 – William Baziotes, American painter and academic (d. 1963)
  • 1912 – Mohammad Hassan Ganji, Iranian meteorologist and academic (d. 2012)
  • 1913 – Vince Lombardi, American football player, coach, and manager (d. 1970)
  • 1913 – Risë Stevens, American soprano and actress (d. 2013)
  • 1914 – Jan Hendrik van den Berg, Dutch psychiatrist and academic (d. 2012)
  • 1915 – Magda Gabor, Hungarian-American actress (d. 1997)
  • 1915 – Nicholas Metropolis, American mathematician and physicist (d. 1999)
  • 1917 – Joseph B. Wirthlin, American businessman and religious leader (d. 2008)
  • 1918 – Ruth Aarons, American table tennis player and manager (d. 1980)
  • 1919 – Suleiman Mousa, Jordanian historian and author (d. 2008)
  • 1919 – Richard Todd, Irish-English actor (d. 2009)
  • 1920 – Shelly Manne, American drummer, composer, and bandleader (d. 1984)
  • 1920 – Hazel Scott, Trinidadian-American singer, actress, and pianist (d. 1981)
  • 1920 – Keith Seaman, Australian lawyer and politician, 29th Governor of South Australia (d. 2013)
  • 1922 – Jean Sutherland Boggs, Peruvian-Canadian historian, academic, and civil servant (d. 2014)
  • 1922 – Michael Cacoyannis, Greek Cypriot director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2011)
  • 1925 – Johnny Esaw, Canadian sportscaster (d. 2013)
  • 1925 – William Styron, American novelist and essayist (d. 2006)
  • 1926 – Carlisle Floyd, American composer and educator
  • 1927 – Beryl Grey, English ballerina
  • 1927 – John W. O’Malley, American Catholic historian, academic and Jesuit priest
  • 1927 – Kit Pedler, English parapsychologist and author (d. 1981)
  • 1928 – Queen Fabiola of Belgium (d. 2014)
  • 1929 – Ayhan Şahenk, Turkish businessman (d. 2001)
  • 1930 – Charles Rangel, American soldier, lawyer, and politician
  • 1932 – Athol Fugard, South African-American actor, director, and playwright
  • 1932 – Tim Sainsbury, English businessman and politician, Minister of State for Trade
  • 1933 – Gene Wilder, American actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2016)
  • 1937 – Chad Everett, American actor and director (d. 2012)
  • 1937 – Robin Warren, Australian pathologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1939 – Rachael Heyhoe Flint, Baroness Heyhoe Flint, English cricketer and journalist (d. 2017)
  • 1939 – Jackie Stewart, Scottish race car driver and sportscaster
  • 1942 – Parris Glendening, American politician, 59th Governor of Maryland
  • 1943 – Henry Hill, American mobster (d. 2012)
  • 1945 – Adrienne Barbeau, American actress
  • 1947 – Richard Palmer-James, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1948 – Dave Cash, American baseball player and coach
  • 1948 – Lalu Prasad Yadav, Indian politician, 20th Chief Minister of Bihar
  • 1949 – Frank Beard, American drummer and songwriter
  • 1950 – Lynsey de Paul, English singer-songwriter, pianist, producer, cartoonist and actress (d. 2014)
  • 1950 – Graham Russell, English-Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1951 – Matthew Engel, English journalist and author
  • 1951 – Yasumasa Morimura, Japanese painter and photographer
  • 1952 – Yekaterina Podkopayeva, Russian runner
  • 1952 – Donnie Van Zant, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1953 – Steve Bassam, Baron Bassam of Brighton, English politician
  • 1953 – José Bové, French farmer and politician
  • 1953 – Barbara Minty, American model
  • 1954 – John Dyson, Australian cricketer
  • 1954 – Johnny Neel, American singer-songwriter and keyboard player
  • 1955 – Yuriy Sedykh, Ukrainian hammer thrower
  • 1955 – Duncan Steel, English-Australian astronomer and author
  • 1956 – Joe Montana, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1956 – Simon Plouffe, Canadian mathematician and academic
  • 1956 – Arthur Porter, Canadian physician and academic (d. 2015)
  • 1956 – Jamaaladeen Tacuma, American bass player and bandleader
  • 1958 – Barry Adamson, English singer and bass player
  • 1959 – Hugh Laurie, English actor and screenwriter
  • 1960 – Mehmet Oz, American surgeon, author, and television host
  • 1962 – Mano Menezes, Brazilian footballer and coach
  • 1963 – Gioia Bruno, American singer-songwriter
  • 1963 – Sandra Schmirler, Canadian curler and sportscaster (d. 2000)
  • 1964 – Jean Alesi, French race car driver
  • 1964 – Kim Gallagher, American runner (d. 2002)
  • 1965 – Georgios Bartzokas, Greek former professional basketball player
  • 1965 – Gavin Hill, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1966 – Bruce Robison, American country music singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1967 – Graeme Bachop, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1967 – João Garcia, Portuguese mountaineer
  • 1968 – Alois, Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein
  • 1968 – Manoa Thompson, Fijian rugby player
  • 1969 – Peter Dinklage, American actor and producer
  • 1969 – Bryan Fogarty, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2002)
  • 1969 – Olaf Kapagiannidis, German footballer
  • 1971 – Vladimir Gaidamașciuc, Moldovan footballer
  • 1971 – Liz Kendall, British politician
  • 1971 – Mark Richardson, New Zealand cricketer
  • 1971 – Kenjiro Tsuda, Japanese voice actor
  • 1972 – Stephen Kearney, New Zealand rugby league player and coach
  • 1973 – José Manuel Abundis, Mexican footballer and coach
  • 1974 – Fragiskos Alvertis, Greek basketball player, coach, and manager
  • 1976 – Reiko Tosa, Japanese runner
  • 1977 – Geoff Ogilvy, Australian golfer
  • 1978 – Joshua Jackson, Canadian-American actor
  • 1978 – Daryl Tuffey, New Zealand cricketer
  • 1979 – Ali Boussaboun, Moroccan-Dutch footballer
  • 1979 – Amy Duggan, Australian footballer and sportscaster
  • 1980 – Yhency Brazoban, Dominican baseball player
  • 1981 – Emiliano Moretti, Italian footballer
  • 1981 – Kristo Tohver, Estonian footballer and referee
  • 1982 – Vanessa Boslak, French pole vaulter
  • 1982 – Jacques Freitag, South African high jumper
  • 1982 – Joey Graham, American basketball player
  • 1982 – Stephen Graham, American basketball player
  • 1982 – Reni Maitua, Australian rugby league player
  • 1982 – Eldar Rønning, Norwegian skier
  • 1982 – Diana Taurasi, American basketball player
  • 1983 – Chuck Hayes, American basketball player
  • 1983 – José Reyes, Dominican baseball player
  • 1984 – Andy Lee, Irish boxer
  • 1984 – Vágner Love, Brazilian footballer
  • 1985 – Tim Hoogland, German footballer
  • 1986 – Sebastian Bayer, German long jumper
  • 1986 – Shia LaBeouf, American actor
  • 1987 – Marsel İlhan, Turkish tennis player
  • 1987 – Didrik Solli-Tangen, Norwegian singer
  • 1988 – Jesús Fernández Collado, Spanish footballer
  • 1988 – Yui Aragaki, Japanese actress, voice actress, singer-songwriter, model, radio host
  • 1989 – Maya Moore, American basketball player
  • 1990 – Christophe Lemaitre, French sprinter
  • 1991 – Daniel Howell, English internet celebrity
  • 1993 – Brittany Boyd, American basketball player
  • 1994 – Ivana Baquero, Spanish actress
  • 1996 – Ayaka Sasaki, Japanese singer
  • 1998 – Charlie Tahan, American actor
  • 1999 – Eartha Cumings, Scottish footballer

Deaths on June 11

  • 323 BC – Alexander the Great, Macedonian king (b. 356 BC)
  • 573 – Emilian of Cogolla, Iberic saint (b. 472)
  • 840 – Junna, emperor of Japan (b. 785)
  • 884 – Shi Jingsi, general of the Tang Dynasty
  • 888 – Rimbert, archbishop of Bremen (b. 830)
  • 1183 – Henry the Young King of England (b. 1155)
  • 1216 – Henry of Flanders, emperor of the Latin Empire (b. c. 1174)
  • 1248 – Adachi Kagemori, Japanese samurai
  • 1253 – Amadeus IV, count of Savoy (b. 1197)
  • 1298 – Yolanda of Poland (b. 1235)
  • 1323 – Bérenger Fredoli, French lawyer and bishop (b. 1250)
  • 1345 – Alexios Apokaukos, chief minister of the Byzantine Empire
  • 1347 – Bartholomew of San Concordio, Italian Dominican canonist and man of letters (b. 1260)
  • 1446 – Henry de Beauchamp, 1st Duke of Warwick (b. 1425)
  • 1479 – John of Sahagun, hermit and saint (b. 1419)
  • 1488 – James III of Scotland (b. 1451)
  • 1557 – John III of Portugal (b. 1502)
  • 1560 – Mary of Guise, queen of James V of Scotland (b. 1515)
  • 1683 – Nikita Pustosvyat, a leader of the Russian Old Believers, beheaded (b. unknown)
  • 1695 – André Félibien, French historian and author (b. 1619)
  • 1712 – Louis Joseph, Duke of Vendôme (b. 1654)
  • 1727 – George I of Great Britain (b. 1660)
  • 1748 – Felice Torelli, Italian painter (b. 1667)
  • 1796 – Samuel Whitbread, English brewer and politician, founded the Whitbread Company (b. 1720)
  • 1847 – John Franklin, English admiral and politician (b. 1786)
  • 1852 – Karl Bryullov, Russian painter (b. 1799)
  • 1859 – Klemens von Metternich, German-Austrian politician, 1st State Chancellor of the Austrian Empire (b. 1773)
  • 1879 – William, Prince of Orange (b. 1840)
  • 1882 – Louis Désiré Maigret, French bishop (b. 1804)
  • 1885 – Matías Ramos Mejía, Argentinian colonel (b. 1810)
  • 1897 – Henry Ayers, English-Australian politician, 8th Premier of South Australia (b. 1821)
  • 1903 – Nikolai Bugaev, Russian mathematician and philosopher (b. 1837)
  • 1903 – Alexander I of Serbia (b. 1876)
  • 1903 – Draga Mašin, Serbian wife of Alexander I of Serbia (b. 1864)
  • 1911 – James Curtis Hepburn, American physician and missionary (b. 1815)
  • 1913 – Mahmud Shevket Pasha, Ottoman general and politician, 279th Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire (b. 1856)
  • 1914 – Adolphus Frederick V, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (b. 1848)
  • 1920 – William F. Halsey, Sr., American captain (b. 1853)
  • 1924 – Théodore Dubois, French organist, composer, and educator (b. 1837)
  • 1927 – William Attewell, English cricketer (b. 1861)
  • 1934 – Lev Vygotsky, Belarusian-Russian psychologist and theorist (b. 1896)
  • 1936 – Robert E. Howard, American author and poet (b. 1906)
  • 1937 – R. J. Mitchell, English engineer, designed the Supermarine Spitfire (b. 1895)
  • 1941 – Daniel Carter Beard, American author and illustrator, founded the Boy Scouts of America (b. 1850)
  • 1955 – Pierre Levegh, French race car driver (b. 1905)
  • 1962 – Chhabi Biswas, Indian actor and director (b. 1900)
  • 1963 – Thích Quảng Đức, Vietnamese monk and martyr (b. 1897)
  • 1965 – Paul B. Coremans, Belgian chemist and academic (b. 1908)
  • 1965 – José Mendes Cabeçadas, Portuguese admiral and politician, 9th President of Portugal (b. 1883)
  • 1970 – Frank Laubach, American missionary and mystic (b. 1884)
  • 1974 – Eurico Gaspar Dutra, Brazilian general and politician, 16th President of Brazil (b. 1883)
  • 1974 – Julius Evola, Italian philosopher and author (b. 1898)
  • 1976 – Jim Konstanty, American baseball player (b. 1917)
  • 1979 – Alice Dalgliesh, Trinidadian-American author and publisher (b. 1893)
  • 1979 – John Wayne, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1907)
  • 1983 – Ghanshyam Das Birla, Indian businessman and politician (b. 1894)
  • 1984 – Enrico Berlinguer, Italian politician (b. 1922)
  • 1986 – Chesley Bonestell, American painter and illustrator (b. 1888)
  • 1991 – Cromwell Everson, South African composer (b. 1925)
  • 1993 – Ray Sharkey, American actor (b. 1952)
  • 1994 – A. Thurairajah, Sri Lankan engineer and academic (b. 1934)
  • 1995 – Rodel Naval, Filipino singer-songwriter and actor (b. 1953)
  • 1996 – George Hees, Canadian politician (b. 1910)
  • 1996 – Brigitte Helm, German-Swiss actress (b. 1908)
  • 1998 – Catherine Cookson, English author (b. 1906)
  • 1999 – DeForest Kelley, American actor and screenwriter (b. 1920)
  • 2001 – Timothy McVeigh, American terrorist (b. 1968)
  • 2001 – Amalia Mendoza, Mexican singer and actress (b. 1923)
  • 2003 – David Brinkley, American journalist and author (b. 1920)
  • 2004 – Egon von Fürstenberg, Swiss fashion designer (b. 1946)
  • 2005 – Vasco Gonçalves, Portuguese general and politician, 103rd Prime Minister of Portugal (b. 1922)
  • 2005 – Anne-Marie Alonzo, Canadian playwright, poet, novelist, critic and publisher (b. 1951)
  • 2006 – Neroli Fairhall, New Zealand archer (b. 1944)
  • 2006 – Bruce Shand, English soldier (b. 1917)
  • 2007 – Imre Friedmann, American biologist and academic (b. 1921)
  • 2007 – Mala Powers, American actress (b. 1931)
  • 2008 – Ove Andersson, Swedish race car driver (b. 1938)
  • 2008 – Võ Văn Kiệt, Vietnamese soldier and politician, 5th Prime Minister of Vietnam (b. 1922)
  • 2011 – Eliyahu M. Goldratt, Israeli physicist and engineer (b. 1947)
  • 2011 – Seth Putnam, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1968)
  • 2012 – Ann Rutherford, Canadian-American actress (b. 1917)
  • 2012 – Teófilo Stevenson, Cuban boxer and engineer (b. 1952)
  • 2013 – Miller Barber, American golfer (b. 1931)
  • 2013 – Carl W. Bauer, American lawyer and politician (b. 1933)
  • 2013 – Robert Fogel, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1926)
  • 2013 – James Grimsley, Jr., American general (b. 1921)
  • 2013 – Rory Morrison, English journalist (b. 1964)
  • 2013 – Kristiāns Pelšs, Latvian ice hockey player (b. 1992)
  • 2013 – Vidya Charan Shukla, Indian politician, Indian Minister of External Affairs (b. 1929)
  • 2014 – Ruby Dee, American actress (b. 1922)
  • 2014 – Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Spanish conductor and composer (b. 1933)
  • 2014 – Susan B. Horwitz, American computer scientist, engineer, and academic (b. 1955)
  • 2014 – Mipham Chokyi Lodro, Tibetan lama and educator (b. 1952)
  • 2014 – Benjamin Mophatlane, South African businessman (b. 1973)
  • 2014 – Carlton Sherwood, American soldier and journalist (b. 1947)
  • 2015 – Jim Ed Brown, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1934)
  • 2015 – Ornette Coleman, American saxophonist, violinist, trumpet player, and composer (b. 1930)
  • 2015 – Ian McKechnie, Scottish footballer and manager (b. 1941)
  • 2015 – Ron Moody, English actor and singer (b. 1924)
  • 2015 – Dusty Rhodes, American wrestler (b. 1945)
  • 2016 – Rudi Altig, German track and road racing cyclist (b. 1937)
  • 2020 – Stella Pevsner, children’s author (b. 1921)

Holidays and observances on June 11

  • American Evacuation Day (Libya)
  • Brazilian Navy commemorative day (Brazil)
  • Christian feast day:
    • Barnabas the Apostle
    • Bartholomew the Apostle (Eastern Christianity)
    • Blessed Ignatius Maloyan (Armenian Catholic Church)
    • Paula Frassinetti
    • Riagail of Bangor
    • June 11 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Davis Day (Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada)
  • Kamehameha Day (Hawaii, United States)
  • Student Day (Honduras)

June 11- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

June 10- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 671 – Emperor Tenji of Japan introduces a water clock (clepsydra) called Rokoku. The instrument, which measures time and indicates hours, is placed in the capital of Ōtsu.
  • 1190 – Third Crusade: Frederick I Barbarossa drowns in the river Saleph while leading an army to Jerusalem.
  • 1329 – The Battle of Pelekanon results in a Byzantine defeat by the Ottoman Empire.
  • 1523 – Copenhagen is surrounded by the army of Frederick I of Denmark, as the city will not recognise him as the successor of Christian II of Denmark.
  • 1539 – Council of Trent: Pope Paul III sends out letters to his bishops, delaying the Council due to war and the difficulty bishops had traveling to Venice.
  • 1596 – Willem Barents and Jacob van Heemskerk discover Bear Island.
  • 1619 – Thirty Years’ War: Battle of Záblatí, a turning point in the Bohemian Revolt.
  • 1624 – Signing of the Treaty of Compiègne between France and the Netherlands.
  • 1692 – Salem witch trials: Bridget Bishop is hanged at Gallows Hill near Salem, Massachusetts, for “certaine Detestable Arts called Witchcraft and Sorceries”.
  • 1719 – Jacobite risings: Battle of Glen Shiel
  • 1782 – King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke (Rama I) of Siam (modern day Thailand) is crowned.
  • 1786 – A landslide dam on the Dadu River created by an earthquake ten days earlier collapses, killing 100,000 in the Sichuan province of China.
  • 1793 – The Jardin des Plantes museum opens in Paris. A year later, it becomes the first public zoo.
  • 1793 – French Revolution: Following the arrests of Girondin leaders, the Jacobins gain control of the Committee of Public Safety installing the revolutionary dictatorship.
  • 1805 – First Barbary War: Yusuf Karamanli signs a treaty ending the hostilities between Tripolitania and the United States.
  • 1829 – The first Boat Race between the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge takes place on the Thames in London.
  • 1838 – Myall Creek massacre: Twenty-eight Aboriginal Australians are murdered.
  • 1854 – The United States Naval Academy graduates its first class of students.
  • 1861 – American Civil War: Battle of Big Bethel: Confederate troops under John B. Magruder defeat a much larger Union force led by General Ebenezer W. Pierce in Virginia.
  • 1864 – American Civil War: Battle of Brice’s Crossroads: Confederate troops under Nathan Bedford Forrest defeat a much larger Union force led by General Samuel D. Sturgis in Mississippi.
  • 1868 – Mihailo Obrenović III, Prince of Serbia is assassinated.
  • 1871 – Sinmiyangyo: Captain McLane Tilton leads 109 US Marines in a naval attack on Han River forts on Kanghwa Island, Korea.
  • 1878 – League of Prizren is established, to oppose the decisions of the Congress of Berlin and the Treaty of San Stefano, as a consequence of which the Albanian lands in the Balkans were being partitioned and given to the neighbor states of Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, and Greece.
  • 1886 – Mount Tarawera in New Zealand erupts, killing 153 people and burying the famous Pink and White Terraces. Eruptions continue for three months creating a large, 17 km long fissure across the mountain peak.
  • 1898 – Spanish–American War: In the Battle of Guantánamo Bay, U.S. Marines begin the American invasion of Spanish-held Cuba.
  • 1916 – The Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire was declared by Hussein bin Ali, Sharif of Mecca.
  • 1918 – The Austro-Hungarian battleship SMS Szent István sinks off the Croatian coast after being torpedoed by an Italian MAS motorboat; the event is recorded by camera from a nearby vessel.
  • 1924 – Fascists kidnap and kill Italian Socialist leader Giacomo Matteotti in Rome.
  • 1935 – Dr. Robert Smith takes his last drink, and Alcoholics Anonymous is founded in Akron, Ohio, United States, by him and Bill Wilson.
  • 1935 – Chaco War ends: A truce is called between Bolivia and Paraguay who had been fighting since 1932.
  • 1940 – World War II: The Kingdom of Italy declares war on France and the United Kingdom.
  • 1940 – World War II: U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt denounces Italy’s actions in his “Stab in the Back” speech at the graduation ceremonies of the University of Virginia.
  • 1940 – World War II: Military resistance to the German occupation of Norway ends.
  • 1942 – World War II: The Lidice massacre is perpetrated as a reprisal for the assassination of Obergruppenführer Reinhard Heydrich.
  • 1944 – World War II: Six hundred forty-two men, women and children massacred at Oradour-sur-Glane, France.
  • 1944 – World War II: In Distomo, Boeotia, Greece, 218 men, women and children are massacred by German troops.
  • 1944 – In baseball, 15-year-old Joe Nuxhall of the Cincinnati Reds becomes the youngest player ever in a major-league game.
  • 1945 – Australian Imperial Forces land in Brunei Bay to liberate Brunei.
  • 1947 – Saab produces its first automobile.
  • 1957 – John Diefenbaker leads the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada to a stunning upset in the 1957 Canadian federal election, ending 22 years of Liberal Party government.
  • 1963 – The Equal Pay Act of 1963, aimed at abolishing wage disparity based on sex, was signed into law by John F. Kennedy as part of his New Frontier Program.
  • 1964 – United States Senate breaks a 75-day filibuster against the Civil Rights Act of 1964, leading to the bill’s passage.
  • 1967 – The Six-Day War ends: Israel and Syria agree to a cease-fire.
  • 1977 – James Earl Ray escapes from Brushy Mountain State Prison in Petros, Tennessee. He is recaptured three days later.
  • 1980 – The African National Congress in South Africa publishes a call to fight from their imprisoned leader Nelson Mandela.
  • 1982 – Lebanon War: The Syrian Arab Army defeats the Israeli Defense Forces in the Battle of Sultan Yacoub.
  • 1990 – British Airways Flight 5390 lands safely at Southampton Airport after a blowout in the cockpit causes the captain to be partially sucked from the cockpit. There are no fatalities.
  • 1991 – Eleven-year-old Jaycee Lee Dugard is kidnapped in South Lake Tahoe, California; she would remain a captive until 2009.
  • 1994 – China conducts a nuclear test for DF-31 warhead at Area C (Beishan), Lop Nur, its prominence being due to the Cox Report.
  • 1996 – Peace talks begin in Northern Ireland without the participation of Sinn Féin.
  • 1997 – Before fleeing his northern stronghold, Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot orders the killing of his defense chief Son Sen and 11 of Sen’s family members.
  • 1999 – Kosovo War: NATO suspends its airstrikes after Slobodan Milošević agrees to withdraw Serbian forces from Kosovo.
  • 2001 – Pope John Paul II canonizes Lebanon’s first female saint, Saint Rafqa.
  • 2002 – The first direct electronic communication experiment between the nervous systems of two humans is carried out by Kevin Warwick in the United Kingdom.
  • 2003 – The Spirit rover is launched, beginning NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover mission.
  • 2009 – James Wenneker von Brunn, who was 88-years-old, opened fire inside the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and fatally shot Museum Special Police Officer Stephen Tyrone Johns. Other security guards returned fire, wounding von Brunn, who was apprehended.
  • 2019 – An Agusta A109E Power crashed onto the AXA Equitable Center on Seventh Avenue in Manhattan, New York City, which sparked a fire on the top of the building. The pilot of the helicopter was killed.

Births on June 10

  • 867 – Emperor Uda of Japan (d. 931)
  • 940 – Abu al-Wafa’ Buzjani, Persian mathematician and astronomer (d. 998)
  • 1213 – Fakhr-al-Din Iraqi, Persian poet and philosopher (d. 1289)
  • 1465 – Mercurino Gattinara, Italian statesman and jurist (d. 1530)
  • 1513 – Louis, Duke of Montpensier (1561–1582) (d. 1582)
  • 1557 – Leandro Bassano, Italian painter (d. 1622)
  • 1632 – Esprit Fléchier, French bishop and author (d. 1710)
  • 1688 – James Francis Edward Stuart, claimant to the English and Scottish throne (d. 1766)
  • 1713 – Princess Caroline of Great Britain (d. 1757)
  • 1716 – Carl Gustaf Ekeberg, Swedish physician and explorer (d. 1784)
  • 1753 – William Eustis, American physician and politician, 12th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1825)
  • 1804 – Hermann Schlegel, German ornithologist and herpetologist (d. 1884)
  • 1819 – Gustave Courbet, French-Swiss painter and sculptor (d. 1877)
  • 1825 – Sondre Norheim, Norwegian-American skier (d. 1897)
  • 1832 – Edwin Arnold, English poet and journalist (d. 1904)
  • 1832 – Nicolaus Otto, German engineer (d. 1891)
  • 1832 – Stephen Mosher Wood, American lieutenant and politician (d. 1920)
  • 1835 – Rebecca Latimer Felton, American educator and politician (d. 1930)
  • 1839 – Ludvig Holstein-Ledreborg, Danish lawyer and politician, 19th Prime Minister of Denmark (d. 1912)
  • 1840 – Theodor Philipsen, Danish painter (d. 1920)
  • 1843 – Heinrich von Herzogenberg, Austrian composer and conductor (d. 1900)
  • 1854 – Sarah Grand, Irish feminist writer (d. 1943)
  • 1859 – Emanuel Nobel, Swedish-Russian businessman (d. 1932)
  • 1862 – Mrs. Leslie Carter, American actress (d. 1937)
  • 1863 – Louis Couperus, Dutch author and poet (d. 1923)
  • 1864 – Ninian Comper, Scottish architect (d. 1960)
  • 1865 – Frederick Cook, American physician and explorer (d. 1940)
  • 1880 – André Derain, French painter and sculptor (d. 1954)
  • 1882 – Nils Økland, Norwegian Esperantist and teacher (d. 1969)
  • 1884 – Leone Sextus Tollemache, English captain (d. 1917)
  • 1886 – Sessue Hayakawa, Japanese actor and producer (d. 1973)
  • 1891 – Al Dubin, Swiss-American songwriter (d. 1945)
  • 1895 – Hattie McDaniel, American actress (d. 1952)
  • 1897 – Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna of Russia (d. 1918)
  • 1898 – Princess Marie-Auguste of Anhalt (d. 1983)
  • 1899 – Stanisław Czaykowski, Polish race car driver (d. 1933)
  • 1901 – Frederick Loewe, Austrian-American composer (d. 1988)
  • 1904 – Lin Huiyin, Chinese architect and poet (d. 1955)
  • 1907 – Fairfield Porter, American painter and critic (d. 1975)
  • 1907 – Dicky Wells, American jazz trombonist (d. 1985)[n 1]
  • 1909 – Lang Hancock, Australian soldier and businessman (d. 1992)
  • 1910 – Frank Demaree, American baseball player and manager (d. 1958)
  • 1910 – Howlin’ Wolf, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1976)
  • 1911 – Ralph Kirkpatrick, American harpsichord player and musicologist (d. 1984)
  • 1911 – Terence Rattigan, English playwright and screenwriter (d. 1977)
  • 1912 – Jean Lesage, Canadian lawyer and politician, 11th Premier of Quebec (d. 1980)
  • 1913 – Tikhon Khrennikov, Russian pianist and composer (d. 2007)
  • 1913 – Benjamin Shapira, German-Israeli biochemist and academic (d. 1993)
  • 1914 – Oktay Rıfat Horozcu, Turkish poet and playwright (d. 1988)
  • 1915 – Saul Bellow, Canadian-American novelist, essayist and short story writer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2005)
  • 1916 – Peride Celal, Turkish author (d. 2013)
  • 1916 – William Rosenberg, American entrepreneur, founded Dunkin’ Donuts (d. 2002)
  • 1918 – Patachou, French singer and actress (d. 2015)
  • 1918 – Barry Morse, English-Canadian actor and director (d. 2008)
  • 1919 – Haidar Abdel-Shafi, Palestinian physician and politician (d. 2007)
  • 1919 – Kevin O’Flanagan, Irish footballer, rugby player, and physician (d. 2006)
  • 1921 – Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
  • 1921 – Jean Robic, French cyclist (d. 1980)
  • 1922 – Judy Garland, American singer, actress, and vaudevillian (d. 1969)
  • 1922 – Bill Kerr, South African-Australian actor (d. 2014)
  • 1923 – Paul Brunelle, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1994)
  • 1923 – Robert Maxwell, Czech-English captain, publisher, and politician (d. 1991)
  • 1924 – Friedrich L. Bauer, German mathematician, computer scientist, and academic (d. 2015)
  • 1925 – Leo Gravelle, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2013)
  • 1925 – Nat Hentoff, American historian, author, and journalist (d. 2017)
  • 1925 – James Salter, American novelist and short-story writer (d. 2015)
  • 1926 – Bruno Bartoletti, Italian conductor (d. 2013)
  • 1926 – Lionel Jeffries, English actor, screenwriter and film director (d. 2010)
  • 1927 – Claudio Gilberto Froehlich, Brazilian zoologist
  • 1927 – László Kubala, Hungarian footballer, coach, and manager (d. 2002)
  • 1927 – Lin Yang-kang, Chinese politician, 29th Vice Premier of the Republic of China (d. 2013)
  • 1927 – Johnny Orr, American basketball player and coach (d. 2013)
  • 1927 – Eugene Parker, American astrophysicist and academic
  • 1928 – Maurice Sendak, American author and illustrator (d. 2012)
  • 1929 – James McDivitt, American general, pilot, and astronaut
  • 1929 – Ian Sinclair, Australian farmer and politician, 42nd Australian Minister for Defence
  • 1929 – Thomas Taylor, Baron Taylor of Blackburn, British Labour Party politician (d. 2016)
  • 1929 – E. O. Wilson, American biologist, author, and academic
  • 1930 – Aranka Siegal, Czech-American author and Holocaust survivor
  • 1930 – Carmen Cozza, American baseball and football player (d. 2018)
  • 1930 – Chen Xitong, Chinese politician, 8th Mayor of Beijing (d. 2013)
  • 1931 – Bryan Cartledge, English academic and diplomat, British Ambassador to Russia
  • 1931 – João Gilberto, Brazilian singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2019)
  • 1932 – Pierre Cartier, French mathematician and academic
  • 1933 – Chuck Fairbanks, American football player and coach (d. 2013)
  • 1934 – Peter Gibson, English lawyer and judge
  • 1934 – Tom Pendry, Baron Pendry, English politician
  • 1935 – Vic Elford, English race car driver
  • 1935 – Lu Jiaxi, Chinese self-taught mathematician (d. 1983)
  • 1935 – Yoshihiro Tatsumi, Japanese author and illustrator (d. 2015)
  • 1938 – Rahul Bajaj, Indian businessman and politician
  • 1938 – Violetta Villas, Belgian-Polish singer-songwriter and actress (d. 2011)
  • 1938 – Vasanti N. Bhat-Nayak, Indian mathematician and academic (d. 2009)
  • 1940 – Augie Auer, American-New Zealand meteorologist (d. 2007)
  • 1940 – John Stevens, English drummer (d. 1994)
  • 1941 – Mickey Jones, American drummer (d. 2018)
  • 1941 – Shirley Owens, American singer
  • 1941 – Jürgen Prochnow, German actor
  • 1941 – David Walker, Australian race car driver
  • 1942 – Gordon Burns, Northern Irish journalist
  • 1942 – Chantal Goya, French singer and actress
  • 1942 – Arthur Hamilton, Lord Hamilton, Scottish lawyer and judge
  • 1942 – Preston Manning, Canadian politician
  • 1943 – Simon Jenkins, English journalist and author
  • 1944 – Ze’ev Friedman, Polish-Israeli weightlifter (d. 1972)
  • 1944 – Rick Price, English rock bass player
  • 1947 – Michel Bastarache, Canadian businessman, lawyer, and jurist
  • 1947 – Ken Singleton, American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1947 – Robert Wright, English air marshal
  • 1950 – Elías Sosa, Dominican-American baseball player
  • 1951 – Dan Fouts, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1951 – Tony Mundine, Australian boxer
  • 1951 – Burglinde Pollak, German pentathlete
  • 1952 – Kage Baker, American author (d. 2010)
  • 1953 – Eileen Cooper, English painter and academic
  • 1953 – John Edwards, American lawyer and politician
  • 1953 – Garry Hynes, Irish director and producer
  • 1953 – Christine St-Pierre, Canadian journalist and politician
  • 1954 – Moya Greene, Canadian businesswoman
  • 1954 – Rich Hall, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1955 – Annette Schavan, German theologian and politician
  • 1955 – Andrew Stevens, American actor and producer
  • 1958 – Yu Suzuki, Japanese game designer and producer
  • 1959 – Carlo Ancelotti, Italian footballer and manager
  • 1959 – Ernie C, American heavy metal guitarist, songwriter, and producer
  • 1959 – Eliot Spitzer, American lawyer and politician, 54th Governor of New York
  • 1960 – Nandamuri Balakrishna, Indian film actor and politician
  • 1961 – Kim Deal, American singer-songwriter and musician
  • 1961 – Maxi Priest, English singer-songwriter
  • 1962 – Gina Gershon, American actress, singer and author
  • 1962 – Anderson Bigode Herzer, Brazilian poet and author (d. 1982)
  • 1962 – Wong Ka Kui, Hong Kong singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1993)
  • 1962 – Tzi Ma, Hong Kong American character actor
  • 1962 – Brent Sutter, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1963 – Brad Henry, American lawyer and politician, 26th Governor of Oklahoma
  • 1963 – Jeanne Tripplehorn, American actress
  • 1965 – Susanne Albers, German computer scientist and academic
  • 1965 – Elizabeth Hurley, English model, actress, and producer
  • 1965 – Joey Santiago, American alternative rock musician
  • 1966 – David Platt, English footballer and manager
  • 1967 – Emma Anderson, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1967 – Darren Robinson, American rapper (d. 1995)
  • 1968 – Bill Burr, American comedian and actor
  • 1968 – Derek Dooley, American football player and coach
  • 1969 – Craig Hancock, Australian rugby league player
  • 1969 – Ronny Johnsen, Norwegian footballer
  • 1969 – Kate Snow, American journalist
  • 1970 – Mike Doughty, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1970 – Katsuhiro Harada, Japanese game designer, director, and producer
  • 1970 – Alex Santos, Filipino journalist
  • 1970 – Shane Whereat, Australian rugby league player
  • 1970 – Sarah Wixey, Welsh sport shooter
  • 1971 – JoJo Hailey, American singer
  • 1971 – Bobby Jindal, American journalist and politician, 55th Governor of Louisiana
  • 1971 – Bruno N’Gotty, French footballer
  • 1971 – Erik Rutan, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1972 – Steven Fischer, American director and producer
  • 1972 – Radmila Šekerinska, Macedonian politician, Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia
  • 1972 – Eric Upashantha, Sri Lankan cricketer
  • 1973 – Faith Evans, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
  • 1973 – Flesh-n-Bone, American rapper and actor
  • 1973 – Pokey Reese, American baseball player
  • 1975 – Henrik Pedersen, Danish footballer
  • 1976 – Alari Lell, Estonian footballer
  • 1976 – Esther Ouwehand, Dutch politician
  • 1976 – Stefan Postma, Dutch footballer and coach
  • 1976 – Hadi Saei, Iranian martial artist
  • 1977 – Adam Darski, Polish singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1977 – Mike Rosenthal, American football player and coach
  • 1978 – Raheem Brock, American football player
  • 1979 – Evgeni Borounov, Russian ice dancer and coach
  • 1979 – Kostas Louboutis, Greek footballer
  • 1980 – Matuzalém, Brazilian footballer
  • 1980 – Ovie Mughelli, American football player
  • 1980 – Dmitri Uchaykin, Russian ice hockey player (d. 2013)
  • 1980 – Daniele Seccarecci, Italian bodybuilder (d. 2013)
  • 1980 – James Walsh, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and pianist
  • 1981 – Mat Jackson, English race car driver
  • 1981 – Albie Morkel, South African cricketer
  • 1981 – Andrey Yepishin, Russian sprinter
  • 1982 – Tara Lipinski, American figure skater
  • 1982 – Princess Madeleine, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland
  • 1982 – Ana Lúcia Souza, Brazilian ballerina and journalist
  • 1983 – Jade Bailey, Barbadian athlete
  • 1983 – Marion Barber III, American football player
  • 1983 – Aaron Davey, Australian footballer
  • 1983 – Leelee Sobieski, American actress and producer
  • 1983 – Steve von Bergen, Swiss footballer
  • 1984 – Johanna Kedzierski, German sprinter
  • 1984 – Dirk Van Tichelt, Belgian martial artist
  • 1985 – Richard Chambers, Irish rower
  • 1985 – Kaia Kanepi, Estonian tennis player
  • 1985 – Kristina Lundberg, Swedish ice hockey player
  • 1985 – Dane Nielsen, Australian rugby league player
  • 1985 – Andy Schleck, Luxembourger cyclist
  • 1985 – Vasilis Torosidis, Greek footballer
  • 1985 – Kreesha Turner, Canadian singer-songwriter and dancer
  • 1986 – Al Alburquerque, Dominican baseball player
  • 1986 – Marco Andreolli, Italian footballer
  • 1987 – Martin Harnik, German-Austrian footballer
  • 1987 – Amobi Okoye, Nigerian-American football player
  • 1988 – Jeff Teague, American basketball player
  • 1989 – DeAndre Kane, American basketball player
  • 1989 – David Miller, South African cricketer
  • 1989 – Mustapha Carayol, Gambian footballer
  • 1989 – Alexandra Stan, Romanian singer-songwriter, dancer, and model
  • 1991 – Alexa Scimeca Knierim, American figure skater
  • 1992 – Kate Upton, American model and actress

Deaths on June 10

  • 323 BC – Alexander the Great, Macedonian king (b. 356 BC)
  • AD 38 – Julia Drusilla, Roman sister of Caligula (b. 16 AD)
  • 223 – Liu Bei, Chinese emperor (b. 161)
  • 779 – Emperor Daizong of Tang (b. 727)
  • 754 – Abul Abbas al-Saffah, Muslim caliph (b. 721)
  • 871 – Odo I, Frankish nobleman
  • 903 – Cheng Rui, Chinese warlord
  • 932 – Dong Zhang, Chinese general
  • 942 – Liu Yan, emperor of Southern Han (b. 889)
  • 1075 – Ernest, Margrave of Austria (b. 1027)
  • 1141 – Richenza of Northeim (b. 1087)
  • 1190 – Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1122)
  • 1261 – Matilda of Brandenburg, Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg (b. 1210)
  • 1338 – Kitabatake Akiie, Japanese governor (b. 1318)
  • 1364 – Agnes of Austria (b. 1281)
  • 1424 – Ernest, Duke of Austria (b. 1377)
  • 1437 – Joan of Navarre, Queen of England (b. 1370)
  • 1468 – Idris Imad al-Din, supreme leader of Tayyibi Isma’ilism, scholar and historian (b. 1392)
  • 1552 – Alexander Barclay, English poet and author (b. 1476)
  • 1556 – Martin Agricola, German composer and theorist (b. 1486)
  • 1580 – Luís de Camões, Portuguese poet (b. 1524–25)
  • 1604 – Isabella Andreini, Italian actress (b. 1562)
  • 1607 – John Popham, English politician, Attorney General for England and Wales (b. 1531)
  • 1654 – Alessandro Algardi, Italian sculptor (b. 1598)
  • 1680 – Johan Göransson Gyllenstierna, Swedish lawyer and politician (b. 1635)
  • 1692 – Bridget Bishop, Colonial Massachusetts woman hanged as a witch during the Salem witch trials (b. 1632)
  • 1735 – Thomas Hearne, English historian and author (b. 1678)
  • 1753 – Joachim Ludwig Schultheiss von Unfriedt, German architect (b. 1678)
  • 1776 – Hsinbyushin, Burmese king (b. 1736)
  • 1776 – Leopold Widhalm, Austrian instrument maker (b. 1722)
  • 1791 – Toussaint-Guillaume Picquet de la Motte, French admiral (b. 1720)
  • 1799 – Chevalier de Saint-Georges, Caribbean-French violinist, composer, and conductor (b. 1745)
  • 1811 – Charles Frederick, Grand Duke of Baden (b. 1728)
  • 1831 – Hans Karl von Diebitsch, German-Russian field marshal (b. 1785)
  • 1836 – André-Marie Ampère, French physicist and mathematician (b. 1775)
  • 1849 – Thomas Robert Bugeaud, French general and politician (b. 1784)
  • 1849 – Robert Brown, Scottish botanist (b. 1773)
  • 1868 – Mihailo Obrenović III, Prince of Serbia (b. 1823)
  • 1899 – Ernest Chausson, French composer (b. 1855)
  • 1901 – Robert Williams Buchanan, Scottish poet, author, and playwright (b. 1841)
  • 1902 – Jacint Verdaguer, Catalan priest and poet (b. 1845)
  • 1906 – Richard Seddon, English-New Zealand politician, 15th Prime Minister of New Zealand (b. 1845)
  • 1909 – Edward Everett Hale, American minister, historian, and author (b. 1822)
  • 1914 – Ödön Lechner, Hungarian architect (b. 1845)
  • 1918 – Arrigo Boito, Italian author, poet, and composer (b. 1842)
  • 1923 – Pierre Loti, French soldier and author (b. 1850)
  • 1924 – Giacomo Matteotti, Italian lawyer and politician (b. 1885)
  • 1926 – Antoni Gaudí, Spanish architect, designed the Park Güell (b. 1852)
  • 1930 – Adolf von Harnack, German historian and theologian (b. 1851)
  • 1934 – Frederick Delius, English composer and educator (b. 1862)
  • 1936 – John Bowser, English-Australian politician, 26th Premier of Victoria (b. 1856)
  • 1937 – Robert Borden, Canadian lawyer and politician, 8th Prime Minister of Canada (b. 1854)
  • 1939 – Albert Ogilvie, Australian politician, 28th Premier of Tasmania (b. 1890)
  • 1940 – Marcus Garvey, Jamaican journalist and activist, founded the Black Star Line (b. 1887)
  • 1944 – Willem Jacob van Stockum, Dutch mathematician and academic (b. 1910)
  • 1946 – Jack Johnson, American boxer (b. 1878)
  • 1947 – Alexander Bethune, Canadian businessman and politician, 12th Mayor of Vancouver (b. 1852)
  • 1949 – Sigrid Undset, Danish-Norwegian novelist, essayist, and translator, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1882)
  • 1955 – Margaret Abbott, Indian-American golfer (b. 1876)
  • 1958 – Angelina Weld Grimké, American journalist, poet, and playwright (b. 1880)
  • 1959 – Zoltán Meskó, Hungarian politician (b. 1883)
  • 1963 – Timothy Birdsall, English cartoonist (b. 1936)
  • 1965 – Vahap Özaltay, Turkish footballer and manager (b. 1908)
  • 1967 – Spencer Tracy, American actor (b. 1900)
  • 1971 – Michael Rennie, English actor (b. 1909)
  • 1973 – William Inge, American playwright and novelist (b. 1913)
  • 1974 – Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester (b. 1900)
  • 1976 – Adolph Zukor, American film producer, co-founded Paramount Pictures (b. 1873)
  • 1982 – Rainer Werner Fassbinder, German actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1945)
  • 1984 – Halide Nusret Zorlutuna, Turkish author and poet (b. 1901)
  • 1986 – Merle Miller, American author and playwright (b. 1919)
  • 1987 – Elizabeth Hartman, American actress (b. 1943)
  • 1988 – Louis L’Amour, American novelist and short story writer (b. 1908)
  • 1991 – Jean Bruller, French author and illustrator, co-founded Les Éditions de Minuit (b. 1902)
  • 1992 – Hachidai Nakamura, Chinese-Japanese pianist and composer (b. 1931)
  • 1993 – Les Dawson, English comedian, actor, writer and presenter (b. 1931)
  • 1996 – George Hees, Canadian soldier, football player, and politician (b. 1910)
  • 1996 – Jo Van Fleet, American actress (b. 1915)
  • 1998 – Jim Hearn, American baseball player (b. 1921)
  • 1998 – Hammond Innes, English soldier and author (b. 1914)
  • 2000 – Hafez al-Assad, Syrian general and politician, 18th President of Syria (b. 1930)
  • 2000 – Brian Statham, English cricketer (b. 1930)
  • 2001 – Leila Pahlavi, Princess of Iran (b. 1970)
  • 2002 – John Gotti, American mobster (b. 1940)
  • 2003 – Donald Regan, American colonel and politician, 11th White House Chief of Staff (b. 1918)
  • 2003 – Bernard Williams, English philosopher and academic (b. 1929)
  • 2003 – Phil Williams, Welsh academic and politician (b. 1939)
  • 2004 – Ray Charles, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and actor (b. 1930)
  • 2004 – Odette Laure, French actress and singer (b. 1917)
  • 2004 – Xenophon Zolotas, Greek economist and politician, 177th Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1904)
  • 2005 – Curtis Pitts, American aircraft designer, designed the Pitts Special (b. 1915)
  • 2007 – Augie Auer, American-New Zealand meteorologist (b. 1940)
  • 2008 – Chinghiz Aitmatov, Kyrgyzstani author and diplomat (b. 1928)
  • 2009 – Stelios Skevofilakas, Greek footballer (b. 1940)
  • 2010 – Basil Schott, American archbishop (b. 1939)
  • 2010 – Sigmar Polke, German painter and photographer (b. 1941)
  • 2011 – Brian Lenihan Jnr, Irish lawyer and politician, 25th Irish Minister for Finance (b. 1959)
  • 2012 – Piero Bellugi, Italian conductor (b. 1924)
  • 2012 – Warner Fusselle, American sportscaster (b. 1944)
  • 2012 – Will Hoebee, Dutch songwriter and producer (b. 1947)
  • 2012 – Georges Mathieu, French painter and academic (b. 1921)
  • 2012 – Joshua Orwa Ojode, Kenyan politician (b. 1958)
  • 2012 – George Saitoti, Kenyan economist and politician, 6th Vice-President of Kenya (b. 1945)
  • 2012 – Sudono Salim, Chinese-Indonesian businessman, founded Bank Central Asia (b. 1916)
  • 2012 – Gordon West, English footballer (b. 1943)
  • 2013 – Doug Bailey, American political consultant (b. 1933)
  • 2013 – Enrique Orizaola, Spanish footballer and coach (b. 1922)
  • 2013 – Barbara Vucanovich, American lawyer and politician (b. 1921)
  • 2014 – Marcello Alencar, Brazilian lawyer and politician, 57th Governor of Rio de Janeiro (b. 1925)
  • 2014 – Gary Gilmour, Australian cricketer and manager (b. 1951)
  • 2014 – Robert M. Grant, American theologian and academic (b. 1917)
  • 2014 – Jack Lee, American radio host and politician (b. 1920)
  • 2015 – Robert Chartoff, American film producer and philanthropist (b. 1933)
  • 2015 – Wolfgang Jeschke, German author and publisher (b. 1936)
  • 2016 – Christina Grimmie, American singer-songwriter (b. 1994)
  • 2016 – Gordie Howe, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1928)
  • 2017 – Julia Perez, Indonesian singer and actress (b. 1980)
  • 2018 – Neal E. Boyd, American singer, winner of the 2008 season of America’s Got Talent (b. 1975)
  • 2020 – Claudell Washington, American baseball player (b. 1954)

Holidays and observances on June 10

  • Abolition Day (French Guiana)
  • Army Day (Jordan)
  • World Art Nouveau Day (Worldwide)
  • Christian feast day:
    • Bardo
    • Getulius, Amancius and Cerealus
    • Guardian Angel of Portugal
    • John of Tobolsk (Russian Orthodox Church)
    • Landry of Paris
    • Maurinus of Cologne
    • Maximus of Aveia (or of Aquila)
    • Maximus of Naples
    • Olivia
    • June 10 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Navy Day (Italy)
  • Portugal Day, also Day of Camões (Portugal and the Portuguese communities)
  • Reconciliation Day (Republic of the Congo)

June 10- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

June 8 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 218 – Battle of Antioch: With the support of the Syrian legions, Elagabalus defeats the forces of emperor Macrinus. He flees but is captured near Chalcedon and later executed in Cappadocia.
  • 793 – Vikings raid the abbey at Lindisfarne in Northumbria, commonly accepted as the beginning of Norse activity in the British Isles.
  • 1042 – Edward the Confessor becomes King of England – the country’s penultimate Anglo-Saxon king.
  • 1191 – Richard I arrives in Acre, beginning his crusade.
  • 1663 – Portuguese victory at the Battle of Ameixial ensures Portugal’s independence from Spain.
  • 1776 – American Revolutionary War: American attackers are driven back at the Battle of Trois-Rivières.
  • 1783 – Laki, a volcano in Iceland, begins an eight-month eruption which kills over 9,000 people and starts a seven-year famine.
  • 1789 – James Madison introduces twelve proposed amendments to the United States Constitution in Congress.
  • 1794 – Robespierre inaugurates the French Revolution’s new state religion, the Cult of the Supreme Being, with large organized festivals all across France.
  • 1856 – A group of 194 Pitcairn Islanders, descendants of the mutineers of HMS Bounty, arrives at Norfolk Island, commencing the Third Settlement of the Island.
  • 1861 – American Civil War: Tennessee secedes from the Union.
  • 1862 – American Civil War: Battle of Cross Keys: Confederate forces under General Stonewall Jackson save the Army of Northern Virginia from a Union assault on the James Peninsula led by General George B. McClellan.
  • 1867 – Coronation of Franz Joseph as King of Hungary following the Austro-Hungarian compromise (Ausgleich).
  • 1887 – Herman Hollerith applies for US patent #395,781 for the ‘Art of Compiling Statistics’, which was his punched card calculator.
  • 1906 – Theodore Roosevelt signs the Antiquities Act into law, authorizing the President to restrict the use of certain parcels of public land with historical or conservation value.
  • 1912 – Carl Laemmle incorporates Universal Pictures.
  • 1918 – A solar eclipse is observed at Baker City, Oregon by scientists and an artist hired by the United States Navy.
  • 1928 – Second Northern Expedition: The National Revolutionary Army captures Peking, whose name is changed to Beijing (“Northern Capital”).
  • 1929 – Margaret Bondfield is appointed Minister of Labour. She is the first woman appointed to the Cabinet of the United Kingdom.
  • 1940 – World War II: The completion of Operation Alphabet, the evacuation of Allied forces from Narvik at the end of the Norwegian Campaign.
  • 1941 – World War II: The Allies commence the Syria–Lebanon Campaign against the possessions of Vichy France in the Levant.
  • 1942 – World War II: The Japanese imperial submarines I-21 and I-24 shell the Australian cities of Sydney and Newcastle.
  • 1949 – Helen Keller, Dorothy Parker, Danny Kaye, Fredric March, John Garfield, Paul Muni and Edward G. Robinson are named in an FBI report as Communist Party members.
  • 1949 – George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four is published.
  • 1953 – An F5 tornado hits Beecher, Michigan, killing 116, injuring 844, and destroying 340 homes.
  • 1953 – The United States Supreme Court rules in District of Columbia v. John R. Thompson Co. that restaurants in Washington, D.C., cannot refuse to serve black patrons.
  • 1959 – USS Barbero and the United States Postal Service attempt the delivery of mail via Missile Mail.
  • 1966 – An F-104 Starfighter collides with XB-70 Valkyrie prototype no. 2, destroying both aircraft during a photo shoot near Edwards Air Force Base. Joseph A. Walker, a NASA test pilot, and Carl Cross, a United States Air Force test pilot, are both killed.
  • 1966 – Topeka, Kansas, is devastated by a tornado that registers as an “F5” on the Fujita scale: The first to exceed US$100 million in damages. Sixteen people are killed, hundreds more injured, and thousands of homes damaged or destroyed.
  • 1966 – The National Football League and American Football League announced a merger effective in 1970.
  • 1967 – Six-Day War: The USS Liberty incident occurs, killing 34 and wounding 171.
  • 1972 – Vietnam War: Nine-year-old Phan Thị Kim Phúc is burned by napalm, an event captured by Associated Press photographer Nick Ut moments later while the young girl is seen running down a road, in what would become an iconic, Pulitzer Prize-winning photo.
  • 1982 – Bluff Cove Air Attacks during the Falklands War: Fifty-six British servicemen are killed by an Argentine air attack on two landing ships, RFA Sir Galahad and RFA Sir Tristram.
  • 1984 – Homosexuality is declared legal in the Australian state of New South Wales.
  • 1987 – New Zealand’s Labour government establishes a national nuclear-free zone under the New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act 1987.
  • 1992 – The first World Oceans Day is celebrated, coinciding with the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
  • 1995 – Downed U.S. Air Force pilot Captain Scott O’Grady is rescued by U.S. Marines in Bosnia.
  • 2001 – Mamoru Takuma kills eight and injures 15 in a mass stabbing at an elementary school in the Osaka Prefecture of Japan.
  • 2004 – The first Venus Transit in well over a century takes place, the previous one being in 1882.
  • 2007 – Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, is hit by the State’s worst storms and flooding in 30 years resulting in the death of nine people and the grounding of a trade ship, the MV Pasha Bulker.
  • 2008 – At least 37 miners go missing after an explosion in a Ukrainian coal mine causes it to collapse.
  • 2008 – At least seven people are killed and ten injured in a stabbing spree in Tokyo, Japan.
  • 2009 – Two American journalists are found guilty of illegally entering North Korea and sentenced to 12 years of penal labour.
  • 2014 – At least 28 people are killed in an attack at Jinnah International Airport, Karachi, Pakistan.

Births on June 8

  • 862 – Emperor Xizong of Tang (d. 888)
  • 1508 – Primož Trubar, Slovenian Protestant reformer (d. 1586)
  • 1552 – Gabriello Chiabrera, Italian poet and author (d. 1638)
  • 1593 – George I Rákóczi, prince of Transylvania (d. 1648)
  • 1625 – Giovanni Domenico Cassini, Italian-French mathematician and astronomer (d. 1712)
  • 1671 – Tomaso Albinoni, Italian violinist and composer (d. 1751)
  • 1717 – John Collins, American lawyer and politician, 3rd Governor of Rhode Island (d. 1795)
  • 1724 – John Smeaton, English engineer, designed the Coldstream Bridge and Perth Bridge (d. 1794)
  • 1745 – Caspar Wessel, Norwegian-Danish mathematician and cartographer (d. 1818)
  • 1757 – Ercole Consalvi, Italian cardinal (d. 1824)
  • 1788 – Charles A. Wickliffe, American politician, 14th Governor of Kentucky (d. 1869)
  • 1810 – Robert Schumann, German composer and critic (d. 1856)
  • 1829 – John Everett Millais, English painter and illustrator (d. 1896)
  • 1831 – Thomas J. Higgins, Canadian-American sergeant, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 1917)
  • 1842 – John Q. A. Brackett, American lawyer and politician, 36th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1918)
  • 1851 – Jacques-Arsène d’Arsonval, French physician and physicist (d. 1940)
  • 1852 – Guido Banti, Italian physician and pathologist (d. 1925)
  • 1854 – Douglas Cameron, Canadian politician, 8th Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba (d. 1921)
  • 1855 – George Charles Haité, English painter and illustrator (d. 1924)
  • 1858 – Charlotte Scott, English mathematician (d. 1931)
  • 1859 – Smith Wigglesworth, English evangelist (d. 1947)
  • 1860 – Alicia Boole Stott, Irish-English mathematician and theorist (d. 1940)
  • 1867 – Frank Lloyd Wright, American architect, designed the Price Tower and Fallingwater (d. 1959)
  • 1868 – Robert Robinson Taylor, American architect (d. 1942)
  • 1872 – Jan Frans De Boever, Belgian painter and illustrator (d. 1949)
  • 1875 – Ernst Enno, Estonian poet and author (d. 1934)
  • 1876 – Alexandre Tuffère, Greek-French triple jumper (d. 1958)
  • 1885 – Karl Genzken, German physician (d. 1957)
  • 1891 – William Funnell, Australian public servant (d. 1962)
  • 1893 – Ernst Marcus, German zoologist (d. 1968)
  • 1893 – Gaby Morlay, French actress (d. 1964)
  • 1894 – Erwin Schulhoff, Czech composer and pianist (d. 1942)
  • 1895 – Santiago Bernabéu Yeste, Spanish footballer and manager (d. 1978)
  • 1897 – John G. Bennett, English mathematician and technologist (d. 1974)
  • 1899 – Eugène Lapierre, Canadian organist, composer and arts administrator (d. 1970)
  • 1899 – Ernst-Robert Grawitz, German physician (d. 1945)
  • 1900 – Lena Baker, African-American maid executed for capital murder, later pardoned posthumously (d. 1945)
  • 1903 – Ralph Yarborough, American colonel and politician (d. 1996)
  • 1903 – Marguerite Yourcenar, Belgian-French author and poet (d. 1987)
  • 1910 – C. C. Beck, American illustrator (d. 1989)
  • 1910 – John W. Campbell, American journalist and author (d. 1971)
  • 1910 – Fernand Fonssagrives, French-American photographer, sculptor, and painter (d. 2003)
  • 1911 – Edmundo Rivero, Argentinian singer-songwriter (d. 1986)
  • 1912 – Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, British abstract painter (d. 2004)
  • 1912 – Maurice Bellemare, Canadian lawyer and politician (d. 1989)
  • 1912 – Harry Holtzman, American painter (d. 1987)
  • 1915 – Kayyar Kinhanna Rai, Indian journalist, author, and poet (d. 2015)
  • 1916 – Francis Crick, English biologist, biophysicist, and neuroscientist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2004)
  • 1916 – Luigi Comencini, Italian director and screenwriter (d. 2007)
  • 1916 – Richard Pousette-Dart, American painter and educator (d. 1992)
  • 1917 – Byron White, American football player and judge (d. 2002)
  • 1918 – George Edward Hughes, Irish-New Zealand philosopher and logician (d. 1994)
  • 1918 – Robert Preston, American captain, actor, and singer (d. 1987)
  • 1918 – John D. Roberts, American chemist and academic (d. 2016)
  • 1918 – John H. Ross, American captain and pilot (d. 2013)
  • 1919 – John R. Deane, Jr., American general (d. 2013)
  • 1920 – Gwen Harwood, Australian poet and playwright (d. 1995)
  • 1921 – Gordon McLendon, American broadcaster and businessman (d. 1986)
  • 1921 – Olga Nardone, American actress (d. 2010)
  • 1921 – LeRoy Neiman, American soldier and painter (d. 2012)
  • 1921 – Alexis Smith, Canadian-born American actress and singer (d. 1993)
  • 1921 – Suharto, Indonesian soldier and politician, 2nd President of Indonesia (d. 2008)
  • 1924 – Billie Dawe, Canadian ice hockey player and manager (d. 2013)
  • 1924 – Kenneth Waltz, American political scientist and academic (d. 2013)
  • 1925 – Barbara Bush, American wife of George H. W. Bush, 41st First Lady of the United States (d. 2018)
  • 1927 – Jerry Stiller, American actor, comedian and producer (d. 2020)
  • 1929 – Nada Inada, Japanese psychiatrist and author (d. 2013)
  • 1930 – Robert Aumann, German-American mathematician and economist, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1930 – Marcel Léger, Canadian lawyer and politician (d. 1993)
  • 1931 – James Goldstone, American director and screenwriter (d. 1999)
  • 1931 – Dana Wynter, British actress (d. 2011)
  • 1932 – Ray Illingworth, English cricketer and sportscaster
  • 1932 – Ian Kirkwood, Lord Kirkwood, Scottish lawyer and judge (d. 2017)
  • 1933 – Rommie Loudd, American football player and coach (d. 1998)
  • 1933 – Joan Rivers, American comedian, actress, and television host (d. 2014)
  • 1933 – Robert Stevens, English lawyer and academic
  • 1934 – Millicent Martin, English actress and singer
  • 1935 – Molade Okoya-Thomas, Nigerian businessman and philanthropist (d. 2015)
  • 1936 – James Darren, American actor
  • 1936 – Kenneth G. Wilson, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2013)
  • 1937 – Gillian Clarke, Welsh poet and playwright
  • 1938 – Angelo Amato, Italian cardinal
  • 1939 – Herb Adderley, American football player
  • 1940 – Nancy Sinatra, American singer and actress
  • 1941 – Robert Bradford, Northern Irish politician and activist (d. 1981)
  • 1941 – George Pell, Australian cardinal
  • 1942 – Nikos Konstantopoulos, Greek politician, Greek Minister of the Interior
  • 1942 – Doug Mountjoy, Welsh snooker player
  • 1943 – Colin Baker, English actor
  • 1943 – William Calley, American lieutenant
  • 1943 – Willie Davenport, American colonel and hurdler (d. 2002)
  • 1943 – Peter Eggert, German footballer and manager
  • 1943 – Pierre-André Fournier, Roman Catholic archbishop (d. 2015)
  • 1944 – Mark Belanger, American baseball player (d. 1998)
  • 1944 – Marc Ouellet, Canadian cardinal
  • 1944 – Boz Scaggs, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1945 – Steven Fromholz, American singer-songwriter, producer, and poet (d. 2014)
  • 1945 – Derek Underwood, English cricketer
  • 1946 – Graham Henry, New Zealand rugby player and coach
  • 1947 – Annie Haslam, English singer-songwriter and painter
  • 1947 – Sara Paretsky, American author
  • 1947 – Eric F. Wieschaus, American biologist, geneticist, and academic Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1949 – Emanuel Ax, Polish-American pianist and educator
  • 1949 – Hildegard Falck, German runner
  • 1950 – Kathy Baker, American actress
  • 1950 – Sônia Braga, Brazilian actress and producer
  • 1951 – Tony Rice, American guitarist and songwriter
  • 1951 – Bonnie Tyler, Welsh singer-songwriter
  • 1953 – Billy Hayes, English union leader
  • 1953 – Sandy Nairne, English historian and curator
  • 1953 – Ivo Sanader, Croatian historian and politician, 8th Prime Minister of Croatia
  • 1953 – Olav Stedje, Norwegian singer-songwriter
  • 1954 – Greg Ginn, American punk rock guitarist, singer, and songwriter (Black Flag)
  • 1954 – Kiril of Varna, Bulgarian metropolitan (d. 2013)
  • 1954 – Sergei Storchak, Ukrainian-Russian politician
  • 1955 – Tim Berners-Lee, English computer scientist, best known as the inventor of the World Wide Web
  • 1955 – José Antonio Camacho, Spanish footballer and manager
  • 1955 – Griffin Dunne, American actor, director, and producer
  • 1956 – Udo Bullmann, German politician
  • 1956 – Jonathan Potter, English psychologist, sociolinguist, and academic
  • 1957 – Scott Adams, American author and illustrator
  • 1957 – Don Robinson, American baseball player and politician
  • 1957 – Sonja Vectomov, Czech/Finnish sculptor
  • 1958 – Louise Richardson, Irish political scientist and academic
  • 1958 – Keenen Ivory Wayans, American actor, director, and screenwriter
  • 1959 – Mohsen Kadivar, Iranian philosopher
  • 1960 – Mick Hucknall, English singer-songwriter
  • 1960 – Terje Gewelt, Norwegian bassist
  • 1960 – Thomas Steen, Swedish ice hockey player and coach
  • 1961 – Mary Bonauto, American lawyer and gay rights activist
  • 1962 – John Gibbons, American baseball player and manager
  • 1962 – Andreas Keim, German footballer
  • 1962 – Nick Rhodes, English keyboard player and producer
  • 1963 – Karen Kingsbury, American journalist and author
  • 1963 – Antoaneta Todorova, Bulgarian javelin thrower
  • 1964 – Butch Reynolds, American runner and coach
  • 1965 – Kevin Farley, American screenwriter
  • 1965 – Rob Pilatus, German model, dancer and singer (Milli Vanilli) (d. 1998)
  • 1966 – Julianna Margulies, American actress
  • 1966 – Doris Pearson, English singer-songwriter and choreographer
  • 1967 – Dan Futterman, American actor, screenwriter and producer
  • 1967 – Russell E. Morris, Professor of Materials Chemistry at the University of St Andrews
  • 1968 – Rob Ray, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
  • 1969 – David Barnhill, Australian rugby league player and coach
  • 1969 – J. P. Manoux, American actor
  • 1969 – Marcos Siega, American director and producer
  • 1970 – Gabrielle Giffords, American businesswoman, politician and activist
  • 1970 – Kwame Kilpatrick, American educator and politician, 68th Mayor of Detroit
  • 1970 – Steve Renouf, Australian rugby league player and sportscaster
  • 1970 – Troy Vincent, American football player
  • 1971 – Mark Feuerstein, American actor, director, and producer
  • 1972 – Christian Mayrleb, Austrian footballer
  • 1973 – Lexa Doig, Canadian model and actress
  • 1973 – Bryant Reeves, American basketball player
  • 1974 – Pål Arne Fagernes, Norwegian javelin thrower (d. 2003)
  • 1974 – Lauren Burns, Australian taekwondo practitioner
  • 1974 – Alma Lepina, Latvian figure skater
  • 1975 – Emm Gryner, Canadian singer-songwriter
  • 1975 – Bryan McCabe, Canadian-American ice hockey player
  • 1975 – Mark Ricciuto, Australian footballer and sportscaster
  • 1975 – Shilpa Shetty, Indian actress and producer
  • 1976 – Eion Bailey, American actor
  • 1976 – Kenji Johjima, Japanese baseball player
  • 1976 – Catherine McKinnell, English lawyer and politician
  • 1977 – Kanye West, American rapper, producer, director, and fashion designer
  • 1978 – Eun Ji-won, South Korean rapper, dancer, and producer
  • 1978 – Maria Menounos, American television journalist
  • 1979 – Alexei Kozlov, Estonian figure skater
  • 1979 – Pete Orr, Canadian-American baseball player
  • 1979 – Adine Wilson, New Zealand netball player
  • 1979 – İpek Şenoğlu, Turkish tennis player
  • 1980 – Gustavo Manduca, Brazilian footballer
  • 1980 – Jamie Spencer, Irish jockey
  • 1981 – Alex Band, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1981 – Rachel Held Evans, American Christian author
  • 1981 – Matteo Meneghello, Italian race car driver
  • 1981 – Sara Watkins, American singer-songwriter and fiddler
  • 1982 – Matteo Barbini, Italian rugby player
  • 1982 – Michael Cammalleri, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1982 – Dickson Etuhu, Nigerian footballer
  • 1982 – Irina Lăzăreanu, Romanian-Canadian model and singer
  • 1982 – Nadia Petrova, Russian tennis player
  • 1983 – Gaines Adams, American football player (d. 2010)
  • 1983 – Kim Clijsters, Belgian tennis player
  • 1983 – Pantelis Kapetanos, Greek footballer
  • 1983 – Coby Karl, American basketball player
  • 1984 – Javier Mascherano, Argentinian footballer
  • 1985 – Alexandre Despatie, Canadian diver
  • 1985 – Rosanna Pansino, American actress, writer and TV personality
  • 1986 – Patrick Kaleta, American ice hockey player
  • 1986 – Andrej Sekera, Slovak ice hockey player
  • 1987 – Coralie Balmy, French swimmer
  • 1987 – Issiar Dia, Senegalese footballer
  • 1989 – Timea Bacsinszky, Swiss tennis player
  • 1989 – Mitchell Schwartz, American football player
  • 1990 – Todd Barclay, New Zealand politician
  • 1990 – Mickey Bushell, English wheelchair racer
  • 1992 – Sebá, Brazilian footballer
  • 1996 – Doğanay Kılıç, Turkish footballer
  • 1997 – Jeļena Ostapenko, Latvian tennis player

Deaths on June 8

  • 632 – Muhammad, the central figure of Islam, widely regarded as its founder (b. 570/571)
  • 696 – Chlodulf, bishop of Metz (or 697)
  • 951 – Zhao Ying, Chinese chancellor (b. 885)
  • 1042 – Harthacnut, English-Danish king (b. 1018)
  • 1154 – William of York, English archbishop and saint
  • 1290 – Beatrice Portinari, object of Dante Alighieri’s adoration (b. 1266)
  • 1376 – Edward, the Black Prince, English son of Edward III of England (b. 1330)
  • 1383 – Thomas de Ros, 4th Baron de Ros, English politician (b. 1338)
  • 1384 – Kan’ami, Japanese actor and playwright (b. 1333)
  • 1405 – Richard le Scrope, Archbishop of York (b. c.1350)
  • 1405 – Thomas de Mowbray, 4th Earl of Norfolk (b. 1385)
  • 1476 – George Neville, English archbishop and academic (b. 1432)
  • 1492 – Elizabeth Woodville, Queen consort of England (b. 1437)
  • 1501 – George Gordon, 2nd Earl of Huntly, Earl of Huntly and Lord Chancellor of Scotland (b. 1440)
  • 1505 – Hongzhi Emperor of China (b. 1470)
  • 1600 – Edward Fortunatus, German nobleman (b. 1565)
  • 1611 – Jean Bertaut, French bishop and poet (b. 1552)
  • 1612 – Hans Leo Hassler, German organist and composer (b. 1562)
  • 1621 – Anne de Xainctonge, French saint, founded the Society of the Sisters of Saint Ursula of the Blessed Virgin (b. 1567)
  • 1628 – Rudolph Goclenius, German lexicographer and philosopher (b. 1547)
  • 1651 – Tokugawa Iemitsu, Japanese shōgun (b. 1604)
  • 1714 – Sophia of Hanover (b. 1630)
  • 1716 – Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatine, German son of Landgravine Elisabeth Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt (b. 1658)
  • 1727 – August Hermann Francke, German-Lutheran pietist, philanthropist, and scholar (b. 1663)
  • 1768 – Johann Joachim Winckelmann, German archaeologist and scholar (b. 1717)
  • 1771 – George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax, English politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (b. 1716)
  • 1795 – Louis XVII of France (b. 1785)
  • 1809 – Thomas Paine, English-American theorist and author (b. 1737)
  • 1831 – Sarah Siddons, Welsh actress (b. 1755)
  • 1835 – Gian Domenico Romagnosi, Italian economist and jurist (b. 1761)
  • 1845 – Andrew Jackson, American general, judge, and politician, 7th President of the United States (b. 1767)
  • 1846 – Rodolphe Töpffer, Swiss teacher, author, painter, cartoonist, and caricaturist (b. 1799)
  • 1857 – Douglas William Jerrold, English journalist and playwright (b. 1803)
  • 1874 – Cochise, American tribal chief (b. 1805)
  • 1876 – George Sand, French author and playwright (b. 1804)
  • 1885 – Ignace Bourget, Canadian bishop (b. 1799)
  • 1889 – Gerard Manley Hopkins, English poet (b. 1844)
  • 1899 – Mary of the Divine Heart, German nun and saint (b. 1863)
  • 1924 – Andrew Irvine, English mountaineer and explorer (b. 1902)
  • 1924 – George Mallory, English lieutenant and mountaineer (b. 1886)
  • 1929 – Bliss Carman, Canadian-American poet and playwright (b. 1861)
  • 1945 – Karl Hanke, Polish-German soldier and politician (b. 1903)
  • 1951 – Eugène Fiset, Canadian physician, general, and politician, 18th Lieutenant Governor of Quebec (b. 1874)
  • 1951 – Oswald Pohl, German SS officer (b. 1892)
  • 1956 – Marie Laurencin, French painter and sculptor (b. 1883)
  • 1959 – Leslie Johnson, English race car driver (b. 1912)
  • 1965 – Edmondo Rossoni, Italian politician (b. 1884)
  • 1966 – Anton Melik, Slovenian geographer and academic (b. 1890)
  • 1968 – Elizabeth Enright, American author and illustrator (b. 1909)
  • 1968 – Ludovico Scarfiotti, Italian race car driver (b. 1933)
  • 1969 – Arunachalam Mahadeva, Sri Lankan politician and diplomat (b. 1885)
  • 1969 – Robert Taylor, American actor and singer (b. 1911)
  • 1970 – Abraham Maslow, American psychologist and academic (b. 1908)
  • 1971 – J.I. Rodale, American author and playwright (b. 1898)
  • 1976 – Thorleif Schjelderup-Ebbe, Norwegian zoologist and psychologist (b. 1894)
  • 1982 – Satchel Paige, American baseball player and coach (b. 1906)
  • 1984 – Gordon Jacob, English composer and academic (b. 1895)
  • 1987 – Alexander Iolas, Egyptian-American art collector (b. 1907)
  • 1997 – George Turner, Australian author and critic (b. 1916)
  • 1997 – Karen Wetterhahn, American chemist and academic (b. 1948)
  • 1998 – Sani Abacha, Nigerian general and politician, 10th President of Nigeria (b. 1943)
  • 1998 – Maria Reiche, German mathematician and archaeologist (b. 1903)
  • 2000 – Jeff MacNelly, American cartoonist (b. 1948)
  • 2001 – Alex de Renzy, American director and producer (b. 1935)
  • 2004 – Charles Hyder, American astrophysicist and academic (b. 1930)
  • 2004 – Mack Jones, American baseball player (b. 1938)
  • 2006 – Jaxon, American illustrator and publisher, co-founded Rip Off Press (b. 1941)
  • 2006 – Matta El Meskeen, Egyptian monk, theologian, and author (b. 1919)
  • 2008 – Šaban Bajramović, Serbian singer-songwriter (b. 1936)
  • 2009 – Omar Bongo, Gabonese captain and politician, President of Gabon (b. 1935)
  • 2010 – Crispian St. Peters, English singer-songwriter (b. 1939)
  • 2012 – Pete Brennan, American basketball player (b. 1936)
  • 2012 – Charles E. M. Pearce, New Zealand-Australian mathematician and academic (b. 1940)
  • 2012 – Ghassan Tueni, Lebanese journalist, academic, and politician (b. 1926)
  • 2013 – Paul Cellucci, American soldier and politician, 69th Governor of Massachusetts (b. 1948)
  • 2013 – Yoram Kaniuk, Israeli painter, journalist, and critic (b. 1930)
  • 2013 – Taufiq Kiemas, Indonesian politician, 5th First Spouse of Indonesia (b. 1942)
  • 2014 – Alexander Imich, Polish-American chemist, parapsychologist, and academic (b. 1903)
  • 2014 – Yoshihito, Prince Katsura of Japan (b. 1948)
  • 2015 – Chea Sim, Cambodian commander and politician (b. 1932)
  • 2017 – Sam Panopoulos, Greek cook (b. 1934)

Holidays and observances on June 8

  • Christian feast day:
    • Blessed Mariam Thresia Chiramel Mankidiyan
    • Blessed Mary of the Divine Heart (Droste zu Vischering)
    • Chlodulf of Metz
    • Jacques Berthieu, S.J.
    • Jadwiga (Hedwig) of Poland
    • Medard
    • Melania the Elder
    • Roland Allen (Episcopal Church (USA))
    • Thomas Ken (Church of England)
    • William of York
    • June 8 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Earliest day on which Queen’s Birthday can fall, while June 14 is the latest; celebrated on the second Monday in June. (Australia, except Western Australia and Queensland)
  • Bounty Day (Norfolk Island)
  • Caribbean American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
  • Engineer’s Day (Peru)
  • Pranav Sivakumar Day (Illinois, United States)
  • Primož Trubar Day (Slovenia)
  • World Brain Tumor Day
  • World Oceans Day

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