Today in History
Important Events
- 618 Coronation of the Chinese governor Li Yuan as Emperor Gaozu of Tang, the new Emperor of China, initiating three centuries of the Tang Dynasty's rule over China
- 1812 War of 1812 begins as US declares war against Britain
- 1815 Battle of Waterloo; Napoleon and France defeated by British forces under Wellington and Prussian troops under Blucher
- 1928 American aviator Amelia Earhart becomes the 1st woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean landing at Burry Port, Wales
- 1940 Winston Churchill's "this was their finest hour" speech urging perseverance during Battle of Britain delivered to British House of Commons
Today in Film & TV
- 1969 "The Wild Bunch", directed by Sam Peckinpah and starring William Holden and Ernest Borgnine, is released
Today in Music
- 1991 "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" single released by Bryan Adams (Billboard Song of the Year 1991)
Today in Sport
- 1995 All Black Jonah Lomu scores the try of the Rugby World Cup, running over Mike Catt in New Zealand's 45-29 defeat of England
Did You Know?
Did You Know?Richard Martin of London takes out first life insurance policy, on William Gibbons; premium was £383
On this day in 1583
Famous Birthdays
- George Mallory
(1886 - 1924) - Anastasia Nikolaevna
(1901 - 1918) - Paul McCartney
79th Birthday - Isabella Rossellini
69th Birthday
George Mallory
Anastasia Nikolaevna
Paul McCartney
Isabella RosselliniTomorrow's Famous Birthdays
- James I and VI
(1566 - 1625) - Blaise Pascal
(1623 - 1662) - Moe Howard
(1897 - 1975) - Lou Gehrig
(1903 - 1941)
James I and VI
Blaise Pascal
Moe Howard
Lou GehrigWould You Believe?
Governor of Louisiana Earl K. Long is committed to a state mental hospital; he responds by having the hospital's director fired and replaced with a crony who proceeds to proclaim him perfectly sane
On this day in 1959
Famous Weddings
- 1839 Dutch prince Willem Alexander (later William III) weds cousin Princess Sophia
- 1858 Norwegian modernist playwright "The Doll's House" Henrik Ibsen (30) marries Suzannah Thoresen (21) in Oslo
- 1953 Civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. (24) marries fellow activist and singer Coretta Scott (26)
Famous Divorces
- 1971 Aviator Howard Hughes divorces 2nd wife Jean Peters after 14 years of marriage
- 2010 Former Saved by the Bell actor Mark-Paul Gosselaar (36) divorces former model Lisa Ann Russell (39) due to irreconcilable differences after 14 years of marriage
- 2012 "The L Word" actress Laurel Holloman (41) divorces architect Paul Macherey (44) due to irreconcilable differences after 9 years of marriage
Roald Amundsen
Maxim Gorky
Georgy Zhukov
XXXTentacion
Joseph Banks
Ethel Rosenberg
Sam Giancana
James GandolfiniThis Month in History
Taj Mahal: A Monument To Love
An emperor’s beloved wife died on this day. Heartbroken, he began a 22-year project to build a unique monument on her burial site – the magnificent Taj Mahal.
June 17, 1631Fort Knox-style Security for Folger Library
In 2020 a First Folio of William Shakespeare’s works was sold at auction in New York for nearly ten million dollars. And the Folger Library has 82 of them.
June 18, 1857'Ship in Distress' Sails Into History Books
What was claimed to be the first trans-Atlantic crossing by a steam ship – even if sails helped – was completed on this day and is still celebrated
June 19, 1819'Gorgeous Gussie' Shocks Wimbledon
There is a strict dress code at Wimbledon and, as Gussie Moran discovered on this day in tennis history, tennis players break it at their peril.
June 20, 1949
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