Today in History
Significant Events
- 1633 Galileo Galilei forced to recant his Copernican views that the Earth orbits the Sun by the Pope (Vatican only admits it was wrong on Oct 31, 1992!)
- 1675 Royal Greenwich Observatory established in England by Charles II
- 1772 Somerset v Stewart court case finds slavery unsupported by English common law, encouraging the abolitionist movement
- 1848 Beginning of the June Days uprising in Paris by French workers
- 1865 The CSS Shenandoah fires the last shot of the American Civil War in the Bering Strait to indicate surrender
- 1941 Germany, Italy and Romania declare war on the Soviet Union
Did You Know?
Henry Hudson set adrift in Hudson Bay by mutineers on his ship Discovery and never seen again
On this day in 1611
Famous Birthdays
John Dillinger
(1903 - 1934)
Anne Morrow Lindbergh
(1906 - 2001)
Meryl Streep
69th Birthday
Tomorrow's Famous Birthdays
Edward VIII
(1894 - 1972)
June Carter Cash
(1929 - 2003)
Frances McDormand
Turns 60
Famous Weddings
- 1894 Harry Houdini marries Bessie Rahner
- 1958 NBA forward Elgin Baylor (23) weds Ruby Saunder at Mt Olive Baptist Church in Washington, D.C.
- 1965 Actress Lana Turner marries for the 7th time to Robert P. Eaton
- 1969 Writer and producer R. L. Stine (25) weds editor Jane Waldhorn
- 1985 "Dallas" actress Victoria Principal (35) weds plastic surgeon Harry Glassman (43) in Dallas
Judy Garland
Fred Astaire
Vespasian
Jonas Salk
Betty ShabazzThis Month in History
Lomu – The Unstoppable Gentle Giant
Jonah Lomu was a phenomenon in Rugby Union – a man-mountain who inspired fear and respect in equal measure among his opponents.
June 18, 1995
'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
Deadly Quest For The Northern Passage
For centuries mankind had sought the fabled Northern Passage - a new route for shipping from Europe to Asia. Explorer Henry Hudson's attempt did not go well.
June 22, 1611
How the Qwerty Keyboard was Born
A typewriter patent was granted on this day to the man who would go on to produce and inflict on us all the ubiquitous Qwerty keyboard.
June 23, 1868
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