What Happened on June 22
Important 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
Jun 22 in Film & TV
- 1977 Walt Disney's "Rescuers" released, first Disney film to get a sequel
Jun 22 in Music
- 1963 "Little" Stevie Wonder aged 13 releases his first single "Fingertips" (first live non-studio recording to go to No. 1 on Billboard)
Jun 22 in Sport
Did You Know?
John Dillinger is informally named America's first Public Enemy Number One
On June 22, 1934
Famous Birthdays
John Dillinger
(1903 - 1934)Anne Morrow Lindbergh
(1906 - 2001)Billy Wilder
(1906 - 2002)Pete Maravich
(1947 - 1988)Meryl Streep
71 Years OldVijay
46 Years Old
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
Articles, Photos and Quiz
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, 1611The Painter Who Died For His Art
Painter Benjamin Haydon, who died on this day, spent his life beating on the door of London’s exclusive art ‘club’, the Royal Academy. They never let him in.
June 22, 1846Germany Invades the Soviet Union
German troops cross the border point between Nazi Germany and the Sovet Union on June 22, 1941
June 22, 1941
June in History
'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, 1949Misery of The King's Executioner
He may have caused civil war but the execution of King Charles I shocked many Englishmen and caused untold anguish for the man who took the royal life.
June 20, 1649How 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, 1868The Fatal Dance Manias of Medieval Europe
The strange social phenomena of Medieval Europe where people began dancing and simply couldn't stop
June 24, 1374