On This Day

Historical Events in June 1916

  • Jun 2 Battle of Verdun: German troops, under Lt Rackow, launch attack on Fort Vaux with flamethrowers, forcing French defenders inside. The fort changes hand 16 times during the entire Battle of Verdun.
  • Jun 3 US National Defense Act establishes Reserve Officers Training Corps
  • Jun 4 General Aleksei Brusilov begins a massive Russian offensive on the Eastern Front (WWI)
  • Jun 5 The Sherif Hussein proclaims a revolt of the Arabs in the province of Hejaz, an action that undermines the Turkish Empire
  • Jun 6 Voters in East Cleveland, Ohio approve women suffrage

Historic Event

Jun 6 The death of Yuan Shikai, ruler of much of China since 1912, causes central government to virtually collapse in the face of pressure from warlords, and from political reformers including Sun Yat-sen

Sun Yat-sen
Father of Modern China Sun Yat-sen
Yuan Shikai
General and President of the Republic of China Yuan Shikai

Historic Event

Jun 7 Theodore Roosevelt declines nomination of the Progressive Party and throws his support behind Republican Charles Evans Hughes

Theodore Roosevelt
26th US President Theodore Roosevelt
  • Jun 8 Battle of Verdun: Germans capture Fort Vaux after several days of intense fighting
  • Jun 10 48th Belmont: E Haynes aboard Friar Rock wins in 2:22
  • Jun 10 Great Arab Revolt begins against ruling Ottoman turks
  • Jun 12 US National Championship Women's Tennis, Forest Hills, NY: Defending champion Molla Bjurstedt outclasses Louise Hammond Raymond 6-0, 6-1

Presidential Convention

Jun 14 Democratic Convention convenes in St Louis; Woodrow Wilson campaigns on the slogan "he kept out of the war"

Woodrow Wilson
28th US President Woodrow Wilson
  • Jun 14 Representatives of eight Allied nations hold an economic conference in Paris at which they discuss ways to cripple their enemies economic power during and after the war
  • Jun 15 Boys Scouts of America forms

Historic Event

Jun 15 Boeing Model 1 [B & W Seaplane], the 1st Boeing product, flies for the 1st time

William Boeing
Aviation Pioneer William Boeing
  • Jun 16 Boston Brave's Tom Hughes 2nd no-hitter beats Pitts, 2-0
  • Jun 16 Passing of the Military Services Bill introduces conscription in New Zealand
  • Jun 17 1st national congress of Sarekat Islam at Bandoeng Java
  • Jun 17 US troops under General Pershing march into Mexico
  • Jun 21 Boston Red Sox pitcher Rube Foster no-hits New York Yankees, 2-0 at Fenway Park
  • Jun 21 Mexican troops defeat US expeditionary force under General Pershing

Contract of Interest

Jun 24 Mary Pickford becomes the first female film star to get a million dollar contract

Mary Pickford
Actress Mary Pickford
  • Jun 25 Russian Tsar Nicolaas II fires minister of Foreign affairs Sasonov
  • Jun 26 Cleveland Indians experiment with numbers on jerseys in a game against Chicago WS; first time MLB players identified by numbers corresponding to those on scorecard
  • Jun 30 US Open Men's Golf, Minikahda GC: Amateur Chick Evans leads wire-to-wire to set new Open scoring record and win his only Open title, 2 strokes ahead of runner-up Jock Hutchison

Battle of the Somme

Jun 30 British General Douglas Haig reports "The men are in splendid spirits" the day before the Battle of the Somme began

A large mine placed by a British tunneling unit explodes under German positions on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. At the time it was one of the largest explosions ever and one of the loudest man-made noises.


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