Battle at Legnano
1176 Battle at Legnano: Lombard League beats Frederick Barbarossa and the Holy Roman Empire
- 1233 Chinese city of Kaifeng, capital of the Jurchen Jin dynasty, surrenders to the Mongols under General Subedei after a siege of more than a year
- 1328 French King Philip VI of Valois crowned at the Cathedral in Reims, France
- 1415 Pope John XXIII [Baldassare Cossa] formally deposed as Pope at the Conference of Constance, Germany, after he had fled the town in disguise
History of New England
1630 John Winthrop begins "History of New England"
Battle of Goodwin Sands
1652 Battle of Goodwin Sands, off Folkestone, Kent: English 'General at Sea' Robert Blake drives out Dutch fleet under Lieutenant Admiral Maarten Tromp
Return of Charles II
1660 On his 30th birthday Charles II returns to London from exile in the Netherlands to claim the English throne after the Puritan Commonwealth comes to an end
- 1677 Treaty of Middle Plantation establishes peace between the Virginia colonists and local Native Americans
- 1692 Battle at La Hogue: English and Dutch fleet beat France
- 1692 Royal Hospital Chelsea Founder's Day first celebrated in London
- 1721 South Carolina formally incorporated as a royal colony
- 1727 Peter II becomes Tsar of Russia aged 11
- 1733 The right of Canadians to keep Indian slaves is upheld in Quebec City
The Limping Devil
1753 Joseph Haydn's first opera "Krumme Teufel" (The Limping Devil) premieres in Vienna
Treason!
1765 Patrick Henry's historic speech against the Stamp Act, answering a cry of "Treason!" with, "If this be treason, make the most of it!"
- 1780 Battle of Waxhaw Creek: alleged massacre of 113 of Colonel Abraham Buford's continentals by Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton's troops after the continentals raised a white flag
Virginia Plan
1787 "Virginia Plan" by James Madison and Edmund Randolph proposed to the Constitutional Convention advocating for a national government with three branches - legislative, executive, and judicial [1]
Constitution of the United States
1790 Rhode Island becomes last of original 13 colonies ratifying US Constitution
1st Black Women's Rights Convention
1851 Sojourner Truth addresses 1st Black Women's Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio
Paddington Station Opens
1854 Paddington Station, London's terminus for the Great Western Railway opens, with a design by Isambard Kingdom Brunel [1]
Medical Advancement
1861 Dorothea Dix offers help in setting up hospitals for the Union Army
Pemberton Advertises Coca-Cola
1886 American pharmacist John Pemberton begins to advertise his patent medicine - Coca-Cola in Atlanta, Georgia
Manru
1901 Ignacy Jan Paderewski's opera "Manru" has its world premiere in Dresden, Germany
- 1902 Dutch State Mine law forms
- 1903 May coup d'etat: Alexander Obrenovich, King of Serbia, and Queen Draga, are assassinated in Belgrade by the Black Hand (Crna Ruka) organization
- 1905 Pogrom against Jewish community in Brisk, Lithuania
- 1909 Frank "Home Run" Baker's 1st career home run for Philadelphia Athletics
- 1910 Pope Pius X's encyclical on Editae Saepe, against church reformers
- 1912 15 young women are fired by Curtis Publishing in Philadelphia for dancing the "Turkey Trot" during their lunch break
- 1912 Ballets Russes premieres their ballet L'après-midi d'un faune (The Afternoon of a Faun) in Paris, choreographed by Vaslav Nijinsky
The Rite of Spring
1913 Igor Stravinsky's avant-garde ballet score "Le Sacre du Printemps" (The Rite of Spring) for the Ballets Russes premieres at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, provoking a riot
Eddington Confirms Theory of Relativity
1919 Albert Einstein's Theory of Relativity, that when light passes a large body, gravity will bend the rays confirmed by Arthur Eddington's expedition to photograph a solar eclipse on the island of Principe, West Africa
Pop-up Toaster
1919 Charles Strite files patent for the automatic pop-up toaster
- 1919 The Republic of Prekmurje founded - a short-lived, unrecognised state, which on June 6, 1919 was incorporated into the newly established Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (renamed "Yugoslavia" in 1929)
- 1922 US Supreme Court rules organized baseball is a sport and not a business and thus not subject to antitrust laws
- 1924 AEK Athens FC is established on the anniversary of the siege of Constantinople by the Turks
- 1928 Fritz von Opel reaches 200 kph in experimental rocket car
- 1932 The Bonus Army of World War I veterans begins to assemble in Washington, D.C. to request cash bonuses promised to them to be paid in 1945
- 1935 French liner Normandie begins its maiden voyage, arrived in NYC on June 3rd
- 1935 Hague local museum opens
- 1940 Adolf Kiefer swims world record 100 yards backstroke (58.8 sec)
- 1940 Arthur Seyss-Inquart installed as Reich commissar of The Hague, Netherlands
- 1940 In WWII, Germans capture Ostend & Ypres in Belgium and Lille in France
Yankee Doodle Dandy
1942 "Yankee Doodle Dandy", based on life of George M. Cohan, directed by Michael Curtiz, starring James Cagney and Joan Lesley, premieres in NYC (Academy Awards Best Actor 1943)
White Christmas
1942 Bing Crosby records Irving Berlin's song "White Christmas", with the John Scott Trotter Orchestra and the Ken Darby Singers, in just 18 minutes; becomes world's best-selling single (estimated 100 million copies sold)
Algiers Allied Planning Conference
1943 Algiers Allied Planning Conference between Winston Churchill, George Marshall and General Dwight D. Eisenhower finalizes the plan for the Italian Campaign
French Open Men's Tennis
1948 French Championships Men's Tennis: Frank Parker wins 1st of 2 straight French titles; beats Jaroslav Drobný 6-4, 7-5, 5-7, 8-6
- 1948 French Championships Women's Tennis: Belgium-born but representing France, Nelly Landry beats American Shirley Fry 6-2, 0-6, 6-0 for her lone major title
- 1949 1st British Film and Television Awards (BAFTAs): "The Best Years of Our Lives" Best Film
- 1949 2nd British Film and Television Awards (BAFTAs): "Hamlet" Best Film
- 1949 Candid Camera, TV comedy show, moves to NBC
- 1950 3rd British Film and Television Awards (BAFTAs): "Bicycle Thieves" Best Film
Music History
1950 The Carter family debut on the Grand Ole Opry with Chet Atkins
Tenzing Norgay on the Summit of Mount Everest
1953 Edmund Hillary (NZ) and Tenzing Norgay (Nepal) are first to reach the summit of Mount Everest as part of a British Expedition
- 1954 British runner Diane Leather becomes first woman to run the mile in under 5 minutes; 4:59.6 at Alexander Sports Ground in Birmingham, England
- 1954 First of the annual Bilderberg conferences, fostering relations between Europe and North America held at Oosterbeek, Netherlands
French Open Men's Tennis
1954 French Championships Men's Tennis: Tony Trabert beats Art Larsen 6-4, 7-5, 6-1 for first of 2 straight French singles titles
French Open Women's Tennis
1954 French Championships Women's Tennis: Maureen Connolly retains her title; beats Ginette Bucaille of France 6-4, 6-1
- 1955 Jordan government of Tewfik Abdul Huda resigns
Music History
1956 Arnold Schoenberg's "Modern Psalm" premieres
- 1956 WESH TV channel 2 in Daytona Beach-Orlando, FL (NBC) 1st broadcast
- 1957 Algerian rebels kill 336 collaborators
- 1957 Laos government of prince Suvanna Phuma resigns
- 1957 NYC Mayor Robert Wagner says he plans to confer with the Giants & Dodgers about the proposed move to the west coast
Event of Interest
1959 Charles de Gaulle forms French government
- 1959 Saunders-Roe SR.N1, the first practical hovercraft, performs its first engine run
#1 in the Charts
1960 Everly Brothers single "Cathy's Clown" hits #1
Film Premiere
1961 "A Raisin in the Sun", film adaptation of Lorraine Hansberry's stage play, starring the Broadway cast including Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, John Fiedler, and Ivan Dixon premieres
- 1962 4th Grammy Awards: Moon River, Peter Nero win
TV Show Appearance
1962 Barbra Streisand appears on "The Garry Moore Show"
- 1965 American long jumper Ralph Boston sets then world record 27' 4 3/4" (8.35m) at Modesto, California
French Open Men's Tennis
1965 French Championships Men's Tennis: Fred Stolle beats fellow Australian Tony Roche 3-6, 6-0, 6-2, 6-3 for his first Grand Slam singles title
- 1965 French Championships Women's Tennis: Australian Lesley Turner Bowrey wins her 2nd French singles crown; upsets doubles partner Margaret Smith 6-3, 6-4
- 1965 Phillies Dick Allen hits 529' HR out of Connie Mack Stadium
- 1967 Australian Paul McManus water skis barefoot for 1:30:19
- 1968 European Cup Final, Wembley Stadium, London: Bobby Charlton scores twice as Manchester United beats Benfica, 4-1; first English club to win the trophy
- 1968 UN resolves sanctions on white-minority-ruled Rhodesia
- 1968 US Truth in Lending Act signed into law
- 1969 Atlantic Records releases the eponymous debut album of "Crosby, Stills & Nash"; it contains hits 'Marrakesh Express' and 'Suite: Judy Blue Eyes'
- 1969 Britain's Trans-Arctic expedition makes 1st crossing of Arctic Sea ice
- 1969 General strike in Cordoba, Argentina, leading to the Cordobazo civil unrest
- 1970 USSR performs underground nuclear test
- 1971 "Court Room" by Clarence Carter hits #61
- 1972 LPGA Titleholders Championship Women's Golf, Southern Pines CC: Sandra Palmer wins first of 2 majors by a massive 10 strokes from Judy Rankin and Mickey Wright
- 1972 The Official IRA announce a ceasefire
- 1973 Columbia Records fires president Clive Davis for misappropriating $100,000 in funds, Davis will start Arista records
- 1973 Thomas Bradley elected 1st African American mayor of Los Angeles, California
- 1974 Northern Ireland is brought under direct rule from Westminster
Music History
1976 Car tune "One Piece At A Time" by Johnny Cash hits #29
- 1976 Only HR of Joe Niekro's 22-year career, comes off brother Phil
- 1977 Australian Sue Prell first female golfer to hit consecutive holes-in one; 13th and 14th holes at Chatswood Golf Club, Sydney
Indy 500
1977 Indianapolis 500: A. J. Foyt. becomes first driver to win Indy 500 four times; last time winning car built entirely within US; Janet Guthrie first female to qualify, lasts 27 laps
- 1977 NBC News & Information Service (24 hr news) ends on radio
- 1977 USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR
- 1978 US 1st class postage rises to 15 cents (13 cents for 3 years)
- 1978 USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR
- 1979 Bishop Abel Muzorewa is sworn in as Zimbabwe's 1st black Prime Minister
- 1979 CBS premiere of Melissa Anderson's modern "Survival of Dana", her first "bad girl" role, in which Anderson's title character leaves her North Dakota town for Los Angeles after her parents' divorce
- 1979 Radio's 1st rock network "Source" premieres
- 1980 53rd National Spelling Bee: Jacques Bailly wins spelling elucubrate
- 1980 Attempted assassination on Vernon Jordan Jr National Urban League president
Event of Interest
1980 JMW Turner's "Juliet & Her Nurse" sold for $6,400,000 in NYC
- 1980 John MacLachlan Gray's musical "Billy Bishop Goes to War" opens at Morosco Theater, NYC; runs for 12 performances, then moves to Off-Broadway
Sports History
1980 Larry Bird beats out Magic Johnson for NBA rookie of year
- 1981 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
- 1982 "I Know What Boys Like" by The Waitresses hits #62
- 1982 1st papal visit to Britain since 1531
- 1982 Pentagon plans 1st strategy to fight a nuclear war
- 1983 Indianapolis 500: Tom Sneva wins his first Indy 500; represents record 7th Indy victory for chief mechanic George Bignotti
- 1983 Yuri Dumchev of USSR throws discus a record 71.86 m
Sports History
1984 Boston Red Sox retires #9 (Ted Williams) & #4 (Joe Cronin)
- 1985 29th European Cup: Juventus beats Liverpool 1-0 at Brussels
- 1985 Amputee Steve Fonyo completes cross-Canada marathon at Victoria, British Columbia, after 14 months
- 1986 59th National Spelling Bee: Jon Pennington wins spelling odontalgia
- 1987 Jury finds "Twilight Zone: The Movie" director John Landis innocent of involuntary manslaughter in death of actor Vic Morrow and 2 child actors during filming
Music History
1987 Michael Jackson attempts to buy Elephant Man's remains
- 1987 Robin Ventura set a college baseball record with hits in 57 games
- 1988 Graeme Hick scores his 1,000th run of 1st-class cricket season
- 1988 Indianapolis 500: Rick Mears claims his third-career Indy 500 victory; 50th victory in Championship racing for owner Roger Penske and Penske Racing
- 1988 Pakistan President Zia ul-Haq dismisses government and disbands parliament
Sports History
1989 Philadelphia Phillies 12-time All Star 3rd baseman Mike Schmidt retires from MLB at 39
Goddess of Democracy
1989 Student pro-democracy protesters in Tiananmen Square, China construct a replica of the Statue of Liberty, naming it the Goddess of Democracy
- 1990 An earthquake hits Peru, killing over 200
Election of Interest
1990 Boris Yeltsin is elected President of the Russian Republic
- 1990 Dow Jones average hits a record 2,870.49
- 1990 NY Mets fire manager Davey Johnson & hire Bud Harrelson
Baseball Record
1990 Rickey Henderson steals record 893rd base, breaking Ty Cobb's record
Sports History
1992 White Sox Tim Raines swipes his 700th career base
- 1993 Neo-Nazis kill 5 Turkish women in Solingen, Germany
- 1993 NHL Clarence Campbell Conference Final: Los Angeles Kings beat Toronto Maple Leafs, 4 games to 3
- 1994 Great iceball comet seen above North Sea
- 1994 Hungary's Socialist Party wins parliamentary election
Indy 500
1994 Indianapolis 500: Al Unser Jr.wins from pole position for his second Indy 500 victory for Marlboro Team Penske
Musical Finale
1994 Revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's musical "Joseph & the Amazing Dreamcoat" closes at Minskoff Theater, NYC, after 223 performances
- 1994 Revival of William Inge's stage drama "Picnic" closes at Criterion Theater NYC after 45 performances
- 1996 NHL Western Conference Final: Colorado Avalanche beat Detroit Red Wings, 4 games to 2
Event of Interest
1996 Space Shuttle STS 77 Endeavour 11), lands
- 1997 70th National Spelling Bee: Rebecca Sealfon wins spelling euonym
- 1997 Jesse Timmedequas found guilty of rape and murder of Megan Kanka, 7
- 1997 Span scientists announce new human species in 780,000 year old fossil
- 1999 44th Eurovision Song Contest: Charlotte Nilsson for Sweden wins singing "Take Me to Your Heaven" in Jerusalem
- 1999 Olusegun Obasanjo takes office as President of Nigeria, the first elected and civilian head of state in Nigeria after 16 years of military rule
- 1999 Space Shuttle Discovery completes the first docking with the International Space Station.
- 2001 International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers inaugurated.
- 2001 Natural gas futures plunge 6% to a 10-month low on speculation that growing US inventories will help power plants meet summer demand for air-conditioning
- 2001 U.S. Supreme Court rules that disabled golfer Casey Martin can use a cart to ride in tournaments
- 2004 The Al-Khobar massacres in Saudi Arabia kill 22
- 2004 The World War II Memorial is dedicated in Washington, D.C.
- 2005 France resoundingly rejects the European Constitution
- 2005 Indianapolis 500: Dan Wheldon becomes first British-born winner since Graham Hill in 1966; first Indy 500 victory for car owner Michael Andretti of Andretti-Green Racing
- 2005 Senior PGA Championship, Laurel Valley GC: Mike Reid wins his first of 2 Champions Tour major titles with a birdie on the first playoff hole against Jerry Pate and Dana Quigley
Music Concert
2006 Singer David Bowie joins guitarist David Gilmour as special guest during encore at Royal Albert Hall, London concert; they perform "Arnold Layne" and "Comfortably Numb" in what becomes Bowie's final UK appearance
1Q84 Published
2009 "1Q84" books 1 and 2 by Haruki Murakami is first published in Japan, sells out the first day (book 3 published 2010)
- 2010 55th Eurovision Song Contest: Lena for Germany wins singing "Satellite" in Oslo
- 2010 In an all South African Super 14 Rugby final, the Bulls (Pretoria) retain title, 25-17 over the Stormers (Cape Town) at the Orlando Stadium, Soweto; Morné Steyn kicks 6 penalties and a conversion for the Bulls
- 2010 Philadelphia Phillies' Roy Halladay becomes 20th pitcher to throw a perfect game (1-0 vs Florida Marlins), in Miami
- 2010 Super Rugby Final, Orlando Stadium, Soweto: Bulls (Pretoria) successfully defend their title with a 25-17 win over the Stormers (Cape Town) in an all-South African final
Event of Interest
2011 Hong Kong student activist group Scholarism started by Joshua Wong and Ivan Lam
- 2011 Indianapolis 500: 2005 champion Dan Wheldon of England wins his 2nd Indy 500; 4 months later he is killed in a race accident in Las Vegas
Senior PGA Championship
2011 Senior PGA Championship, Valhalla GC: Tom Watson wins his 6th and final Champions Tour major title with a birdie on the first playoff hole against David Eger
- 2012 A 5.9 magnitude earthquake kills 24 people near Bologna, northern Italy
- 2012 Facebook's problematic public listing could cost those involved $115 million from technical glitches
- 2012 Indonesian police make the biggest drug bust in ten years after seizing over a million ecstasy pills valued at $45 million
- 2012 Thousands march in protest in Johannesburg against Brett Murray's controversial painting The Spear
