June This Day in History, Historic Events
What Historic June Events Occurred on Your Birthday?
Our “This Day in History for June” section contains historical June events categorized by month and day. See what happened on your birthday, or any day of the year. Find out what happened on this day in June.
Major Historical June Events
June 1, 1533 – Anne Boylen is crowned Queen of England.
June 1, 1813 – The term “Don’t give up the ship!’ is coined by Captain James Lawrence, U.S. Chesapeake.
June 1, 1843 – Snow falls in Buffalo and Rochester, NY, Cleveland, Ohio, and other places.
June 1, 1927 – Peace Bridge between the United States and Canada opens.
June 1, 1938 – Superman Comic is published.
June 1, 1971 – Ed Sullivan’s final show.
June 2, 1692 – Salem Witch Trials begin.
June 2, 1835 – PT Barnum’s circus begins its first tour of the U.S.
June 2, 1886 – Grover Cleveland is married while in serving as U.S. president.
June 2, 1924 – Congress grants U.S. citizenship to people of American Indian descent.
June 2, 2004 – Ken Jennings begins his 74-day winning streak on the television game show Jeopardy.
June 3, 1539 – Hernando de Soto claims Florida for Spain.
June 3, 1946 – The first bikini bathing suit is displayed (in Paris, France).
June 3, 1964 – The Rolling Stones begin their first US tour.
June 3, 1969 – The last episode of the original Star Trek television series airs on NBC.
June 3, 1989 – Tiananmen Massacre, Chinese troops shoot pro-democracy protestors.
June 4, 780 B.C. – China becomes the first to record a solar eclipse.
June 4, 1070 – Roquefort cheese is first made in a cave in Roquefort, France.
June 4, 1942 – WWII Battle of Midway begins. It lasts from June 4-7.
June 4, 1973 – A patent for the ATM is granted to Don Wetzel, Tom Barnes, and George Chastain.
June 4, 1987 – After winning 122 straight races, hurdler Edwin Moses’ winning streak is broken.
June 5, 1861 – Harriet Beecher Stoewe’s “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” is published.
June 5, 1968 – Bobby Kennedy is assassinated.
June 6, 1844 – The YMCA is founded in London, England.
June 6, 1925 – Chrysler Corporation is founded.
June 6, 1933 – The first drive-in theater opened in Camden, New Jersey.
June 6, 1944 – WWII D-Day. Allied forces successfully landed in Normandy, France.
June 6, 1946 – Henry Morgan is the first to take his shirt off on television.
June 6, 1998 – “Sex and the City” television show premieres
June 7, 1775 – The United Colonies makes a name change and becomes The United States.
June 7, 1892 – George T. Sampson of Dayton Ohio patents the first clothes dryer, using a rack and heat from a stove.
June 7, 1893 – Mahatma Gandhi performs his first of many acts of civil disobedience.
June 7, 1192 – U.S. Army tests the first use of a machine gun mounted on an airplane.
June 8, 452 – Italy is invaded by Attila the Hun.
June 8, 1872 – Congress approves the penny postcard.
June 8, 1942 – Bing Crosby records “Silent Night”.
June 8, 1948 – “The Milton Berle Show” premieres on NBC TV.
June 8, 1966 – NFL and AFL announce plan to become NFC and AFC in one league, beginning in 1970.
June 9, 1898 – China lease Hong Kong to the United Kingdom for 99 years.
June 9, 1898 – Brinks unveils the first armored security van.
June 9, 1931 – Robert Goddard patents the first rocket-powered airplane.
June 9, 1934 –Disney’s Donald Duck makes his debut.
June 10, 1610 – Dutch colonists settle on Manhattan Island
June 10, 1692 – Bridget Bishop is the first woman to be convicted and hung at Salem witch trials.
June 10, 1752 – Benjamin Franklin flies a kite in a lightning storm and discovers electricity.
June 10, 1735 – Alcoholics Anonymous was founded.
June 10, 1933 – John Dillinger robs his first bank in New Carlisle, OH. He stole $10,600.
June 10, 1943 – In Argentina, Laslo and Georg Biro file a patent for the ballpoint pen.
June 10, 2003 – NASA launches the Spirit Rover, beginning the Mars Exploration Rover program.
Celebrate Dad on Father's Day
June 11, 1184 B.C. – Troy is sacked and burned. (Estimated date)
June 11, 1742 – Benjamin Franklin invents the Franklin stove.
June 11, 1982 – The movie E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial was released.
June 11, 2002 – The talent show “American Idol” premiers on FOX television channel. It moved to ABC in 2018.
June 12, 1880 – John Lee Richmond pitches baseball’s first “Perfect Game”.
June 12, 1931 – Al Capone is indicted on 5,000 counts of prohibition and perjury.
June 12, 1939 – Baseball Hall of Fame is dedicated in Cooperstown, NY.
June 12, 1942 – Anne Frank receives a diary as a birthday present.
June 12, 1965 – Sonny & Cher make their first television appearance on American Bandstand.
June 12, 1987 – U.S. President Ronald Reagan challenges Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall.
June 13, 1884 – The first roller coaster ride opens at Coney Island in Brooklyn, NY. It cost 5 cents a ride.
June 13, 1884 – The U.S. Department of Labor is created.
June 13, 1983 – Pioneer 10 becomes the first satellite to leave the solar system.
June 14, 1775 – The U. S. Army is formed.
June 14, 1834 – Isaac Fischer Jr. patents sandpaper.
June 14, 1924 – Thomas J. Watson renames the Computer Tabulating Recording Company (CTR) to International Business Machines Company (IBM)
June 14, 1775 – The original movie version of “Dracula”, starring Bela Lugosi, is released.
June 14, 1938 – Benjamin Grushkin patents Chlorophyll
June 14, 1971 – President Richard M. Nixon installs a tape-recording system in the White House.
June 14, 2017 – JP Morgan becomes the first bank to create its own cryptocurrency.
June 15, 1215 – King John of England places the royal seal (signs) on the Magna Carta.
June 15, 1775 – George Washington is appointed the Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Army.
June 15, 1903 – The first Teddy Bear is introduced in America. It is made by Morris and Rose Michtom.
June 15, 1936 – Adolph Hitler announces the construction of the Volkswagen Beetle.
June 15, 1950 – Walt Disney’s “Cinderella” is released.
June 15, 1976 – Leon Spinks defeats Muhammad Ali in 15 rounds for the World Heavyweight title.
June 15, 1996 – Cleveland Browns Head Coach Bill Belichick is fired. His record in Cleveland: 36-44.
June 16, 600 – Pope Gregory the Great issues a decree saying “God Bless You” is the proper response to a sneeze.
June 16, 1883 – The first issue of “Ladies Home Journal” is published.
June 16, 1959 – Fidel Castro overthrows Fulgencio Batista and becomes the 16th Prime Minister of Cuba.
June 16, 1989 – The premiere of Ghostbusters II.
June 17, 1775 – The Battle of Bunker Hill took place, one of the first battles of the Revolutionary War. “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes.”
June 17, 1837 -Charles Goodyear receives his first rubber patent.
June 17, 1885 – The Statute of Liberty arrived in New York City.
June 17, 1963 – U.S. Supreme Court rules against Bible reading and prayer in public schools.
June 17, 1994 – Accused of murdering his wife, police chase O.J. Simpson in his Ford Bronco for 1 1/2 hours as Americans watch live on national television.
June 18, 618 – The three-century Tang Dynasty rule begins in China with the coronation of Li Yuan as Emperor of Gaozu.
June 18, 1682 – William Penn founds Philadelphia.
June 18, 1812 – The War of 1812 begins as the United States declares war with Britain.
June 18, 1861 – The first American fly-casting tournament was held in Utica, NY.
June 18, 1873 – Women’s rights advocate Susan B. Anthony is arrested for voting in Rochester, N.Y. She is fined $100.
June 18, 1983 – Sally Ride becomes the first woman in space.
June 18, 1934 – The Federal Communications Commission is created.
June 19, 1964 – After an 83-day filibuster, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is approved.
June 20, 1782 – The U.S. Congress approves the Great Seal of the United States and the bald eagle as its symbol.
June 20, 1840 – Samuel Morse patents the telegraph.
June 20, 1867 – President Andrew Johnson announces the Alaska purchase from the Russian Empire. The price tag: $7.2m.
June 20, 1939 – The first rocket plane to use liquid propellants is tested.
June 20, 1967 – Muhammad Ali is convicted refusing induction into the armed services.
June 20, 1975 – The movie “Jaws” was released.
The Summer Solstice Occurs in June. Summer is Here!
June 21, 1768 – The first medical diploma in America is issued to Dr. John Archer from the College of Philadelphia.
June 21, 1788 – The U.S. Constitution goes into effect as New Hampshire becomes the 9th state to ratify it.
June 21, 1834 – Cyrus McCormick patents the reaping machine.
June 21, 1893 – The first Ferris Wheel is introduced at the Chicago Columbian Exposition.
June 21, 1948 – 33 1/3RPM LP record format is introduced. It is planned to replace the 78RPM format.
June 21, 1969 – Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River catches fire due to pollution.
July 21, 1990 – Florida passes a law that prohibits wearing thong bathing suits.
June 22, 1847 – Hanson Gregory creates the first Doughnut.
June 22, 1870 – The U.S. Congress creates the Department of Justice.
June 22, 1874 – The game of lawn tennis is created.
June 22, 1934 – John Dillinger is named America’s first Public Enemy Number One.
July 22, 1990 – Florida passes a law that prohibits wearing thong bathing suits.
July 23, 1860 – US Secret Service is created.
July 23, 1888 – Frederick Douglas is the first African American to be nominated for U.S. Vice President. He received one vote at the Republican convention.
July 23, 1967 – Contraceptive pills are first sold.
June 23, 1981 – The longest game in Professional Baseball is completed. Pawtucket Red Sox beat Rochester Red Wings 3-2 in 33 innings (game began 18th April)
June 23, 2016 – Brexit: The United Kingdom votes to leave the European Union.
June 24, 1509 – Henry VII is crowned the King of England.
June 24, 1938 – A 450-ton meteor crashed in Chicora, PA. north of Pittsburgh. The only casualty was one cow…. RIP.
June 24, 1968 – The deadline to convert silver certificate dollar bills into silver bullion.
June 24, 1992 – The Orlando Magic takes LSU Center Shaquille O’Neal with the first pick of the NBA draft.
June 25, 1630 – Governor John Winthrop of Massachusetts introduced the fork to American dining. At first, its use was considered sacrilegious.
June 25, 1876 – Custer’s Last Stand: Lt Colonel George Custer and the 7th Cavalry are wiped out by Sioux and Cheyenne Indians at the Battle of Little Big Horn.
June 25, 1929 – President Herbert Hoover authorizes the construction of the Boulder Dam. It was later renamed the Hoover Dam.
June 25, 1942 – Major General Dwight D. Eisenhower is appointed commander of U.S. forces in Europe during WWII.
June 25, 1984 – Prince releases his album “Purple Rain”.
June 26, 1498 – The toothbrush is invented in China.
June 26, 1952 – The soap opera “The Guiding Light” moves from radio and premieres on television. It runs until 2009.
June 26, 1959 – The Saint Lawrence Seaway is opened.
June 26, 1974 – The Bar Code, or Universal Product Code, is introduced.
June 26, 1976 – The U.S. returns Iwo Jima to Japan.
June 26, 1976 – The CN tower in Toronto, Canada opens.
June 27, 1859 – The song “Happy Birthday to You” was first sung. Also, see Famous Birthdays
June 27, 1934 – The Federal Savings and Loan Association is created.
June 27, 1950 – President Harry S. Truman orders U.S. Forces to South Korea to defend against invading North Korean forces.
June 27, 1972 – Atari Inc. is founded.
June 27, 2003 – The U.S. creates the “Do Not Call” registry to combat unwanted telemarketing calls.
June 28, 1776 – The final draft of the U.S. Constitution is submitted to the Continental Congress.
June 28, 1820 – Colonel Robert Gibbon eats a tomato on the step of the courthouse in Salem, MA. to prove that they are not poisonous.
June 28, 1894 – Labor Day is established as a holiday for federal employees.
June 28, 1914 – Austria’s Archduke Ferdinand and his wife Sophie are assassinated by a Bosnian Serb, leading to the start of WWI.
June 28, 1919 – Treaty of Versailles is signed, ending WW I.
June 28, 1977 – In the third round of a heavyweight boxing match, Mike Tyson bites Evander Holyfield’s ear. Tyson was disqualified from the match and later suspended from boxing.
June 28, 2007 – The bald eagle was removed from the endangered species list.
June 28, 2009 – Professor Stephen Hawking hosts a ‘party for time travelers’ at the University of Cambridge. Invitations are not sent out until after the party.
June 29, 1613 – Shakespeare’s Globe Theater burns down.
June 29, 1964 – The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is passed after an 83-day filibuster in the U.S. Senate.
June 29, 2009 – Financier Bernie Madoff is sentenced to 150 years in US maximum prison, for conducting a massive Ponzi scheme.
June 30, 1859 – French acrobat Blondin crosses over Niagara Falls on a tightrope.
June 30, 1908 – A giant fireball, most likely from an air burst of a large meteoroid or comet flattens 80 million trees near the Stony Tunguska River in Yeniseysk Governorate, Russia.
Additional Resources
Famous Birthdays Who else was born on your Birthday? Find out!
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