Events

• 1179 - The Norwegian Battle of Kalvskinnet outside Nidaros. Earl Erling Skakke is killed, and the battle changes the tide of the civil wars.
• 1269 - King Louis IX of France orders all Jews found in public without an identifying yellow badge to be fined ten livres of silver.
• 1306 - The Earl of Pembroke's army defeats Bruce's Scottish army at the Battle of Methven.
• 1770 - Emanuel Swedenborg reports the completion of the Second Coming of Christ in his work True Christian Religion.
• 1807 - Admiral Dmitry Senyavin destroys the Ottoman fleet in the Battle of Athos.
• 1816 - Battle of Seven Oaks between North West Company and Hudson's Bay Company, near Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
• 1821 - Decisive defeat of the Philikí Etaireía by the Ottomans at Drăgăşani (in Wallachia).
• 1846 - The first baseball game under recognizable modern rules is played in Hoboken, New Jersey, United States.
• 1850 - Princess Louise of the Netherlands marries Crown Prince Karl of Sweden-Norway.
• 1862 - U.S. Congress prohibits slavery in United States territories, nullifying the Dred Scott Case.
• 1865 - Over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, slaves in Galveston, Texas, United States, are finally informed of their freedom. The anniversary is still officially celebrated in Texas and 13 other contiguous states as Juneteenth.
• 1867 - Maximilian I of the Mexican Empire is executed by a firing squad in Querétaro, Querétaro.
• 1870 - After all of the Southern States are formally readmitted to the United States, the Confederate States of America ceases to exist.
• 1875 - The Herzegovinian rebellion against the Ottoman Empire begins.
• 1910 - The first Father's Day is celebrated in Spokane, Washington.
• 1914 - A radiotelegraphic link is established between Germany and the United States. German Emperor Wilhelm II and U.S. President Woodrow Wilson exchange telegrams to mark the event.
• 1934 - The Communications Act of 1934 establishes the United States' Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
• 1943 - Race riots occur in Beaumont, Texas.
• 1944 - World War II: First day of the Battle of the Philippine Sea.
• 1953 - Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are executed at Sing Sing, in New York.
• 1961 - Kuwait declares independence from the United Kingdom.
• 1970 - The Patent Cooperation Treaty is signed.
• 1982 - In one of the first militant attacks by Hezbollah, David S. Dodge, president of the American University in Beirut, is kidnapped.
• 1982 - The body of God's Banker, Roberto Calvi is found hanging beneath Blackfriars Bridge in London.
• 1986 - Len Bias, an American college basketball player suffered a fatal cardiac arrhythmia that resulted from a cocaine overdose less than 48 hours after being selected by the Boston Celtics.
• 1987 - The ETA commits one of its most violent attacks, in which a bomb is set off in a supermarket, Hipercor, killing 21 and injuring 45.
• 2006 - Prime ministers of several northern European nations participate in a ceremonial "laying of the first stone" at the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Spitsbergen, Norway.

Births

• 1301 - Prince Morikuni, Japanese shogun (d. 1333)
• 1507 - Annibale Caro, Italian poet (d. 1566)
• 1566 - King James I of England and VI of Scotland (d. 1625)
• 1606 - James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton, Scottish statesman (d. 1649)
• 1623 - Blaise Pascal, French mathematician and philosopher (d. 1662)
• 1633 - Philipp van Limborch, Dutch Protestant theologian (d. 1712)
• 1717 - Johann Stamitz, Czech violinist and composer (d. 1757)
• 1764 - José Gervasio Artigas, father of Uruguay (d. 1850)
• 1771 - Joseph Gergonne, French mathematician (d. 1859)
• 1792 - Gustav Schwab, German author (d. 1850)
• 1815 - Cornelius Krieghoff, Canadian painter (d. 1872)
• 1816 - William Henry Webb, American industrialist (d. 1899)
• 1834 - Charles Spurgeon, English preacher (d. 1892)
• 1846 - Antonio Abetti, Italian astronomer (d. 1928)
• 1850 - David Jayne Hill, American diplomat (d. 1932)
• 1851 - Billy Midwinter, Australian cricketer (d. 1890)
• 1854 - Alfredo Catalani, Italian musician (d. 1893)
• 1858 - Sam Walter Foss, American librarian and poet (d. 1911)
• 1861 - Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig, British soldier (d. 1928)
• 1861 - José Rizal, Filipino poet and national hero (d. 1896)
• 1865 - Dame May Whitty, English entertainer (d. 1948)
• 1874 - Peder Oluf Pedersen, Danish engineer (d. 1941)
• 1877 - Charles Coburn, American actor (d. 1961)
• 1884 - Georges Ribemont-Dessaignes, French Dadaist artist and writer (d. 1974)
• 1896 - Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor (d. 1986)
• 1897 - Cyril Norman Hinshelwood, English chemist, Nobel laureate (d. 1967)
• 1897 - Moe Howard, American actor (d. 1975)
• 1898 - James Joseph Sweeney, American Catholic prelate (d. 1968)
• 1900 - Laura Z. Hobson, American novelist (d. 1986)
• 1902 - Guy Lombardo, Canadian bandleader (d. 1977)
• 1903 - Lou Gehrig, American baseball player (d. 1941)
• 1903 - Wally Hammond, English cricketer (d. 1965)
• 1903 - Hans Litten, German jurist (d. 1938)
• 1905 - Mildred Natwick, American actress (d. 1994)
• 1906 - Ernst Boris Chain, German-born biochemist, Nobel laureate (d. 1979)
• 1906 - Walter Rauff, German colonel (d. 1984)
• 1907 - Clarence Wiseman, 10th General of The Salvation Army (d. 1985)
• 1909 - Osamu Dazai, Japanese author (d. 1948)
• 1910 - Paul Flory, American chemist, Nobel laureate (d. 1985)
• 1910 - Abe Fortas, Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (d. 1982)
• 1912 - Don Gutteridge, American baseball player
• 1912 - Virginia MacWatters, American soprano (d. 2005)
• 1914 - Anthony Bloom, Metropolitan of the Russian Orthodox Church (d. 2003)
• 1914 - Alan Cranston, American politician (d. 2000)
• 1914 - Lester Flatt, American musician (d. 1979)
• 1915 - Julius Schwartz, American editor and agent (d. 2004)
• 1917 - Joshua Nkomo, Vice President of Zimbabwe (d. 1999)
• 1919 - Louis Jourdan, French actor
• 1919 - Pauline Kael, American movie critic (d. 2001)
• 1922 - Aage Niels Bohr, Danish physicist, Nobel laureate
• 1924 - Leo Nomellini, American football player (d. 2000)
• 1925 - Charlie Drake, British actor, writer and singer (d. 2006)
• 1928 - Nancy Marchand, American actress (d. 2000)
• 1928 - Barry Took, English comedy writer (d. 2002)
• 1929 - Thelma Barlow, English actress
• 1930 - Gena Rowlands, American actress
• 1932 - Pier Angeli, Italian-born American actress (d. 1972)
• 1932 - Marisa Pavan, Italian-born actress
• 1933 - Viktor Patsayev, Soviet cosmonaut
• 1936 - Tommy DeVito, American musician and singer
• 1936 - Shirley Goodman, American singer (d. 2005)
• 1936 - Marisa Galvany, American soprano
• 1938 - Wahoo McDaniel, American football player and wrestler (d. 2002)
• 1938 - Ian Smith, Australian actor
• 1939 - Al Wilson, American singer (d. 2008)
• 1940 - Shirley Muldowney, Racecar Driver
• 1941 - Václav Klaus, Czech politician and President
• 1941 - Conchita Carpio-Morales, Filipino Supreme Court jurist
• 1942 - Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane, musician
• 1942 - Jos Brink, Dutch actor (d. 2007)
• 1944 - Chico Buarque, Brazilian musician
• 1945 - Aung San Suu Kyi, Burmese politician, Nobel laureate
• 1945 - Radovan Karadžić, Serbian-Bosnian politician
• 1947 - Paula Koivuniemi, Finnish singer
• 1947 - Salman Rushdie, Indian author
• 1948 - Phylicia Rashad, American actress
• 1948 - Nick Drake, English musician (d. 1974)
• 1950 - Ann Wilson, American musician
• 1951 - Ayman al-Zawahiri, Egyptian terrorist
• 1951 - Francesco Moser, Italian cyclist
• 1953 - Larry Dunn, American musician
• 1954 - Kathleen Turner, American actress
• 1956 - Doug Stone, American singer
• 1957 - Anna Lindh, Swedish politician (d. 2003)
• 1959 - Mark DeBarge, American singer, songwriter and trumpeter
• 1960 - Luke Morley, British guitarist
• 1962 - Jeremy Bates, English tennis player
• 1962 - Paula Abdul, American singer and choreographer
• 1963 - Rory Underwood, English rugby union footballer
• 1964 - Boris Johnson, British politician
• 1964 - Brian Vander Ark, American musician
• 1965 - Sadie Frost, English actress
• 1965 - Luc Donckerwolke, Belgian car designer
• 1966 - Joichi Ito, Japanese entrepreneur
• 1967 - Bjørn Dæhlie, Norwegian skier
• 1967 - Mia Sara, American actress
• 1968 - Alastair Lynch, Australian rules footballer
• 1969 - Lara Spencer, American TV personality
• 1969 - Thomas Breitling, American entrepreneur
• 1970 - Quincy Watts, American athlete
• 1970 - Rahul Gandhi, Indian politician
• 1970 - Brian Welch, American guitarist
• 1970 - Antonis Remos, Greek singer
• 1972 - Brian McBride, American soccer player
• 1972 - Poppy Montgomery, Australian actress
• 1972 - Dennis Lyxzén, Swedish musician
• 1972 - Robin Tunney, American actress
• 1973 - Jahine Arnold, American football player
• 1973 - Yasuhiko Yabuta, Japanese baseball player
• 1974 - Doug Mientkiewicz, American baseball player
• 1975 - Anthony Parker, American basketball player
• 1975 - Hugh Dancy, English actor
• 1976 - Bryan Hughes, English footballer
• 1976 - Patrick Surtain, American football player
• 1977 - Peter Warrick, American football player
• 1977 - Veronika Vařeková, Czech supermodel
• 1978 - Tyson Dux, Canadian wrestler
• 1978 - Dirk Nowitzki, German basketball player
• 1978 - Zoe Saldana, American actress
• 1978 - Claudio Vargas, Dominican baseball player
• 1978 - Mía Maestro, Argentine actress
• 1979 - John Duddy, Northern Irish boxer
• 1979 - Quentin Jammer, American football player
• 1979 - John Ford, American software engineer
• 1980 - Adel Abdulaziz, Emiratie football player
• 1980 - Lauren Lee Smith, Canadian actress
• 1982 - David Pollack, American football player
• 1982 - Joe Cheng, Taiwanese actor
• 1982 - Alexander Frolov, Russian hockey player
• 1983 - Mark Selby, British snooker player
• 1984 - Paul Dano, American actor
• 1985 - John Decyk, American martial artist
• 1986 - Marvin Williams, American basketball player
• 1987 - Rashard Mendenhall, American football player
• 1991 - Pontus Ekhem, Swedish hockey player
• 1995 - Blake Woodruff, American actor
• 2008 - Maddie Aldridge, daughter of Jamie Lynn Spears

Deaths

• 1312 - Piers Gaveston, French favorite of Edward II of England
• 1542 - Leo Jud, Swiss reformer (b. 1482)
• 1545 - Abraomas Kulvietis Lithuanian reformer (b. 1509)
• 1584 - François, Duke of Anjou (b. 1555)
• 1608 - Alberico Gentili, Italian jurist (b. 1551)
• 1650 - Matthäus Merian, Swiss engraver (b. 1593)
• 1747 - Alessandro Marcello, Italian composer (b. 1669)
• 1762 - Johann Ernst Eberlin, German composer (b. 1702)
• 1768 - Benjamin Tasker, Governor of Maryland (b. 1690)
• 1786 - Nathanael Greene, American Revolutionary general (b. 1742)
• 1805 - Louis-Jean-François Lagrenée, French painter (b. 1724)
• 1820 - Joseph Banks, English naturalist and botanist (b. 1743)
• 1844 - Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, French naturalist (b. 1772)
• 1867 - Maximilian I, Mexican Emperor (b. 1832)
• 1902 - Albert, King of Saxony (b. 1828)
• 1921 - Ramón López Velarde, Mexican poet (b. 1888)
• 1937 - J. M. Barrie, Scottish author (b. 1860)
• 1939 - Grace Abbott, American social worker and activist (b. 1878)
• 1949 - Syed Zafarul Hasan, Prominent Muslim philosopher (b. 1885)
• 1951 - Angelos Sikelianos, Greek poet (b. 1884)
• 1952 - Heinrich Schlusnus, German baritone (b. 1888)
• 1953 - Julius Rosenberg, American spy (b. 1918)
• 1953 - Ethel Rosenberg, American spy (b. 1915)
• 1956 - Thomas J. Watson, American businessman (IBM) (b. 1874)
• 1966 - Ed Wynn, American actor (b. 1886)
• 1968 - James Joseph Sweeney, American Catholic prelate (b. 1898)
• 1975 - Sam Giancana, American gangster (b. 1908)
• 1977 - Ali Shariati, Iranian sociologist (b. 1933)
• 1977 - Lady Olave Baden-Powell, English founder of the Girl Guide (b. 1889)
• 1979 - Paul Popenoe, American eugenicist (b. 1888)
• 1984 - Lee Krasner, American painter (b. 1908)
• 1986 - Coluche, French comedian (b. 1944)
• 1986 - Len Bias, American basketball player (b. 1963)
• 1987 - Teresa Cormack, New Zealand murder victim (b. 1981)
• 1988 - Fernand Seguin, Canadian biologist (b. 1922)
• 1988 - Gladys Spellman, American. Congresswoman (b. 1918)
• 1991 - Jean Arthur, American actress (b. 1900)
• 1993 - William Golding, English writer, Nobel laureate (b. 1911)
• 1995 - Peter Townsend, RAF officer (b. 1914)
• 1996 - G. David Schine, American businessman (b. 1927)
• 1997 - Olga Georges-Picot, French actress (b. 1944)
• 1997 - Bobby Helms, American singer (b. 1933)
• 2001 - John Heyer, Australian documentary filmmaker (b. 1916)
• 2003 - Laura Sadler, English actress (b. 1980)
• 2007 - El Fary, Spanish singer (b. 1937)
• 2007 - Terry Hoeppner, American football coach (b. 1947)
• 2007 - Antonio Aguilar, Mexican singer and actor (b. 1919)
• 2007 - Ze'ev Schiff, Israeli journalist (b. 1932)
• 2008 - Barun Sengupta, Bengali journalist (b. 1934)
• 2008 - Bennie Swain, American basketball player (b. 1930)

Holidays and observances

• Juneteenth – celebrates the Emancipation Proclamation.
• Saint Romuald (d. 1027)
• Blessed Odo of Cambrai
• Saint Juliana Falconieri
• Gervasius and Protasius (Roman Catholic Calendar)
• Garfield the Cat Day

External links

• BBC: On This Day
• On This Day in Canada