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| eMacromall.com This Month in History January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December |
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| Last - June - Next - Print | ||
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2009 – General Motors files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, one of the largest industrial bankruptcies in U.S. history. 2002 – The Czech Republic enacts the world’s first national light‑pollution law, requiring shielded outdoor lighting. 1994 – South Africa rejoins the Commonwealth of Nations following the end of apartheid. 1990 – The United States and the Soviet Union agreed to destroy their chemical weapons stockpiles, marking a major step toward reducing weapons of mass destruction. 1980 - CNN launches, becoming the world’s first 24‑hour cable news channel. 1974 – The Heimlich maneuver is published for the first time, introducing a life‑saving technique for choking victims. 1968 – Helen Keller, renowned author and disability rights advocate, dies in Westport, Connecticut. 1965 - A coal mine explosion in Japan kills 236 people, one of the country’s deadliest mining disasters. 1946 – Ion Antonescu, Romania’s WWII dictator, is executed by firing squad. 1926 - Marilyn Monroe (born Norma Jean Mortensen) (1926-1962) is born in Los Angeles, CA. 1907 – Frank Whittle, English aviation engineer and inventor of the jet engine, is born. 1880 – The first payphone goes into service in the United States, requiring payment to an attendant. 1874 – The Philadelphia Zoo opens, becoming the first zoo in the United States. 1801 - Brigham Young (1801-1877), future leader of the Latter‑day Saints and founder of Utah’s early settlements, is born in Whittingham, Vermont. 1543 – Andreas Vesalius publishes De humani corporis fabrica, revolutionizing the study of human anatomy. 1494 – Friar John Cor distills Scotland’s first recorded whisky at Lindores Abbey. | |
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2024 – Claudia Sheinbaum is elected Mexico’s first female president. 1989 – Citizens block Chinese troops in Tiananmen Square during pro‑democracy demonstrations. 1953 – Queen Elizabeth II is crowned at Westminster Abbey. 1935 – Babe Ruth retires from Major League Baseball. 1924 – The Indian Citizenship Act is enacted, granting U.S. citizenship to all Native Americans born within the territorial limits of the United States. 1896 – Guglielmo Marconi applies for the first patent for wireless telegraphy. 1886 – U.S. President Grover Cleveland marries Frances Folsom in the White House, the only presidential wedding held there. 1885 - The final Confederate surrender in Texas, marking one of the last land operations of the war. 455 – The Vandals sack Rome, beginning two weeks of looting. | |
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1989 - Crackdown at Tiananmen begins: Chinese troops open fire on pro‑democracy demonstrators in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, resulting in hundreds of deaths. 1980 - Natural gas explosion near the Ufa region, Russia, kills 575 passengers traveling on two trains. 1965 - During the Gemini 4 mission, Edward H. White II, becomes the first American astronaut to walk in space. 1944 - Rome is liberated by the U.S. 5th Army, led by General Mark Clark. 1943 – Zoot Suit Riots begin in Los Angeles: Violent clashes erupt between U.S. servicemen and Mexican American youth, marking a week of racial conflict. 1915 – Austro‑German troops recapture Przemyśl fortress: Central Powers forces retake the strategic fortress from Russia during WWI. 1889 – America’s first long‑distance electric power line begins operation: Electricity is transmitted 14 miles from Willamette Falls to Portland, Oregon. 1864 – Union disaster at Cold Harbor: General Ulysses S. Grant orders a frontal assault on entrenched Confederate lines, causing ~7,000 Union casualties in under an hour. 1808 - Future Confederate president Jefferson Davis (1808-1889) is born in Todd County, Kentucky. 1800 - President John Adams settles in new U.S. capital, Washington DC. 1621 – Dutch West India Company receives its charter: The company is granted control over trade in the Americas and West Africa, leading to the founding of New Netherland (later New York). 350 – Nepotianus declares himself Roman Emperor: The usurper briefly seizes Rome with a band of gladiators before being killed weeks later. | |
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1989 - Tiananmen Square massacre takes place: The Chinese government ordered the People's Liberation Army using tanks, live ammunition, and tear gas, to open
fire on unarmed protesters in Tiananmen Square in Beijing. At least 3,000 were killed. Following the massacre, over 1,600 demonstrators were rounded up and
jailed, with at least 27 being executed. 1982 – Israel invades Lebanon, beginning the 1982 Lebanon War. 1979 – American Airlines Flight 191 crash kills 273 in Chicago shortly after takeoff from O’Hare Airport, becoming the deadliest aviation accident on U.S. soil. 1972 - The collision of two passenger trains in Jessore, Bangladesh, resulting in at least 76 deaths and hundreds injured. 1961 – President John F. Kennedy and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev meet in Vienna, hold a tense summit, escalating Cold War tensions. 1944 - US and British troops enter Rome becoming the first Axis capital to fall in WWII. 1939 – The MS St. Louis is denied entry to the U.S.: A ship carrying over 900 Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany is turned away, forcing many passengers back to Europe. 1919 - Congress passes the 19th Amendment, guaranteeing women the right to vote, sending it to the states for ratification (completed in 1920) 1917 – The first Pulitzer Prizes are awarded: Columbia University awards the inaugural Pulitzer Prizes for journalism and letters. 1896 - Henry Ford test-drives the Quadricycle, the first automobile he designed and drove: Ford takes his first automobile—the Quadricycle, a gasoline‑powered vehicle—on its maiden run through the streets of Detroit. 1783 – The Montgolfier brothers publicly demonstrate the hot‑air balloon, a successful unmanned flight in France marks a milestone in aviation history. | |
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2013 – Edward Snowden leaks NSA documents: Former NSA contractor Edward Snowden publicly reveals classified information about U.S. surveillance programs, sparking global debate on privacy and security. 2004 - Ronald Reagan dies: Former U.S. President Ronald Reagan dies at age 93 in Los Angeles after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. 1981 – First official report of AIDS, describing unusual pneumonia cases in five young men in Los Angeles, CA. 1968 - Robert F. Kennedy is shot while leaving the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles after California presidential primary victory; he dies the next day. 1967 – Six‑Day War begins: Israel launches pre‑emptive strikes against Egypt, Syria, and Jordan, beginning the Six‑Day War in the Middle East. 1956 – Elvis Presley introduces “Hound Dog” on TV: Presley performs the song on "The Milton Berle Show", shocking conservative audiences with his dance style and accelerating his rise to fame. 1951 - Gordon M. Buehrig received his "vehicle top with removable panels" patent, later known as the T‑top, which becomes iconic in American sports cars. 1944 - Allies prepare for D-Day: On the eve of the Normandy invasion, Allied forces finalize preparations for Operation Overlord, the largest amphibious assault in history, scheduled for June 6. 1917 – Conscription begins in the United States: Under the Selective Service Act, the U.S. government begins registering men for the draft during WWI. 1794 – U.S. Congress passes the Neutrality Act: The act prohibits American citizens from participating in foreign wars, shaping early U.S. foreign policy. 1661 – Isaac Newton admitted to Trinity College, Cambridge: Newton begins his formal studies, eventually revolutionizing mathematics and physics. | |
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1982 – Israel invades Lebanon, beginning the 1982 Lebanon War. 1971 – Soyuz 11 launches: The Soviet spacecraft begins the mission that will later end in tragedy when its crew perishes during re‑entry. 1944 - D-Day: Allies launch Normandy (France) invasion. 1942 – The Battle of Midway ends: The U.S. Navy sinks four Japanese aircraft carriers, decisively shifting the balance of power in the Pacific. 1936 – First helicopter flight by Focke‑Wulf Fw 61 in Germany. 1934 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs Securities Exchange Act, creating the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to regulate stock markets and prevent abuses that contributed to the Great Depression. 1933 - First "drive-in" opens: The world’s first drive‑in movie theater opens in Camden, New Jersey, created by Richard Hollingshead; admission was 25 cents per car plus 25 cents per person. 1932 - First U.S. federal gas tax enacted: The U.S. government imposes its first national gasoline tax—1 cent per gallon—to help fund Depression‑era programs. 1912 – Alaska becomes a U.S. territory: Congress formally organizes the Territory of Alaska. 1683 – The Ashmolean Museum opens: The University of Oxford opens the first public museum in the world. 1523 – Gustav Vasa elected King of Sweden: His election marks Sweden's independence from Denmark and the start of the Vasa dynasty. | |
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1977 – Anita Bryant leads a successful campaign to repeal gay‑rights protections in Miami, FL: A major moment in the history of LGBTQ+ rights in the U.S. 1966 - Ronald Reagan wins the California Republican gubernatorial primary. 1965 – The U.S. Supreme Court issues "Griswold v. Connecticut": The Court strikes down a ban on contraceptives, establishing a constitutional right to privacy. 1939 - King George VI and Queen Elizabeth becomes the first British monarch to visit the U.S. 1893 - Mohandas K. Gandhi's first act of civil disobedience: Mohandas K. Gandhi refuses to move from a “whites‑only” train compartment in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa—his first major act of nonviolent resistance, later known as "satyagraha". 1862 – The U.S. and U.K. sign the Lyons‑Seward Treaty: Both nations agree to suppress the Atlantic slave trade. 1848 - French painter Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) is born in Paris: The influential French Post‑Impressionist painter is born, later known for his bold colors and work in Tahiti. 1654 – Louis XIV is crowned King of France: The Sun King begins one of the longest reigns in European history. | |
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1968 - Robert Kennedy buried 1912 – Universal Pictures is founded 1867 - Famous American architect Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959) was born in Wisconsin. 632 - Muhammad, a principal founder of Islam dies | |
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1934 - Donald Duck makes his first film appearance, in "The Wise Little Hen" a short by Walt Disney 1898 - The British signed a 99-year lease for Hong Kong. 1893 - Composer and lyricist Cole Porter (1893-1964) was born in Peru, Indiana. He published his first song The Bobolink Waltz at the age of ten. 1856 - Mor handcart pioneers depart for Salt Lake City | |
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1947 - Saab introduces first car 1942 - The terrible massacre occurred in Lidice, Czech. All 172 men and boys over age 16 are shot by Nazis. The Lidice village is then completely leveled until not a trace remained. 1940 - Norway surrenders to Germany 1940 - Italy declares war on France and Great Britain | |
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1979 - John Wayne dies 1788 - Russian explorer Izmailov arrives at Yakutat Bay, Alaska | |
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1942 - Anne Frank started writing her diary, which became "The Diary of a Young Girl",
published in 1947 and has been translated into some 30 languages 1924 - President Bush (Sr) is born in Massachusetts. 1898 - Philippine independence declared 1897 - Deadly quake hits India killing more than 1,500 people | |
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1973 - Kissinger and Le Duc Tho sign new peace agreement - Vietnam War 1971 - The New York Times begins publishing the Pentagon Papers, a collection of top secret documents exposing US strategy in the Vietnam War 1967 - Thurgood Marshall is appointed to Supreme Court 1944 - Germans launch V-1 rocket attack against Britain | |
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1982 - Falkland Islands War ends 1977 - Congress adopts the Stars and Stripes 1940 - Germans enter Paris | |
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1965 - U.S. planes bomb North Vietnam 1877 - First African American graduate of West Point 1846 - U.S.-Canadian border established 1776 - Delaware declares independence | |
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1977 - Leonid Ilich Brezhnev is elected president of the Supreme Soviet. 1963 - Vostok 6, Soviet Cosaut Valentina Tereshkova becomes the first woman to travel into space 1958 - Imre Nagy, a former Hungarian premier uprising against Soviet rule in 1956, is hanged by his country's communist authorities. | |
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1988 - Microsoft releases MS DOS 4.0 1981 - The Hyatt Regency hotel walkway collapses in Kansas city, Missouri, killing 114 people and injuring 216 people during a tea dance. 1971 - President Richard Nixon declares the U.S. War on Drugs. 1967 - 1st Chinese hydrogen bomb explodes. 1965 - First bombing by B-52 (50 km north Saigon, Vietnam) 1963 - US Supreme Court rules against Bible reading/prayer in public schools 1950 - 1st kidney transplant, Chicago. 1947 - Pan Am Airways chartered as 1st worldwide passenger airline 1940 - France to surrender to Germany 1938 - Japan declares war on China. 1885 – The Statue of Liberty arrives in New York Harbor. | |
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1923 - The first Checker cab is produced by the Checker Cab Manufacturing Company 1983 - Sally Ride became the first American woman to travel into space. 1882 - Russian composer Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) is born near St. Petersburg. 1815 - Napoleon defeated at Waterloo, bringing an end to the Napoleonic era of European history | |
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1953 - Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, a married couple convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage in 1951, are put to death in the electric chair in New York 1867 - Austrian Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian, installed as emperor of Mexico by French Emperor Napoleon III in 1864, is executed on the orders of Benito Juarez, the president of the Mexican Republic. 1812 - President James Madison officially declares war against Great Britain. | |
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1990 - 50,000 people are killed as a powerful earthquake strikes Iran. 1979 - Solar-energy system installed at White House 1977 - Oil flows in Alaska 1924 - American military hero and actor Audie Murphy (1924-1971) was born in Kingston, Texas. He was awarded 37 medals and decorations for his courage actions during World War II. He later became an actor in western and war movies and made 45 films. 1863 - West Virginia enters the Union | |
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1990 - About 25,000 people are killed after a magnitude 6.9 earthquake strikes the northern Iranian province of Gilan. 1905 - French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980) is born in Paris. He rejected the Nobel Prize for Literature awarded to him. 1863 - French withdraw Navy from NATO 1778 - U.S. Constitution ratified | |
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1944 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the GI bill to provide financial aid to veterans returning from World War II 1941 - Germany attacks Russia. 1934 - Porsche builds prototypes 1775 - Congress issues Continental currency> | |
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1994 - South Africa reclaims its seat in U.N. 1990 - Moldavia declares independence 1972 - President Richard Nixon signs into law the Higher Education Act, as a result, women’s participation in team sports, particularly in collegiate athletics, surged with the passage of this act. 1941 - Germany occupies Telz Lithuana 1940 - Hitler takes a tour of Paris 1925 - British warship fires on Hong Kong harbor strikers | |
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2010 - Labor Party deputy Julia Gillard became Australia's first female Prime Minister. 1948 - Soviets blockade West Berlin 1901 - Picasso exhibited in Paris 1812 - Napoleon's Grande Armee invades Russia | |
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1991 - Following the collapse of Soviet rule in Eastern Europe, the republics of Croatia and Slovenia declared their independence from Yugoslavia. 1950 - Korean War begins - North Korea forces invade South Korea 1942 - Eisenhower assumes command of U.S. troops in Europe 1910 - Congress passes the Mann Act, which was ostensibly aimed at keeping innocent girls from being lured into prostitution. | |
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1997 - Supreme Court strikes down Internet indecency law 1994 - PLO-leader Yasser Arafat returns to Gaza after 27 years 1945 - U.N. Charter is signed by 50 nations in San Francisco, CA 1941 - Finland enters WW II against Russia 1919 - N.Y. Daily News begins publishing 1917 - First U.S. troops arrive in France 1498 - Toothbrush invented | |
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1950 - U.N. approves armed force to repel North Korea 1950 - Truman orders U.S. forces into Korea 1944 - U.S. troops liberate Cherbourg, France 1859 - American musician Mildred J. Hill (1859-1916) is born in Louisville, Kentucky. She composed the melody for what is now the world's most often sung song, "Happy Birthday To You" 1844 - Mor leader killed by mob | |
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1950 - North Korea captures Seoul. 1948 - The Soviet Union expels Yugoslavia from the Communist Information Bureau for the latter's position on the Greek civil war. 1914 - Ferdinand assassinated in Austro-Daimler 1888 - Robert Louis Stevenson sets sail for the South Seas | |
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1995 - U.S. space shuttle docks with Russian space station 1970 - Last U.S. troops removed from Cambodia. 1943 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt writes a letter marked “secret” to leading Manhattan Project physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer 1941 - Germans advance in USSR 1902 - Renault wins in car he designed | |
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1997 - In Hong Kong, the British Crown Colony is officially resigned at midnight and replaced by a new government group representing China's sovereignty. 1967 - Nguyen Van Thieu becomes president of South Vietnam 1953 - First Corvette produced 1936 - The famous "Gone With The Wind" book is published | |
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