On this day in history ...

• 1989 Thousands die in the Tiananmen Square Massacre

  Using assault rifles and tanks, Chinese troops massacred unarmed civilians who had taken part in pro-democracy protests.
  

• 1989 Poland holds the first free elections after World War II

  The landslide victory of the Polish trade union, “Solidarity”, marked the beginning of the Autumn of Nations, a wave of revolutions resulting in the fall of communism.
  

• 1984 Bruce Springsteen releases Born in the U.S.A.

  The album was Springsteen's most successful. It featured hits like “Born in the U.S.A.”, “Dancing in the Dark”, and “I'm on Fire”.
  

• 1917 The first Pulitzer Prize is awarded

  Every year, the prestigious award honors outstanding journalistic achievements. It was established with money bequeathed to Columbia University by publisher Joseph Pulitzer.
  

• 1783 The Montgolfier brothers demonstrate the first hot air balloon

  The flight of the Montgolfière lasted only about 10 minutes, but it secured the French inventors a place in the history books.
  

• 1981 The first cases of AIDS are reported

  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention described five cases of a rare form of pneumonia, a deadly immune deficiency disease which later became known as AIDS. In 2000, more than 40 million people worldwide were affected by it.
  

• 1968 Robert F. Kennedy is assassinated

  The attacker, a 24-year old Palestinian, was disgruntled by Kennedy's support for Israel. The brother of former U.S. President, John F. Kennedy, died on the following day.
  

• 1967 The Six-Day War begins in the Middle East

  Israeli forces launched a surprise attack against Egypt, prompting other Arab allies to enter the conflict. Egypt had previously blocked the Straits of Tiran to Israeli traffic and amassed its troops at the border between the two countries.
  

• 1956 Elvis Presley first performs “Hound Dog” live on TV

  Presley's suggestive hip movements during this performance earned him his nickname, “Elvis the Pelvis.” “Hound Dog” became his best-selling song with about 10 million sold copies.
  

• 1883 The first Orient Express leaves Paris

  The legendary train journey from Paris to Istanbul featured in many works of popular culture, including Bram Stoker's “Dracula” and Agatha Christie's “Murder on the Orient Express.“
  

• 1984 The video game Tetris is published

  Russian computer engineer, Alexey Pajitnov, created the puzzle game. With over 100 million copies sold, it is one of the most successful video games in history.
  

• 1982 Israeli forces invade Lebanon

  The 1982 Lebanon War was triggered by the attack on Israeli ambassador, Shlomo Argov, in London on June 3. Thousands of civilians died during the war, which lasted three years.
  

• 1946 The National Basketball Association (NBA) is founded

  The NBA, which comprises teams in the United States and Canada, is considered the world's premier men's professional basketball league.
  

• 1944 On D-Day, 160,000 Allied soldiers land in Normandy, France

  The World War II invasion of Normandy established a new major front against the Germans in the west and helped Soviet forces facing the bulk of German troops in the east. Germany capitulated on May 7, 1945.
  

• 1930 Frozen food is sold in retail stores for the first time

  18 stores in Springfield, Massachusetts took part in a trial to test consumer acceptance. Clarence Birdseye, the founder of the Birds Eye Frozen Food Company, is considered to be the father of the modern frozen food industry.
  

• 1989 A Surinam Airways jet crashes on landing in Paramaribo

  The pilots were blamed for the disaster. They had attempted to land using the wrong navigation signal. Of the 187 people on board, 11 survived.
  

• 1981 Israel destroys Iraq's Osirak nuclear reactors

  The attack, triggered by fears of a potential Iraqi atom bomb, prompted international criticism and is considered a political disaster as it caused the quarreling Arab states to unite against their common enemy, Israel
  

• 1975 The first Cricket World Cup begins

  England hosted the first edition of the event, which today has become one of the world's most important sporting events. The West Indies entered the history books as the first Cricket World Champions.
  

• 1968 The world's first Legoland resort opens

  The Legoland in Billund, Denmark was the first of six theme parks based around the Lego interlocking plastic bricks. Billund is the home of The Lego Group.
  

• 1929 Vatican City becomes an independent state

  The Lateran Treaty, which was signed on February 11 of the same year, was ratified by Italy's fascist government on this day. It guarantees the political and territorial sovereignty of Vatican City.
  

The SSM-N-8 Regulus was used for one attempt to deliver mail

• 1987 New Zealand becomes a nuclear-free zone

  The New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act 1987 barred any nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed ships from entering the country. New Zealand was the first country to legislate towards a nuclear-free zone in the 1950s.
  

• 1972 Nick Út takes his famous “napalm girl” photo

  The Pulitzer Prize-winning image officially entitled “The Terror of War” depicts nine-year-old Phan Thị Kim Phúc and other Vietnamese children fleeing a napalm attack. It has become one of the best-known symbols for the indescribable sufferings in armed conflicts.
  

• 1949 George Orwell publishes Nineteen Eighty-Four

  Orwell's nightmarish description of a totalitarian society set in the year 1984 is one of the most significant works of English literature and one of the best-known novels of all time. The phrase, Big Brother is watching you, stems from this work.
  

• 1937 Carl Orff's Carmina Burana is premiered

  The cantata, especially Orff's breathless rendition of the medieval poem O Fortuna, has been featured in countless works of popular culture, including The Simpsons, Last of the Mohicans, and Jackass: The Movie.
  

• 1887 Herman Hollerith patents his punch card calculator

  The U.S. data processing pioneer, one of the grandfathers of the technology company IBM, used his revolutionary machine to process the large amount of data collected during the U.S. census of 1890/1891.
  

• 1967 Israel captures the Golan Heights from Syria

  Israel's occupation of the territory and the establishment of Israeli settlements in the area continue to hamper negotiations to find a peaceful solution to the ongoing Middle East conflict.
  

• 1957 Four Austrian climbers become the first to conquer Broad Peak

  Fritz Wintersteller, Marcus Schmuck, Kurt Diemberger, and Hermann Buhl reached the 8051 meter-high summit of one of the world's highest mountains on the border of Pakistan and China.
  

• 1934 Donald Duck makes his film debut in The Wise Little Hen

  The short-tempered duck typically wearing a sailor suit is one of Walt Disney's most famous cartoon characters. Donald's first book appearance was in The Adventures of Mickey Mouse, which was published in 1931.
  

• 1928 Charles Kingsford Smith completes the world's first trans-Pacific flight

  The Australian aviator and his 4-man crew had departed Oakland, California on the morning on May 31. Nine days later, after several stops, they landed safely in Brisbane.
  

• 1999 The Kosovo War ends

  Slobodan Milošević, then President of Serbia, agreed to withdraw his troops from the disputed territory following a massive NATO bombing campaign. NATO's involvement has been criticized for its lack of a U.N. mandate.
  

• 1967 The Six-Day War ends

  Israel and Syria agreed to observe a ceasefire mediated by the United Nations, ending six days of armed conflict. On the previous day, Israel had occupied the Golan Heights.
  

• 1936 The Russian animation studio Soyuzmultfilm is established

  The film studio produced a total of 1530 movies, among them some of the best-known films of the Soviet era, such as Hedgehog in the Fog and The Bremen Town Musicians.
  

• 1935 Alcoholics Anonymous is founded

  Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith established the mutual aid fellowship to battle alcoholism. Today, the organization is active in many countries around the world.
  

• 1907 Autochrome Lumière color photography is introduced

  The process was invented by the legendary Lumière brothers in 1903. It was the first practical and commercially successful technology for the production of color photos.
  

• 2010 Africa hosts the FIFA World Cup for the first time

  The 19th association football world cup was opened in Johannesburg, South Africa. The winner of this historic edition was Spain.
  

• 1959 Christopher Cockerell first presents the hovercraft

  The amphibious air-cushion vehicle first crossed the English Channel just weeks after Cockerell first demonstrated his prototype, the SR.N1. The scheduled “flights” between Dover (U.K.) and Calais (France) were discontinued in 2000.
  

• 1955 More than 80 people die in the Le Mans car race disaster

  In one of history's worst car racing accidents, Pierre Levegh's Mercedes crashed into a crowd of spectators and burst into flames.
  

• 1938 China launches the 1938 Yellow River flood

  In what Steven Dutch, a Professor at the University of Wisconsin, called “the world's largest act of environmental warfare in history”, the Chinese government created the flood to halt invading Japanese forces.
  

• 1817 The first predecessor of the bicycle is demonstrated

  Using his revolutionary Laufmaschine, also known as Draisine, a two-wheeler without pedals, German inventor Karl Drais completed a 14 km test run in less than an hour, presenting a viable alternative to transportation by horse.
  

• 2016 Mass Shooting at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida Kills 49 People

  In what is now thought to be one of the deadliest incidents of violence against LGBTQ people in history, the shooting committed by 29-year old Omar Mateen is also the second deadliest terrorist attack on US soil since the September 11, 2001 attacks.
  

• 1994 The world's largest twinjet takes off on its maiden flight

  The Boeing 777, or Triple Seven, typically transports up to 451 passengers. It is one of Boeing's commercially most successful planes.
  

• 1991 Boris Yeltsin becomes Russia's first President

  After the end of the Soviet Union, Yeltsin launched radical economic reforms that aimed at dismantling socialism and restore capitalism.
  

• 1987 Ronald Reagan challenges Mikhail Gorbachev to “tear down this wall”

  The U.S. President held his famous speech near the Berlin Wall, one of the most important symbols for the division between East and West during the Cold War. The wall was dismantled in 1989, but many observers doubt that Reagan's famous catchphrase had any impact on this decision.
  

• 1964 Nelson Mandela is sentenced to life in prison

  The South African anti-apartheid activist spent 27 years in prison. In 1993, he received the Nobel Peace Prize and one year later he became President of South Africa.
  

• 2002 The United States withdraw from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty

  The ABM Treaty was signed in 1972 by the Soviet Union and the United States. It regulated the establishment of anti-ballistic missile shields against nuclear missiles. Critics bemoaned the treaty's termination for its potential negative effect on nuclear proliferation.
  

• 2000 The leaders of South Korea and North Korea meet in an historic summit

  The talks were initiated by then President of South Korea, Kim Dae-jung. For the implementation of his “Sunshine Policy”, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000.
  

• 1983 Pioneer 10 becomes the first man-made object to leave the central solar system

  The U.S. space probe crossed the orbit of Neptune, which at the time was classified as the furthest planet from the Sun.
  

• 1971 The New York Times publishes the Pentagon Papers

  The secret study of the United States' involvement in the Vietnam War revealed the government's lies concerning the scale of U.S. activities in Vietnam and neighboring countries. Daniel Ellsberg, an employee of the RAND Corporation, leaked the documents to the New York Times, and he was later tried but not convicted of espionage.
  

• 1950 South Africa implements the Group Areas Act

  The law assigned geographically separate residential and business areas for different racial groups, forcing non-whites from the most developed areas. It was a major pillar of the apartheid system of racial segregation and oppression.
  

• 2002 A large asteroid just misses the Earth

  2002 MN, a 73-meter lump, was three times closer to Earth than the Moon. It was first discovered three days after its closest approach.
  

• 1982 The Falklands War ends

  After 74 days of fighting, British troops captured the capital, Stanley, prompting the Argentine forces to surrender and return the islands to British control.
  

• 1949 Albert II becomes the first monkey in space

  The rhesus monkey was one of several animals used for testing purposes before sending humans into space. Albert II survived his ascent to 134 km (83 mi) altitude but died on his return to Earth due to a parachute failure.
  

• 1940 German troops occupy Paris

  The fall of Paris marked the end of Germany's attacks on the western front. In the Armistice of Compiègne, three-fifths of France was declared occupied.
  

• 1919 Alcock and Brown take off for the first non-stop transatlantic flight

  The British aviators began their journey in St. John's, Newfoundland and reached Galway in Ireland less than 16 hours later. One month earlier, Albert Cushing Read flew across the Atlantic, but his flight included a stop in the Azores Islands.
  

• 1991 Mount Pinatubo explodes

  The stratovolcano's eruption was one of the most violent of the 20th century. About 800 people died, but the event had also global consequences. For example, it caused a global temperature drop of 0.5 °C (0.9 °F).
  

• 1977 Spain holds the first free elections since 1936

  The transition to democracy followed nearly four decades of right-wing dictatorship under Francisco Franco. Adolfo Suárez became Spain's first democratically elected Prime Minister.
  

• 1954 The Union of European Football Associations is founded

  The UEFA is the umbrella organization for association football in Europe. It comprises 54 member countries in Europe and Asia.
  

• 1844 Charles Goodyear patents vulcanization

  The American inventor is credited with developing the basic concept of strengthening rubber by adding sulfur or similar materials. Vulcanized rubber is today used for a wide array of products, such as tires and shoe soles.
  

• 1667 The first human blood transfusion is administered

  Jean-Baptiste Denys, physician to King Louis XIV of France, transfused sheep blood into a 15-year-old boy. He survived, most likely due to the relatively small amount of blood used.
  

• 2010 The world's first country-wide total tobacco ban goes into effect

  Bhutan banned the cultivation, harvesting, production, and sale of tobacco and tobacco products. It is still legal in the South Asian country to smoke in a private setting, but obtaining tobacco products legally is close to impossible.
  

• 1976 South African police kill hundreds of protesting schoolchildren

  An estimated 20,000 youth were protesting against the introduction of Afrikaans as the languages of instruction in their schools when police officers started firing into the crowd. The “Soweto uprising” is today commemorated on Youth Day each year.
  

• 1967 The Monterey Pop Festival opens

  The three-day concert event featured historic performances by Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Ravi Shankar, and Janis Joplin.
  

• 1960 Alfred Hitchcock's film Psycho is premiered

  The horror-thriller starring Anthony Perkins and Vera Miles has become one of the classics of the genre. The shower scene is one of the best-known murder scenes in the history of film.
  

• 1972 The arrest of five White House operatives sets off the Watergate scandal

  The men were caught attempting to wiretap the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex. The scandal ultimately led to U.S. President Richard Nixon's resignation.
  

• 1944 Iceland becomes a republic

  The Nordic island country had previously been included in the Norwegian and Danish monarchies. The republic's first President was Sveinn Björnsson.
  

• 1940 The three Baltic states fall under Soviet occupation

  While the world's attention was focused on the recent German invasion of Paris, the Soviet Union annexed Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
  

• 1928 Amelia Earhart becomes the first woman to fly across the Atlantic

  Wilmer Stultz piloted the Fokker F.VII aircraft, Earhart kept the flight log. They arrived at Burry Port in Wales, the United Kingdom, 20 hours and 40 minutes later.
  

• 1885 The Statue of Liberty arrives in New York

  Hundreds of thousands of spectators welcomed the emblematic statue, which was a gift to the United States from the people of France and has become one of the country's most recognized symbols.
  

• 1979 Leonid Brezhnev and Jimmy Carter sign SALT II

  The second “Strategic Arms Limitation Talks” (SALT) agreement was a ground-breaking arms reduction treaty between the Soviet Union and the United States.
  

• 1972 118 die in the Staines Air Disaster

  The Hawker Siddeley Trident aircraft entered a deep stall and plummeted to the ground shortly after takeoff from London Heathrow Airport.
  

• 1948 The LP record is introduced

  The 33⅓ rpm microgroove vinyl Long Playing record developed by Columbia Records soon became the music industry's standard medium. It allowed for a total playing time of 20 minutes per side.
  

• 1940 A speech by Charles de Gaulle sparks the French Resistance to German occupation

  The Appeal of June 18, transmitted by radio from de Gaulle's exile in the United Kingdom, was pivotal in mobilizing the French after Germany had declared more than half of the country an occupied zone. On August 25, French and Allied troops liberated Paris.
  

• 1815 Napoleon suffers a shattering defeat at the Battle of Waterloo

  The battle was Napoleon's last. The French Emperor was exiled to Saint Helena where he died six years later. “To meet one's Waterloo” is still a figure of speech today indicating total defeat.
  

• 2002 Steve Fossett takes off on his record-breaking balloon flight

  The American adventurer lifted off from Northam in Western Australia to commence history's first solo flight around the world in any aircraft. On July 3, after having traveled 33,195 km (20,626 mi), he touched down again in Queensland, Australia.
  

• 1987 An ETA car bomb kills 21 in Barcelona

  The 1987 Hipercor bombing was one of the bloodiest attacks by Basque separatist organization, Euskadi Ta Askatasuna or ETA.
  

• 1978 Garfield, the lazy cat makes his debut

  The first Garfield comic strip by Jim Davis appeared in 41 newspapers on that day. It currently holds the Guinness World Record for the world's most widely syndicated comic strip.
  

• 1964 The U.S. Senate passes the Civil Rights Act of 1964

  18 Senators unsuccessfully launched a filibuster to prevent passage of the law against discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Richard Russel stated, “We will resist to the bitter end any measure or any movement which would have a tendency to bring about social equality and intermingling and amalgamation of the races in our (Southern) states.” The bill was signed into law on July 2, 1964.
  

• 1913 South Africa implements the Natives Land Act

  The law limited the areas of land that could be owned by black people to “native reserve” areas, which comprised less than 10 percent of the country's total area. It was in force until Apartheid was dismantled in the 1990s.
  

Drawing by Jacques-Louis David of the Tennis Court Oath

• 1991 The German parliament moves to Berlin

  Bonn had been the capital of West Germany until the country's reunification in 1990. The “Hauptstadtbeschluss” (capital decision) stipulated that the seat of government and the parliament also be moved to the “new” capital Berlin.
  

• 1975 The film Jaws is premiered

  Steven Spielberg's thriller about a rogue great white shark terrorizing a summer resort town is often regarded as one of the greatest films of all time.
  

• 1963 The “Red Telephone” is instituted

  The hotline between the U.S. and the Soviet Union was established following Cuban Missile Crisis. Contrary to popular belief, communications between the two superpowers occurred via teletype or fax, and today, via email.
  

• 1942 Kazimierz Piechowski and three others escape from Auschwitz concentration camp

  In a feat of “exceptional courage and gallantry”, as stated by the Polish author Kazimierz Smoleń, the four prisoners left via the front gate in a stolen SS staff car, dressed as SS officers. During World War II, the Nazi regime murdered 1.1 million people in Auschwitz. Only 144 are known to have escaped.
  

• 1837 Victoria becomes Queen of the United Kingdom

  During the 64 years of her regency, the United Kingdom became one of the world's most potent powers. The British Empire soon encompassed large parts of the planet. Queen Victoria died in 1901.
  

• 2009 Greenland assumes self-rule

  The island had been administered by Denmark (earlier Denmark-Norway) for centuries. The Self-Government Act grants Greenland full responsibility for its inner affairs, while Denmark retains control of foreign policy.
  

• 2004 SpaceShipOne completes the world's first manned private spaceflight

  The privately funded spaceplane reached an altitude of just over 100 kilometers (62 miles). Mike Melvill was the pilot and only occupant.
  

• 1985 The body of Josef Mengele is identified

  An international team of scientists confirmed that the skeletal remains found in a cemetery in Embu, Brazil are those of the Nazi war criminal. Mengele was a physician in the Auschwitz concentration camp and conducted horrific experiments on some of the inmates.
  

• 1963 Cardinal Giovanni Battista Montini becomes Pope Paul VI

  The Italian pontiff is known for completing the Second Vatican Council, addressing the Roman Catholic Church's relationship with the modern world.
  

• 1895 The Kiel Canal is opened by German Emperor Wilhelm II

  The 98 km (61 mi) long canal in Northern Germany is one of the world's busiest artificial waterways. It connects the North Sea with the Baltic Sea.
  

HMS Victoria by William Frederick Mitchell

• 1990 Checkpoint Charlie is dismantled

  The crossing point on the sector border between East Berlin and West Berlin had become obsolete with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Today, the former checkpoint, including the famous sign stating “You are leaving the American sector”, is a tourist attraction.
  

• 1986 Diego Maradona coins the phrase “Hand of God”

  The Argentinian football star had scored a goal with his hand during the FIFA World Cup quarter-final against England. The referee allowed the goal, the Argentinian team were later crowned world champions. After the game, Maradona said that the goal was scored “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God”.
  

• 1945 Okinawa falls to U.S. troops

  The Battle of Okinawa marked a decisive defeat for Japan during World War II as the archipelago represented the last line of defense for mainland Japan. The country surrendered two months after the end of the battle when two atomic bombs were dropped on the mainland.
  

• 1941 Germany invades the Soviet Union

  The initially successful attack soon proved a disaster for the Germans as wintry conditions and fierce Soviet resistance caused massive losses and ultimately forced them to retreat.
  

• 1633 The Catholic Church forces Galileo Galilei to renounce his heliocentric world view

  The Holy Office concluded that the Italian scientist, by stating that the Sun, not the Earth, is the center of the Universe, was “vehemently suspect of heresy”. Galileo spent the rest of his life under house arrest.
  

What Happened On This Day – 23 June

• 2016 The UK votes to leave the European Union

  Just over half of the electorate voted for “Brexit”, Britain's exit from the EU. The UK had been part of the union since 1973.
  

• 1992 Yitzhak Rabin's Labor Party wins the election in Israel

  Rabin became the country's fifth Prime Minister. For his engagement in a peaceful solution to the Middle East conflict, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994 (together with Shimon Peres and Yasir Arafat). A year later, Rabin was assassinated by a Jewish extremist.
  

• 1961 The Antarctic Treaty comes into force

  The treaty was the first arms control agreement signed during the Cold War. It sets Antarctica aside as a scientific preserve and prohibits military activities on the continent.
  

• 1931 Wiley Post and Harold Gatty start their record-breaking flight around the world

  The American-Australian team was the first to circumnavigate the planet in a single-engine plane. After several stops, they returned to Roosevelt Field eight days later. They took nearly two weeks less than the previous record holder, the German airship Graf Zeppelin.
  

• 1894 The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is founded

  The IOC is responsible for organizing the Olympic Games and similar events. The committee was established at the initiative of French educator, Pierre de Coubertin.
  

• 1993 Both Canada and Turkey elect female heads of government for the first time

  Kim Campbell became Canada's and Tansu Çiller Turkey's Prime Minister on this day. Worldwide, women in top political positions are still the exception.
  

• 1967 The world's first live global satellite TV program is aired

  The BBC program “Our World” featured artists from 19 countries. The Beatles premiered their song “All You Need Is Love” on the show. Some 400 million viewers tuned in.
  

• 1950 The Korean War begins as North Korea invades South Korea

  The war soon evolved into an international conflict and a proxy war between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, leading to fears of a new World War. It was ended by an armistice in 1953.
  

• 1947 The Diary of Anne Frank is published

  The Jewish girl's account of her life in hiding from the Nazis has become a well-known work of world literature and made Anne one of the most prominent victims of the Nazi regime. She died at age 15 in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.
  

• 1910 Igor Stravinsky's ballet “The Firebird” is premiered

  The work was performed by Sergei Diaghilev's legendary ballet company “Ballets Russes”. It was a huge success, catapulting Stravinsky to stardom.
  

• 1993 Both Canada and Turkey elect female heads of government for the first time

  Kim Campbell became Canada's and Tansu Çiller Turkey's Prime Minister on this day. Worldwide, women in top political positions are still the exception.
  

• 1967 The world's first live global satellite TV program is aired

  The BBC program “Our World” featured artists from 19 countries. The Beatles premiered their song “All You Need Is Love” on the show. Some 400 million viewers tuned in.
  

• 1950 The Korean War begins as North Korea invades South Korea

  The war soon evolved into an international conflict and a proxy war between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, leading to fears of a new World War. It was ended by an armistice in 1953.
  

• 1947 The Diary of Anne Frank is published

  The Jewish girl's account of her life in hiding from the Nazis has become a well-known work of world literature and made Anne one of the most prominent victims of the Nazi regime. She died at age 15 in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.
  

• 1910 Igor Stravinsky's ballet “The Firebird” is premiered

  The work was performed by Sergei Diaghilev's legendary ballet company “Ballets Russes”. It was a huge success, catapulting Stravinsky to stardom.
  

• 1963 U.S. President John F. Kennedy holds his iconic “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech

  The speech was a welcome gesture of support for the people of West Berlin. East Germany had erected the Berlin Wall just two years earlier to stop mass emigration to the West.
  

• 1945 The United Nations Charter is signed

  The United Nations is the world's most important international organization.
  

• 1936 The world's first practical helicopter lifts off

  The twin-rotor Focke-Wulf Fw 61 was first tested in Bremen, Germany. None of the first prototypes survived World War II but a replica can be seen at the Hubschraubermuseum in Bückeburg, Germany.
  

• 1925 Charlie Chaplin's film “The Gold Rush” receives its premiere

  The comedy featuring Chaplin in his famous Little Tramp role is a classic of the silent film genre. The English star actor repeatedly stated that this is the film he wants to be remembered for.
  

• 1906 The first Grand Prix car race is held

  The competition was held on a circuit around Le Mans, France and organized by the Automobile Club de France (ACF). Renault's Ferenc Szisz won the competition.
  

• 1991 Yugoslav troops invade Slovenia

  The attack, which marked the beginning of the Ten-Day War, followed Slovenia's declaration of independence. It was the first of the Yugoslav Wars, a number of ethnic conflicts leading to the break-up of Yugoslavia and resulting in at least 140,000 deaths.
  

• 1986 The 1980s U.S. intervention in Nicaragua is declared illegal

  The International Court of Justice condemned the U.S. paramilitary campaign to overthrow the left-wing Nicaraguan government. The social democratic Sandinistas had begun to redistribute the country's wealth and improve education.
  

• 1972 Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney found Atari, Inc.

  The pioneering video game and home computer company produced arcade classics like the two-dimensional tennis simulator Pong. Especially in the 1970s and 1980s, its products had a large impact on the electronic entertainment industry.
  

• 1956 The film Moby Dick is premiered

  John Huston's adaptation of Herman Melville's homonymous novel, while not having been a great box office success, is today considered an outstanding work, especially for its use of light and color.
  

• 1954 The world's first nuclear power plant is activated

  The reactor at Obninsk in present-day Russia remained in operation for 48 years. Today, there are some 400 atomic power plants worldwide. The technology remains controversial, especially due to the unsolved long-term storage of the highly dangerous nuclear waste.
  

• 1969 A police raid of a gay tavern sparks a series of violent clashes

  The Stonewall Riots in New York City marked the beginning of the gay rights movement in the United States. The Christopher Street Day, a yearly observance for Gay Pride in some European countries, is named after the bar's location.
  

• 1967 Israel annexes East Jerusalem

  From Israel's point of view, the annexation effected the reunification of its capital city. However, the international community declared it illegal and views East Jerusalem as Palestinian territory occupied by Israel.
  

• 1939 The world's first scheduled transatlantic flight takes off

  The Boeing 314 Clipper flying boat was operated by Pan Am. It took about 24 hours to reach Marseille, France. The scheduled service was soon discontinued again because of the outbreak of World War II.
  

• 1914 Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie are assassinated

  Gavrilo Princip's attack effected a crisis among Europe's major powers (July Crisis). This ultimately triggered the First World War, which with over 37 million deaths was one of the bloodiest war of all time. Five years later to the day, the Treaty of Versailles formally ended the war.
  

• 1846 The saxophone is patented

  Belgian musician Adolphe Sax developed the woodwind instrument typically made of brass, which in recent decades has heavily influenced the sound of the jazz, military band, rock, and pop musical genres.
  

The Mercedes-Benz on Haymarket covered by a tent

• 2007 Apple releases the first iPhone

  The iPhone revolutionized the smartphone industry and for a while made Apple one of the world's most valuable companies.
  

• 1995 The Space Shuttle Atlantis docks with the Russian space station Mir

  The rendezvous in space marked a new age of cooperation between the former Cold War adversaries. The docking created the largest man-made Earth satellite in history.
  

• 1990 Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are banned to protect the ozone layer

  The London Amendment to the Montreal Protocol stipulated that CFCs be phased out by 2000 in developed countries and by 2010 in developing countries. CFCs are one of the substances most harmful to the ozone layer, escalating the greenhouse effect and global warming.
  

• 1986 Richard Branson breaks the record for the fastest Atlantic crossing by boat

  The British businessman took about three days to cross the ocean in his speedboat “Virgin Atlantic Challenger II”. He was denied the prestigious Blue Riband for the fastest crossing because he refueled on the way.
  

• 1927 Two U.S. aviators complete the first transpacific flight

  Lester Maitland and Albert Hegenberger had taken off from Oakland Municipal Airport the previous day. Their “Bird of Paradise” aircraft touched down in Oahu, Hawaii 25 hours and 50 minutes later.
  

• 1972 The first leap second is added to UTC

  Leap seconds are added to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) from time to time to account for the Earth's slowing rotation. UTC is the basis for the calculation of local times worldwide.
  

• 1971 The crew of Soviet spacecraft “Soyuz 11” dies after the loss of air supply

  The cause of the tragedy was a faulty valve. The three cosmonauts had previously achieved the first docking of a spacecraft to a space station in history.
  

• 1936 The novel “Gone with the Wind” is published

  Margaret Mitchell's story set in the American South during the American Civil War became one of the United States' biggest best-sellers. The 1939 movie version starring Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable was similarly successful.
  

• 1908 The Tunguska event leaves 2000 square km of Siberian forest flattened and scorched

  The devastation is believed to have been caused by the explosion of an asteroid or comet. It is the largest impact event in recorded history.
  

• 1905 Albert Einstein submits a paper outlining his theory of special relativity

  The text “Zur Elektrodynamik bewegter Körper” comprises the currently accepted theory about the relationship between space and time. The theory of special relativity is the basis for his theory of general relativity, which he published in 1916.
  

• 2002 The International Criminal Court (ICC) is established

  It is the first international judicial body that has the power to try individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. It was created by the Rome Statute, an international treaty that was signed in the Italian city of Rome in 1998.
  

• 1991 The Warsaw Pact, a defense treaty between 8 communist countries, is formally disbanded in Prague

  The pact was founded in 1955, during the height of the Cold War, as a way to counterbalance the power of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Western Europe.
  

• 1979 The Walkman makes its appearance in stores for the first time

  The portable audio cassette player was made by Sony and went on sale in Japan.
  

• 1908 SOS is adopted as the International Distress Signal

  The 2nd International Radiotelegraphic Convention, which was signed in December 1906, made the Morse code distress signal (· · · – – – · · ·), the standard international maritime distress signal. Even though it was replaced by the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System in 1999, SOS is universally seen as a distress call and is often mistakenly thought to be an abbreviation of Save Our Souls or Save Our Ship.
  

• 1903 The Tour de France Bicycle Race is flagged off for the first time

  The now annual multi-leg bike race lasted for 20 days with a course that stretched about 1,500 miles. The race was first created by the sports daily, L'Auto , as a way to boost its circulation. The first Tour de France was win by Italian-French racer, Maurice Garin.
  

• 2002 American businessman, Steve Fossett completes the first solo around-the-world Balloon Flight

  This was Fossett's 6th attempt to circumnavigate the world. It took him 13 days in a balloon called Spirit of Freedom to cover 20,000 miles.
  

• 2001 World's First Self-Contained Artificial Heart Transplant

  59-year old American Robert L. Tools became the first person to receive the a self-contained artificial heart transplant called the AbioCor at the Jewish Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky. The AbioCor is an artificial heart that is not connected to wires or an external pump.
  

• 1937 American aviator Amelia Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan are heard for the last time before disappearing

  They were attempting to make the first around-the-world flight in a Lockheed Model 10 Electra. Neither they nor the plane has ever been found and that has led to speculation about what happened to them. An accomplished pilot, Earhart was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
  

• 1900 The Zeppelin Takes Off for the First Time

  The rigid aircraft named after Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin, the inventor of the dirigible and founder of the Zeppelin Airship Construction Company, made its first flight over Lake Constance in Germany. Unlike blimps or balloons, Zeppelins are built by stretching material over a rigid framework, usually made of metal. Zeppelins can be steered and they were used by the German Air Force to conduct aerial attacks during the First World War.
  

• 1843 Alligator Falls Out of the Sky in Charleston, South Carolina during a thunderstorm.

  It is believed that the strange incident happened when a waterspout carried an alligator from a body of water and dropped in on the city.
  

" 1843 Alligator Falls Out of the Sky in Charleston, South Carolina during a thunderstorm.

It is believed that the strange incident happened when a waterspout carried an alligator from a body of water and dropped in on the city. "

Kitkat wrote:

" 1843 Alligator Falls Out of the Sky in Charleston, South Carolina during a thunderstorm.

It is believed that the strange incident happened when a waterspout carried an alligator from a body of water and dropped in on the city. "

Must be something in the air on this date (2nd July).   

Coincidentally - in the News today is an article about a body that fell from an aeroplane into someone's garden in Clapham, while they were sunbathing out in the garden!  (The kids had been out in the garden not long before that).  The guy was apparently a stowaway on a plane from Nairobi, Kenya.

  Kenya flight 'stowaway' body found in Clapham Garden

• 2013 Coup in Egypt

  Egyptian defense minister Abdul Fatah al-Sisi staged a coup and forced out President Mohamed Morsi, just over a year after he was elected.
  

• 1988 Iran Air flight 655 is shot down by a US Navy ship

  The USS Vincennes mistakenly shot down the airplane en route to Dubai, killing all 290 people aboard. The Vincennes, a guided missile cruiser, incorrectly identified the plane as a military aircraft. In 1996, the United States government made a cash settlement with Iran in order to close the case Iran had brought against the US in the International Court of Justice.
  

• 1962 Algeria gains its independence from France

  Algeria's independence from France, after 132 years of French rule, was finalized after the signing of the Évian Accords in the spa town of Évian-les-Bains. The accords ended a 7-year long voilent war of independence. Independence was finally achieved after the July 1, 1962, referendum favored complete Algerian independence. Ahmed Ben Bella became the first President of the country.
  

• 1863 Battle of Gettysburg ends

  The 3-day long battle during the American Civil War was fought between the Union and Confederacy in-and-around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Thought to be one of the bloodiest battles of the war – around 50,000 soldiers were lost on both sides – the Battle of Gettysburg marked a key turning point in the conflict. The decisive Union victory led to the retreat of Confederate soldiers from the north.
  

• 1844 The Great Auks go extinct

  The last known pair of Great Auks, members of a species of flightless birds, were killed off the coast of Iceland at the request of a collector. It is believed that the extinction of these birds was caused by human activities and hunting due to the high demand for their feathers.
  

Dolly's taxidermied remains

• 1995 Armenian Constitution is adopted

  A nation-wide referendum led to the approval and adoption of Armenia's constitution. The country had gained its independence after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.
  

• 1975 Cape Verde gains independence from Portugal

  The Island country had come under Portuguese colonial control in the late 15th century.
  

• 1973 Coup in Rwanda

  Then Army Chief of Staff, Juvénal Habyarimana, staged a coup and overthrew the President, Grégoire Kayibanda. Habyarimana then held the post of president for 20 years.
  

• 1811 Venezuela declares independence from Spain

  Under the leadership of Francisco de Miranda, Venezuela declared its independence from Spain. This started the Venezuelan War of Independence. The country gained independence 10 years later in 1821.
  

• 2013 Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crash lands in San Francisco International Airport

  The plane was en route to San Francisco from Incheon International Airport, South Korea. The crash, which killed 3 people and injured at least 190 others, was the first fatal incident involving a Boeing 777 since it came on the market in 1995.
  

• 2006 Nathula Pass, a trading post between India and China opens for business

  The trading post had been closed since the Sino-Indian war of 1962. Part of the Silk Road, the pass connects Tibet with the Indian state of Sikkim.
  

• 1975 Comoros becomes independent

  The Comoros Islands gained independence after about 137 years of French rule. Their official name is the Union of the Comoros.
  

• 1964 Malawi gains its independence from Britain

  Between 1953 and 1963, the Southeast African country was part of a British controlled federation called Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. After dissolution of the federation and independence, Nyasaland changed its name to Malawi.
  

• 1912 King Gustaf V officially opens the fifth Summer Olympics in Stockholm

  The international multi-event sports meet was the first such event in history to introduce the photo finish and automatic timing devices for track competitions. 28 countries, including Japan, participated in the games, making it the first time representatives from all 6 continents were present at an Olympics.
  

• 1991 Brioni Declaration is signed

  The agreement was signed by Slovenia, Croatia, and Yugoslavia on the Brioni islands in Croatia. The agreement marked the end of hostilities that began with the Slovenian War of Independence. Also known as the Ten Day War, the conflict began after Slovenia declared independence from Yugoslavia.
  

• 1985 Boris Becker becomes the youngest person to win Wimbledon at age 17

  The German tennis player beat American Kevin Curren.
  

• 1981 Sandra Day O'Connor is appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court

  Appointed by President Ronald Reagan, O'Connor is the first woman to be appointed to the highest court in the United States.
  

• 1958 President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs the Alaska Statehood Act into law

  Under the law, Alaska became the 49th state of the United States of America on January 3, 1959.
  

• 1947 Rosewell UFO sighting

  An object crashed into a ranch near Rosewell, New Mexico raising speculations that the object was an extraterrestrial spacecraft containing alien life forms.
  

Admiral of the Seas of Arabia, Persia, India and all the Orients (more...)

• 2011 Space Shuttle Atlantis is launched for the last time

  It was also the last flight of NASA's 30-year long and successful Space Shuttle program. STS-135, as this final mission was called, was the program's 135th flight.
  

• 1994 Kim Jong-il takes office as the Supreme Leader of North Korea

  Popularly known as "Dear Leader" in his country, Kim Jong-il took North Korea's highest office after the death of his father, Kim Il-sung. He ruled the country with an iron fist until his death in 2011, when his son, Kim Jong-un took his place. Kim Jong-il's tenure was marred by widespread human rights violations and severe famine in the country.
  

• 1889 Wall Street Journal published for the first time

  Three financial reporters named Charles Dow, Edward Jones, and Charles Bergstresser created The Wall Street Journal to supersede a previous periodical called the Customers' Afternoon Letter.
  

• 1777 Vermont abolishes slavery

  Vermont adopted its constitution that abolished slavery, becoming the first region in the now United States to abolish slavery. The constitution was adopted after Vermont declared independence from the British empire.
  

• 1497 Vasco da Gama sets off on a voyage to India from Lisbon with 4 ships

  A year later, he reached the city of Calicut in southern India and became the first European to set foot in India by way of the sea.
  

• 2011 South Sudan becomes the youngest country in the world

  The North East African country, formally known as Republic of South Sudan peacefully seceded from Sudan after an independence referendum was passed. Since independence, however, the country has been wrecked with widespread ethnic violence and human rights violations.
  

• 1981 Donkey Kong is released by Nintendo

  Nintendo's famous character Mario debuted as Jumpman in this popular arcade game.
  

• 1962 Andy Warhol's iconic Campbell's Soup Cans make their debut

  The Soup Cans were first displayed at the Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles, California, and were instrumental in popularizing Pop Art in the United States.
  

• 1958 Lituya Bay megatsunami

  A megatsunami, a tsunami whose waves are higher than a normal tsunami, hit Lituya Bay in Alaska, United States, resulting in a wave that was recorded to be 1,720 feet or 516 meters high. This is the highest wave recorded in history.
  

• 1877 The first Wimbledon Championship is held

  The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London hosted the first Wimbledon championship, which was not only the first tennis championship held in England but was also a precursor to grand slam tournaments. 22 men competed in the championship and Spencer Gore became the first person to win the Wimbledon tournament.
  

• 1985 Greenpeace ship, Rainbow Warrior, sinks

  The ship was in harbor in New Zealand when it was bombed and sunk, killing Fernando Pereira, a photographer who was aboard the ship. It was found out later that French government operatives were responsible for the incident.
  

• 1967 New Zealand adopts new currency

  The New Zealand pound was replaced by the New Zealand dollar. The denominations of the new currency followed a decimal system.
  

• 1962 Telstar, the world's first communication satellite is launched in space

  The satellite, made by a collaboration between organizations in the U.S., the U.K., and France, transmitted the first live television images in the world.
  

• 1940 Battle of Britain

  The German air force or Luftwaffe launched an air campaign against England. It was one of the first battles during the Second World War fought entirely between air forces and it ended a few months later with a British victory.
  

• 1913 Death Valley, U.S experiences the highest temperature ever recorded on Earth

  Measurements showed that the temperature had reached a whopping 134°F or 56.7°C!
  

• 2010 FIFA World Cup Final is held in Johannesburg, South Africa

  The Netherlands and Spain fought out for the prestigious football trophy. Spain won the match 1-0 and the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
  

• 2006 Mumbai train bombings

  Over 200 people were killed and about 700 people were injured in a series of bombings on Mumbai city trains.
  

• 1960 To Kill a Mockingbird is first published as Atticus

  Harper Lee's classic and Pulitzer Prize-winning book is about racial inequality during the Great Depression.
  

• 1914 Major League Baseball debut of Babe Ruth

  George Herman "Babe" Ruth, Jr., one of the world's most well-known professional baseball player started his major league baseball career with the Boston Red Sox.
  

• 1804 A duel between two leading American politicians claims the life of one

  United States Vice President Aaron Burr and former Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton ended a life-long feud with a duel. Hamilton was fatally wounded and died the next day.
  

• 1985 Live Aid benefit concert

  Held simultaneously in London and Philadelphia, the concert raised millions in benefit of those affected by famine in Ethiopia. Over a billion people tuned in around the world to watch the show.
  

• 1977 Ethiopian-Somali War begins

  The Somali National Army invaded the disputed Ogaden region between Somalia and Ethiopia. The war lasted for 9 months and ended with a Somalian retreat
  

• 1977 Kinney, Minnesota declares its secession from the U.S.

  Frustrated by its failing water system, Kinney, Minnesota declared the creation of the Republic of Kinney and sent a letter of secession to the U.S. Secretary of State.
  

• 1937 Krispy Kreme Doughnuts is founded

  The now-international doughnut company was founded by Kentuckian Vernon Rudolph.
  

• 1814 National military police of Italy created

  The Carabinieri was established by the Royal Patents as a policing force with jurisdiction over the military and civilians.
  

Caledonia
Colony (Kingdom of Scotland)
1698 - 1700


Flag of the Company of Scotland Trading to Africa and the Indies

Caledonia on a modern map

• 2016 Terrorist Attack in Nice, France Kills 85 and Injures More than 300 People

  The attack took place during Bastille Day Celebrations, when a 19-tonne truck was driven into the crowd. The attacker was eventually shot by the police.
  

• 1965 Mars flyby of Mariner 4

  The American spacecraft became the first to take pictures of another planet and send them back to Earth.
  

• 1958 Coup in Iraq

  Abd al-Karim Qasim, a brigadier in the Iraqi Army staged a military coup in Iraq, overthrowing the Hashemite monarchy. The Iraqi King Faisal II, the Crown Prince Abd al-Ilah, and Prime Minister Nuri al-Said were assassinated during the coup. Qasim took over the position of Prime Minister, which he held until 1963. The coup also led to the dissolution of the Arab Federation of Jordan and Iraq.
  

• 1957 First female parliamentarian in the Arab world is elected to office

  Egyptian Rawya Ateya became the first woman to be elected to the National Assembly.
  

• 1789 Storming of the Bastille

  Bastille, a prison housing only 7 prisoners at the time, was stormed by a crowd calling for the closure of the prison. The storming became the central event of the French Revolution.
  

Façade of the Basilica of St Paul outside the walls

• 1996 MSNBC is launched

  The American news television channel was created by Microsoft and General Electric's NBC unit. The first show of the channel was hosted by Jodi Applegate.
  

• 1994 Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 collides with Jupiter

  The Jupiter orbiting comet collided with Jupiter. It was the first time in recorded history that Astronomers had observed a collision between two celestial objects.
  

• 1983 Orly Airport attack

  A Turkish Airlines check-in counter was bombed at the Orly Airport in Paris, killing 8 people and injuring more than 50 people. The Armenian militant organization ASALA took responsibility for the attack.
  

• 1955 Mainau Declaration is signed by 18 Nobel laureates

  The declaration against the use of nuclear weapons was initiated by German scientists Otto Hahn and Max Born.
  

• 1799 The Rosetta Stone is found

  The ancient Egyptian rock inscribed with a decree by King Ptolemy V was found in the Egyptian port city of Rashid (Rosetta) by French Captain Pierre Bouchard.
  

• 1995 Amazon.com Sells its First Book

  The e-commerce website was first founded in 1995 by Jeff Bezos as an online bookstore. The first book sold by the Internet giant was Fluid Concepts and Creative Analogies: Computer Models of the Fundamental Mechanisms of Thought by Douglas Hofstadter.
  

• 1994 Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 collides with Jupiter

  The Jupiter orbiting comet collided with Jupiter. It was the first time in recorded history that astronomers had observed a collision between two celestial objects.
  

• 1981 Mahathir bin Mohamad takes office for the first time

  Mohmad, took office as the fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia and remained in the position until 2003, becoming Malayasia's longest serving prime minister and Asia's longest serving politician.
  

• 1979 Iraqi president, Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr resigns

  The fourth president of Iraq resigned from his post citing health reasons and promoted his Vice President, Saddam Hussein to the post of President.
  

• 1951 The Catcher in the Rye is published

  The book, written by J.D. Salinger is considered to be one of the top 100 works of fiction of the 20th century.
  

• 1998 The Rome Statute establishing the International Criminal Court (ICC) is adopted

  The ICC is the first international judicial body that has the power to try individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
  

• 1989 The Stealth Bomber makes its debut

  The Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit made its first public flight from Palmdale, California.
  

• 1976 Indonesia annexes East Timor and declares it its 27th province

  This was the culmination of an 8-month long Indonesian invasion and occupation of the Southeast Asian country that began just after East Timor declared its independence from Portugal in November, 1975.
  

• 1955 Disneyland opens its doors for the first time

  The popular theme park (“The Happiest Place on Earth”) was opened by Walt Disney in Anaheim, California.
  

• 1945 The Potsdam Conference begins

  The heads of the US, the UK, and USSR met in Potsdam to discuss the terms of the German and Japanese surrenders, and to make post-war plans.
  

• 2013 Government of Detroit declares bankruptcy

  The city, which was up to $20 billion in debt, became the largest municipal entity in the United States to declare bankruptcy.
  

• 1993 Agathe Uwilingiyimana elected as Prime Minister of Rwanda

  Rwanda's only female prime minister's tenure was cut short when she was assassinated at the outset of the Rwandan genocide.
  

• 1968 Intel is founded

  Founded in Santa Clara, California, the Intel corporation is the world's largest semiconductor chip manufacturer.
  

• 1925 Mein Kampf is published

  Adolf Hitler's autobiographical book was written while he served his sentence for treason in prison.
  

• 1870 The first Vatican Council, also known as Vatican I, decrees the doctrine of Papal infallibility

  The doctrine claims that the Pope cannot err when speaking on issues of morality and/ or faith.
  

• 1903 The first Tour de France comes to an end

  Maurice Garin became the first person to win the debut of the now annual bike race.
  

• 1900 Paris Metro opens

  One of the densest metros in the world and the second largest metro in Europe, the first line of the Paris Metro opened during the World's Fair.
  

• 1870 Franco-Prussian War starts

  The war involving France, under Napoleon and the Kingdom of Prussia began with French declaration of war. The war lasted for 9 months and ended with a German victory.
  

• 1848 Seneca Falls Convention begins

  One of the first women's rights convention to be held in American history, the two-day convention attracted 300 women and men who protested the social, economic, and political discrimination American women faced.
  

• 1553 Mary I replaces Lady Jane Grey as Queen of England

  Also known as Bloody Mary due to her brutal persecution of Protestants, Mary I was the only child of Catherine of Aragon and Henry III.
  

• 2012 Aurora shooting

  A gunman, James Holmes, opened fire in a movie theater during the premier of the Dark Night Rises in Aurora, Colorado, killing 12 people and injuring 58 others.
  

• 1976 Viking I lands on Mars

  Part of the Viking program, Viking I became the first American spacecraft to succesfully land on MArs and to complete its mission.
  

• 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus

  Also known as Cyprus Peace Operation or Operation Attila, the invasion was a response to a coup in Cyprus.
  

• 1969 Apollo 11 lands on the Moon

  Carrying Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, who would become the first humans to walk on the Moon, the spacecraft safely landed on the Sea of Tranquility on the Moon.
  

• 1969 Football War ends

  A ceasefire came into effect between Honduras and El Salvador after the two countries fought a brief war over immigration El Salvador to Honduras. The hostilities occurred during North American trials of the FIFA World Cup.
  

• 2011 Lone wolf extremist goes on a massacre in Norway

  Anders Behring Breivik an anti-Islamist extremist placed a car bomb in front of the Norwegian Prime Minister's office in Oslo. A few hours after the bomb exploded, killing 8 people and injuring about 200 others, Breivik opened fire at a youth summer camp at the island of Utøya killing 69 participants. This was the deadliest incident of violence in the Scandinavian country since the Second World War.
  

• 2003 Raid in Mosul

  A raid on a compound near Mosul, Iraq by United States Army 101st Airborne Division ended with the deaths of killing Saddam Hussein's sons Uday and Qusay and Qusay's 14-year old son.
  

• 1983 First solo helicopter flight around the world

  Australian Dick Smith became the first person to fly a helicopter around the world solo. He started his trip in August, 1982 and it took him around a year to finish his trip.
  

• 1933 American aviator Wiley Post becomes the first person to fly solo around the Earth

  Post landed on Floyd Bennett Field in New York 7 days after he departed alone from the same airfield in a Lockheed Vega aircraft known as Winnie Mae.
  

• 1894 World's first competitive motor race

  The Paris–Rouen, Le Petit Journal Competition for Horseless Carriages was the world's first city to city motoring competition. Staring in Paris and ending in Rouen, the race was organized by the newspaper Le Petit Journal.
  

• 1995 Comet Hale–Bopp discovered

  Also known as C/1995 O1 by the scientific community, this well known comet was discovered independently by Alan Hale and Thomas Bopp.
  

• 1992 Abkhazia declares independence from Georgia

  The Republic of Abkhazia, is a disputed territory of Georgia and is recognized as an independent state by only a handful of counties including Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Nauru, Tuvalu.
  

• 1982 International Whaling Commission bans commercial whale hunting

  The International Whaling Commission (IWC) passed a resolution to restrict commercial whaling and ban it completely after 1986. 25 countries voted to put the restrictions and ban in place.
  

• 1972 Landsat 1 launched

  The first satellite in the US's LANDSAT program, the Landsat discovered an uninhabited island off the eastern coast of Canada in 1976. The island is now called Landsat Island.
  

• 1962 First live transatlantic television signal

  Telstar 1, a communications satellite relayed the world's first transatlantic television signal in the form of a show that featured Walter Cronkite.
  

Hiram Bingham

United States Senator from Connecticut

• 2013 Santiago de Compostela derailment

  A high-speed train traveling from Madrid to Ferrol derailed on a curve killing 79 people and injuring over 100.
  

• 1977 The 4-day long Libyan-Egyptian War comes to an end

  The border war began with thousands of Libyans marching towards Egypt's borders.
  

• 1959 Kitchen debate between Nixon and Khrushchev

  A series of debates, now popularly called the kitchen debates, occurred between U.S. President Nixon and Soviet Premier Khrushchev in Moscow. Nixon was visiting a house built as part of an exhibit in the American National Exhibition.
  

• 1923 The Treaty of Lausanne is signed between Turkey and the countries that formed the Allied Powers in the First World War

  Under the treaty,Turkey had to give up all the territorial claims made by the Ottoman Empire and agree to new borders.
  

• 1911 Rediscovery of Machu Picchu

  The 15th century, largely forgotten Inca site in Peru was rediscovered by American Hiram Bingham III.
  

• 2007 India gets its first female president

  Pratibha Patil, a politician stayed in office as the head of state of the South Asian country for 5 years.
  

• 1984 Svetlana Savitskaya becomes the First Woman to Walk in Space

  The Soviet cosmonaut was part of the Soyuz T-12 mission, which docked at the Salyut 7 Space station. As part of the mission, she spent 3.5 hours in space testing tools. Savitskaya was also the second woman to go into space and the first to go to space twice.
  

• 1978 World's first test tube baby is born

  Louise Joy Brown was the first person to be conceived using in-vitro fertilization or IVF technology, pioneered by doctors Patrick Steptoe and Robert Edwards.
  

• 1976 The famous Face on Mars photo is taken

  Viking 1, the first space probe to successfully land on Mars took the famous photo of the Cydonia region on the Red Planet.
  

• 1956 Tunisia gains its independence from France

  The northernmost African country, became a French protectorate in 1881, under the Treaty of Bardo. The path to independence in the country was marred by civil unrest and conflict and was led by Habib Bourguiba, who became the first president of the independent country.