1927 – The Cyclone roller coaster opens on Coney Island
1953 – KCTV (now KLST) TV channel 8 in San Angelo, TX (CBS) 1st broadcast
1976 – CN Tower opens in Toronto – at 553 metres (1,815 feet), the tallest freestanding structure in the world (surpassed by Dubai’s Burj Khalifa 2009)
2012 – Animated film “Ice Age: Continental Drift”, directed by Steve Martino and Mike Thurmeier with voices by Ray Romano and John Leguizamo premieres in Buenos Aires
2016 – Copa América Final, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ: Defending champions Chile defeat Argentina, 4-2 on penalty kicks; 0–0 after extra time
2016 – Panama Canal’s third set of locks opens for commercial traffic, doubling the Canal’s capacity at an estimated cost of $5.25 billion
2018 – Quriyat, Oman, registers highest “low” temperature for a day ever recorded of 42.5 degrees
2018 – Polio outbreak confirmed in New Guinea by WHO, 18 years after it was declared free of the disease
2019 – More than 5,000 smuggled turtles discovered in luggage at Kuala Lumpur Airport, Malaysia, bound for India
2020 – New York Times says Russia secretly offered bounties to Taliban-linked forces to kill US and coalition troops in Afghanistan
Author: gil7
Today in History for 26th June 2025
Historical Events
1929 – ENKA/Vereinigte Glanzstoff Factory merge AKU (Genl Kunstzijde Union)
1981 – “Stripes”, American military comedy film, directed and produced by Ivan Reitman, starring Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, and John Candy premieres
1997 – U.S. Supreme Court strikes down the Communications Decency Act, inconsistent with the 1st Amendment
2003 – NBA Draft: St. Vincent–St. Mary HS (Akron, Ohio) small forward LeBron James first pick by Cleveland Cavaliers
2019 – Former Gambian beauty queen Fatou “Toufah” Jallow says she was raped by former President Yahya Jammeh as part of a Human Rights Watch and Trial International report
Famous Birthdays
1865 – Bernard Berenson, American art critic (Italian Painters of the Renaissance), born in Vilnius, Lithuania, Russian Empire (d. 1959)
1890 – Jeanne Eagels, American actress and former Ziegfeld Girl (Rain, Under False Colors), born in Kansas City, Missouri (d. 1929)
1894 – Bill Wirges, American orchestra leader (Growing Paynes), born in Buffalo, New York (d. 1971)
1943 – Allen Strange, American composer (Electronic Music: Systems, Techniques, and Controls), born in Calexico, California (d. 2008)
1979 – Ryō Fukuda, Japanese racing driver, born in Fukuoka, Japan
Famous Deaths
1848 – Stevenson Archer, American judge and Congressmen from Maryland, dies at 61
1939 – Ford Madox Ford [Hueffer], British novelist (The Good Soldier), critic, and journal editor (The Transatlantic), dies at 65
1946 – Yosuke Matsuoka, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan (b. 1880)
1979 – Charles Clore, financier, dies
2020 – William Negri, Italian soccer goalkeeper (12 caps; Mantova, Bologna), dies at 84
Famous Deaths for 25th June 2025
1514 – Berta Jacobsdr [Suster Bertken], Dutch hermit, dies at 87
1876 – Lame White Man, Cheyenne, dies at the Battle of the Little Bighorn
1896 – Emile A. H. Seipgens, Dutch novice priest, beer brewer, poet and writer (The Chaplain Bardelo), dies at 58
1942 – Hans Lietzman, German theologist and church historian, dies at 67
1959 – Charles Starkweather, American spree killer (11 victims), executed by electric chair at 20
1960 – Tommy Corcoran, American baseball shortstop (MLB shortstop game assist record 14), dies at 91
1961 – John Alexander Douglas McCurdy, Canadian aviator, dies at 74
1985 – Connie “Pee Wee” Crayton, American RandB and blues guitarist and singer (“Do Unto Others”), dies of a heart attack at 70
2018 – Bo Nilsson, Swedish composer (Doppelspiel), dies at 81
2020 – Marga Richter, American classical pianist and composer (Landscapes of the Mind; Out of Shadows and Solitude), dies at 93
Historical Events for 25th June 2025
1580 – Book of Concord, standards of Lutheran Church, 1st published
1749 – General fast because of drought in Massachusetts
1821 – Carl Maria von Weber’s “Konzertstück in f, for Piano and Orchestra” premieres
1920 – League of Nations places Internationall Court of Justice in Hague
1950 – Johnny Pramesa of the Cincinnati Reds and Hank Thompson of the New York Giants each hit inside the park homeruns in 6-4 Reds win at the Polo Grounds, NYC
1962 – İnönü government forms in Turkey
1966 – Dmitri Shostakovich’s 13th Symphony premieres in Leningrad, Russia
2020 – American country music band “The Dixie Chicks” change their name to “The Chicks” to remove connotations of Confederate history, two weeks after band “Antebellum” changed their name to “Lady A”
2021 – Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola ties Tom Seaver’s 51-year old MLB league record of 10 consecutive strike outs, in 2-1 loss to the Mets in New York
2023 – Heatwave across Texas, southern America and northern Mexico enters a third week, with San Angelo hitting record high of 112 degrees Fahrenheit (44 degrees Celsius)
Today in History for 25th June 2025
Historical Events
1868 – US President Andrew Johnson signs a law establishing an eight-hour workday for government workers
1976 – 26th Berlin International Film Festival: “Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson” wins the Golden Bear
2018 – Motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson announces it plans to move some production abroad in response to EU retaliatory tariffs
2019 – NHL Draft: Barrie Colts (OHL) defenseman Aaron Ekblad first pick by Florida Panthers
2023 – Heatwave across Texas, southern America and northern Mexico enters a third week, with San Angelo hitting record high of 112 degrees Fahrenheit (44 degrees Celsius)
Famous Birthdays
1328 – William Montacute, 2nd Earl of Salisbury, English military leader, born in Donyatt, Somerset, England (d. 1397)
1911 – Reed Hadley, American actor (Zorro’s Fighting Legion, Racket Squad, Shock, Grand Canyon), born in Petrolia, Texas (d. 1974)
1949 – Michael Barbiero, American disco and heavy metal sound engineer, mixer, record producer, and studio owner, born in New York City
1971 – Scott Maslen, English actor (EastEnders), born in London
1974 – Jim LaMarca, American bass guitarist (Chimaira), born in Strongsville, Ohio
Famous Deaths
1665 – Sigismund Francis, Archduke of Austria, dies at 34
1953 – Algy Gehrs, Australian cricketer (6 Tests for Australia 1904-11), dies at 72
1954 – Eduard M. Meijers, Dutch lawyer (Civil Code), dies at 74
1971 – John Boyd Orr, Scottish physician (Nobel Peace Prize 1949 – Father of the Food and Agriculture Organization), dies at 90
2020 – John Kennedy Sr., Australian Rules Football coach (Australian Football Hall of Fame legend; VFL Premiership 1961, 71, 76; Hawthorn FC; North Melbourne FC), dies at 91
Famous Deaths for 24th June 2025
1766 – Adrien-Maurice de Noailles, third Duke of Noailles, soldier, and Marshal of France, dies at 87
1860 – Jérôme Bonaparte, King of Westphalia (1807-13), dies at 75
1933 – Sissieretta Joyner Jones, American singer (“Black Patti”), dies at about 64
1938 – “Digger” Robertson, Australian cricketer (Test for Australia 1885, played in California), dies at 76
1945 – José Gutierrez Solana, Spanish painter and author (Madrid Escenas), dies at 59
1947 – Emil Seidel, German-American politician (36th Mayor of Milwaukee), dies at 82
1995 – Inshan Ali, West Indian cricketer (WI chinaman bowler 1971-77), dies at 45
2002 – Pierre Werner, Prime Minister of Luxembourg (1979-84), dies at 88
2005 – Paul Winchell (Wilchinsky), American ventriloquist (Jerry Mahoney, Knucklehead Smiff), inventor (mechanical artificial human heart,1963), voice actor (Winnie the Pooh – “Tigger”; Dick Dastardly; The Banana Splits -“Fleegle”), and acupuncturist, dies at 82
2020 – Jane Parker-Smith. English classical organist, dies at 70
Historical Events for 24th June 2025
474 – Magister Militum of Dalamatia Julius Nepos proclaimed Emperor in Rome – rules only until 475 as the last Western Roman Emperor
1861 – Tennessee becomes the 11th and last state to secede from the Union
1881 – 200 drown as train runs off bridge near Cuautla, Mexico
1922 – Adolf Hitler begins a month long prison sentence for paramilitary operations; he rails against the ‘Jewish sell-out’ of Germany to the Bolsheviks
1956 – “The Steve Allen Show” returns on NBC-TV
1972 – Single “Troglodyte (Cave Man)” by Jimmy Castor Bunch peaks at #6
1972 – Wake Island becomes unincorporated territory of US (US Air Force)
1982 – US Supreme Court rules president can’t be sued for actions in office
2004 – Capital punishment is declared unconstitutional in New York
2022 – Glastonbury Festival in Pilton, England opens: Billie Eilish, Paul McCartney, and Kendrick Lamar headline; other performers include Crowded House, Robert Plant and Alison Krause, Noel Gallagher, Dianna Ross, Herbie Hancock, Billy Bragg, Angélique Kidjo, Lorde, Ziggy Marley, Suzanne Vega, and Hothouse Flowers
Today in History for 24th June 2025
Historical Events
1529 – Zürich and Catholic cantons sign Peace of Kappel
1813 – Battle of Beaver Dams – British and native forces defeat US forces (War of 1812)
1841 – Fordham University (then St John’s College), opens in the Bronx
1894 – Marie François Sadi Carnot is assassinated in Lyon by Italian anarchist Sante Geronimo Caserio
1972 – South African runner Danie Malan sets a new 1,000m world record 2:16.0 in Munich, Germany
Famous Birthdays
1813 – Henry Ward Beecher, American clergyman and orator (Independent), born in Litchfield, Connecticut (d. 1887)
1919 – Albert “Al” Molinaro, American actor (The Odd Couple, Happy Days), born in Kenosha, Wisconsin (d. 2015)
1939 – William Taylor, American banking regulator (Chairman of FDIC, 1991-92), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1992)
1965 – Uwe Krupp, NHL ice hockey defenseman, 1986-2003 (2 x All- Star; 2 x Stanley Cup; Buffalo Sabres, Colorado Avalanche, and 3 other teams; Olympics. 1998 (Germany)), and European coach, born in Cologne, Germany
1977 – Dimos Dikoudis, Greek basketball forward (EuroLeague, Triple Crown, FIBA EuroStar 2007; Greek Basket League HOF; AEK Athens, Valencia BC), born in Larissa, Greece
Famous Deaths
1991 – Sumner Locke Elliott, Australian-born American novelist, known for “Careful He Might Hear You”, dies at 73
1991 – Rufino Tamayo, Mexican painter, dies at 91
1992 – Juris Podnieks, Latvian filmmaker (Commandant), drowns while scuba diving at 41
1992 – Tom Alexander, American model, and actor (Forbidden Dance; Dream A Little Evil), dies of AIDS at 29
2024 – Shifty Shellshock [Seth Binzer], American musician (Crazy Town), dies of a drug overdose at 49
Famous Deaths for 23rd June 2025
1839 – Hester Stanhope, English aristocrat, traveller and archaeologist, dies at 63
1893 – Sir Theophilus Shepstone, British-born South African statesman (b. 1817)
1910 – John McGraw, 2nd Governor of Washington (1893-97), dies at 59
1924 – Cecil Sharp, British collector of English folk music and dance, dies at 64
1996 – Pasqualino de Santis, Italian cinematographer, dies at 69
1997 – “Wino” Willie Forkner, American biker (Wild One), dies of a heart attack at 77
2007 – Rod Beck, American baseball pitcher (MLB All-Star 1993, 94, 97; San Francisco Giants), dies from a drug overdose at 38
2010 – Allyn Ferguson, American orchestra leader (The Andy Williams Show), and TV theme composer (Barney Miller; Charlie’s Angels), dies at 85
2012 – Alan McDonald, Northern Irish soccer defender (52 caps; QPR 476 games), dies from a heart attack at 48
2024 – Hugo Villanueva, Chilean soccer defender (21 caps; Universidad de Chile 133 games), dies at 85
Historical Events for 23rd June 2025
1794 – Russian Empress Catherine II (Catherine the Great) grants Jews permission to settle in Kiev
1909 – Confessional parties win Dutch parliamentary elections
1926 – The College Board administers the first SAT exam in USA
1928 – Commencement of West Indies cricket’s first ever Test match; England go on to win by an innings and 58 runs at Lord’s
1947 – Compton and Bill Edrich make 370 stand for 3rd wkt v South Africa
1972 – Hurricane Agnes becomes America’s costliest natural disaster, affecting 15 states, with 119 deaths and $3 billion in damage
1979 – Supertramp’s “Breakfast in America” becomes No. 1 album in the US featuring “Take the Long Way Home”
1997 – Dow Jones Industrial Average drops 192.25 points
2013 – 9 tourists and 1 tour guide are killed after gunmen storm a hotel near Nanga Parbat, Pakistan
2021 – Rembrandt’s masterpiece “The Night Watch” seen in its entirety for first time in 300 years after AI used to fill in pieces trimmed at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam