1752 – Prince William of Orange becomes Knight of Garter
1799 – Naturalists Alexander von Humboldt and Aimé Bonpland set sail in the Pizarro from A Coruña, Spain, beginning their 5 year expedition to Latin American
1879 – 13th Belmont: George Evans riding Spendthrift wins in 2:42.75
1944 – Allied forces march into Rome
1948 – “(Ghost) Riders in the Sky: A Cowboy Legend” single released by Stan Jones
1975 – United Kingdom electorate votes 67% to 33% in a referendum to remain part of the European Common Market
1995 – 29th Music City News Country Awards: Alan Jackson and Reba killedwin
2010 – French Open Women’s Tennis: Francesca Schiavone of Italy wins her first and only Grand Slam title; beats Samantha Stosur of Australia 6-4, 7-6
2013 – 12th CMT Video Music Awards: Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert. and Blake Shelton win
2019 – Ohio doctor William Husel charged with 25 counts of murder for prescribing potentially fatal doses of opioids in Franklin County
Author: gil7
Today in History for 5th June 2024
Historical Events
1942 – An explosion at the Joliet Army Ammunition Plant kills 48 people
1982 – “Murphy’s Law” by Cheri hits #39
1987 – Dwight Gooden returns from drug rehabilitation and allows wins game
2010 – French Open Women’s Tennis: Francesca Schiavone of Italy wins her first and only Grand Slam title; beats Samantha Stosur of Australia 6-4, 7-6
2012 – American gubernatorial recall election is held in Wisconsin. Governor Scott Walker wins and becomes the first governor to survive a recall election.
2018 – American boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. named 2017 top earning sportsperson by Forbes with $285 million
Famous Birthdays
1823 – George Thorndike Angell, American lawyer and advocate for the humane treatment of animals (ASPCA), born in Southbridge, Massachusetts (d. 1909)
1916 – Jack Sutherland, Scottish journalist, born in Aberdeen, Scotland (d. 1996)
1941 – Martha Argerich, Argentine-Swiss classical piano prodigy (concert debut at age 8; Chopin Competition winner, 1964), born in Buenos Aires, Argentina
1953 – Kathleen Kennedy, American film producer (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park) President of Lucasfilm (2012-), born in Berkeley, California
1977 – Christian Martucci, American musician (Stone Sour), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1983 – Bill Bray, American MLB player, born in Virginia Beach, Virginia
Famous Deaths
1118 – Robert de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Leicester
1915 – Henri Gaudier-Brzeska, French artist and sculptor, killed fighting in WWI at 23
1916 – Horatio Kitchener, British General who commanded British forces during the Battle of Omdurman (Sudan) and the Second Boer War who became British Secretary of State for War during WWI (1914-16), drowns at 65 after the HMS Hampshire struck a German mine
1978 – John Meulenhoff, Dutch publisher, dies at 71
2012 – Barry Unsworth, British novelist, dies from lung cancer at 81
2015 – Tariq Aziz, Iraqi politician and close adviser to Saddam Hussein, dies at 79
Famous Deaths for 4th June 2024
1907 – Agathe Backer Grøndahl, Norwegian pianist, composer, and teacher, dies at 59
1962 – Clem McCarthy, American sportscaster (NBC Radio; RKO newsreels), dies at 79
1966 – Blanche Knopf, American publisher, president of Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. and wife of publisher Alfred A. Knopf Sr., dies at 71
1992 – Carl Stotz, founder (baseball’s little league), dies at 82
2001 – John Hartford [Harford], American folk and bluegrass fiddler, banjo player, and songwrite (“Gentle On My Mind”), dies at 63
2001 – Dipendra of Nepal, Nepal prince who shot his parent and seven other family members, dies in a coma while technically King at 29
2007 – Clete Boyer, American MLB baseball infielder, 1955-71 (New York Yankees, and 2 other teams), dies at 70
2011 – Andreas P. Nielsen, Danish author and composer, dies at 58
2012 – Pedro Borbón, Dominican baseball pitcher (World Series 1975, 76; Cincinnati Reds), dies from cancer at 65
2023 – Roger Craig, American baseball pitcher (World Series 1955, 59 – Brooklyn/LA Dodgers, 1964 St. Louis Cardinals) and manager (SD Padres, 1978-79; SF Giants, 1985-92), dies at 93
Historical Events for 4th June 2024
1070 – Roquefort cheese created in a cave near Roquefort, France
1889 – Boston Beaneaters MLB pitcher John Clarkson is first to throw an “immaculate inning” (strikes out 3 batters on 9 pitches) in a 4-2 win over Philadelphia Quakers at South End Grounds
1950 – Dutch cyclist Wim van Est wins Bordeaux-Paris (586 km in 17:25)
1969 – 22-year-old man sneaks into wheel pod of a jet parked in Havana and survives 9-hr flight to Spain despite thin oxygen levels at 29,000 ft
1978 – “Working” closes at 46th St Theater, NYC, after 25 performances
1985 – Supreme Court strikes down Alabama “moment of silence” law
1988 – 42nd Tony Awards: “M. Butterfly” (play) and “The Phantom of the Opera” (musical) win
2002 – Canadian singer Avril Lavigne releases debut album, “Let Go”
2014 – 10 Nigerian generals and five other senior military officers are court-martialed for providing arms and information to jihadist terrorist group Boko Haram
2019 – Movement in Japan to end compulsory wearing of high heels in work places trends with hashtag #KuToo
Today in History for 4th June 2024
Historical Events
1873 – 1st contract workers of British-Indies Co arrive in Suriname
1917 – Most Excellent Order of British Empire inaugurated by King George V to recognise the efforts of his people in WWI
1934 – Dr Frederick Banting, co-discoverer of insulin, is knighted
1943 – St Louis Card Mort Cooper pitches his 2nd consecutive 1 hitter
1982 – “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,” released in USA
1990 – Greyhound Bus files bankruptcy
Famous Birthdays
1915 – Modibo Keïta, 1st President of Mali (1960-68), born in Bamako Coura, Upper Senegal and Niger (d. 1977)
1930 – Bill Treacher, British actor (EastEnders, 1985-96 – “Arthur Fowler”), born in London, England (d. 2022)
1932 – John Drew Barrymore, American actor (Pantomine Quiz), born in Beverly Hills, California (d. 2004)
1954 – Raphael Ravenscroft, British session saxophone player (Gerry Rafferty – “Baker Street”; Maxine Nightingale; Roger Waters), born in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England (d. 2014)
1973 – Antonio Anderson, defensive tackle (Dallas Cowboys)
1976 – Alexei Navalny, Russian political activist and opposition leader of the Progress Party, born in Butyn, Soviet Union (d. 2024)
Famous Deaths
1918 – Charles W. Fairbanks, 26th Vice President of the United States (Republican: 1905-09) and Senator, dies of nephritis at 66
1926 – Fred Spofforth, Australian cricket fast bowler (“The Demon” – 18 Tests, 94 wickets @ 18.41), dies of chronic colitis at 72
1951 – Serge Koussevitzky, Russian-American conductor (Boston Symphony, 1924-49), dies at 76
1954 – Harold Hoffman, American politician (Governor of New Jersey 1935-38), dies at 58
1960 – Lucien Littlefield, American actor (Blondie), dies at 64
1985 – John Ringling North, American circus director (Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus from 1937-43), dies at 81
Famous Deaths for 3rd June 2024
545 – Chlotilde, wife of French King Clovis and saint, dies at about 70
1881 – Japanese giant salamander, dies in Dutch zoo at 55; oldest amphibian
1882 – Christian Wilberg, German painter, dies at 42
1890 – Henryk Oskar Kolberg, Polish folklorist and composer, dies at 76
1959 – Ole Windingstad, Norwegian conductor (Brooklyn’s Scandinavian Symphony Orchestra, 1913-39), pianist and composer, dies after a heart attack at 73
1995 – Frank Waters, American writer, dies at 92
1998 – Joseph C. Harsch, American newscaster (Background), dies at 93
2004 – Jonathan D. Kramer, American composer (Notta Sonata), dies of leukemia at 61
2013 – Deacon Jones, American Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end (8 × Pro Bowl; 5 × First-team All-Pro; LA Rams, SD Chargers), dies from natural causes at 73
2017 – Jimmy Piersall, American baseball outfielder (MLB All Star 1954, 56; his bipolar disorder subject book and film, “Fear Strikes Out”), dies at 87
Historical Events for 3rd June 2024
1860 – Comanche, Iowa, completely destroyed by one of a series of tornadoes
1876 – Lacrosse introduced in Britain and Canada
1950 – French expedition reaches top of Himalayan peak of Annapurna in Nepal
1977 – Baltimore Orioles pull their 6th triple play (9-6-4-6-6 vs KC Royals)
1985 – Brewers draft B J Surhoff #1
1995 – 1st Blockbuster Entertainment Awards held at Pantages Theatre, Hollywood
2012 – Plane crash in Lagos, Nigeria, kills all 152 passengers and 40 people on the ground
2014 – Dove Cameron releases single “Count Me In”
2017 – Largest-ever exhibition of works by Piet Mondrian opens at the Gemeentemuseum in The Hague, Netherlands to mark centenary of De Stijl movement
2019 – Jay-Z named the world’s first billionaire rapper by Forbes magazine
Today in History for 3rd June 2024
Historical Events
1789 – Explorer Alexander Mackenzie sets out on his first expedition to the Pacific from Fort Chipewyan (finds the Arctic Ocean instead)
1861 – 1st American Civil War land battle: Union forces defeat the Confederacy at Philippi in modern-day West Virginia
1916 – US National Defense Act establishes Reserve Officers Training Corps
1944 – Generals Giraud and de Gaulle reach agreement on constitution
1987 – Cubs and Astro tie Oriole and Ranger record of 3 grand slams in a game
1989 – Beginning of the Tiananmen Square Massacre as Chinese troops open fire on pro-democracy supporters in Beijing
Famous Birthdays
1866 – George Howells Broadhurst, English director (d. 1952)
1891 – Mary Browne, American tennis player (US Nat C’ship 1912-14), born in Ventura County, California (d. 1971)
1923 – Michael Jaffe, English professor and museum director (Fitzwilliam Museum), born in London, England (d. 1997)
1946 – Eddie Holman, American singer (“Hey There Lonely Girl”; “You Make My Life Complete”), born in Norfolk, Virginia
1978 – Lyfe Jennings, American RandB singer-songwriter, born in Toledo, Ohio
1991 – Yordano Ventura, Dominican MLB pitcher (Kansas City Royals), born in Samaná, Dominican Republic (d. 2017)
Famous Deaths
1397 – William Montacute, 2nd Earl of Salisbury, English military leader, dies at 68
1849 – Francois de Paule Jacques Raymond de Fossa, French classical guitarist and composer, dies at 73
1983 – Ypk van der Fear, Dutch writer (Reade Runen), dies at 75
2000 – William E. Simon, American businessman, US Secretary of Treasury under Nixon, dies at 72
2015 – Bevo Francis, American basketball forward (NCAA record for points scored in a game [113] 1954–2012), dies at 82
2017 – Jimmy Piersall, American baseball outfielder (MLB All Star 1954, 56; his bipolar disorder subject book and film, “Fear Strikes Out”), dies at 87
Famous Deaths for 2nd June 2024
1871 – George Stevens, English jockey (record 5 Grand National wins), dies from fractured skull at 38
1873 – François George-Hainl, French cellist and composer, dies at 65
1951 – Alain [Emile-Auguste Chartier], French philosopher and writer, dies at 83
1959 – Max Rousié, French rugby footballer, dies in a car crash at 46
1990 – Robert Noyce, American inventor (co-founded Fairchild Semiconductor in 1957 and Intel Corporation in 1968), dies at 62
1992 – Philip Dunne, founder (Screen Writers Guild), dies of cancer at 84
1994 – David Stove, Australian philosopher (b. 1927)
1999 – Junior Braithwaite, Jamaican musician (The Wailers) (b. 1949)
2003 – Fred Blassie, American professional wrestler (b. 1918)
2023 – Jacques Rozier, French film director (Adieu Philippine; Du côté d’Orouët), dies at 96
Historical Events for 2nd June 2024
1863 – Harriet Tubman leads Union guerrillas into Maryland, freeing slaves
1942 – Red Sox star Ted Williams enlists as a US Navy aviator
1958 – Yankees pitcher Whitey Ford fans 6 in a row to tie an AL record
1979 – John Paul II becomes 1st pope to visit a Communist country (Poland)
1984 – Flight readiness firing of Discovery’s main engines
1984 – Actress Jill Ireland has a radical mastectomy
1984 – “Welcome To Fun Zone” hosted by Dr Demento airs on NBC-TV
1985 – RJ Reynolds Company proposed a merger with Nabisco
1987 – Mariners draft Ken Griffey Jr. #1
2004 – Ken Jennings begins his 74-game winning streak on the syndicated television game show “Jeopardy!”