1396 – Crusaders under Earl of Nevers reach Vienna
1472 – Byzantine princess Sophia Palaiologina departs Rome with a large entourage for Moscow to marry Ivan III
1497 – John Cabot claims parts of North America for England in what is now Eastern Canada, believing he has found Asia in Newfoundland
1894 – Marie François Sadi Carnot is assassinated in Lyon by Italian anarchist Sante Geronimo Caserio
1968 – Australia all out for 78 v England at Lord’s
1970 – Bobby Murcer ties record of four consecutive home runs
2004 – Christie’s Auction House in New York City conducts sale of 80 of Eric Clapton and friends’ guitars to benefit Crossroads Centre at Antigua, a drug and alcohol residential rehabilitation facility he co-founded in 1997, raising over $5M; “Blackie”, a 1956-57 composite Fender Stratocaster used as his primary instrument form the mid 70s until 1985 sells for a then record $959,500
2020 – NY Governor Andrew Cuomo announces people arriving from nine states hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic will have to isolate for two weeks
Author: gil7
Today in History for 24th June 2026
Historical Events
1396 – Crusaders under Earl of Nevers reach Vienna
1472 – Byzantine princess Sophia Palaiologina departs Rome with a large entourage for Moscow to marry Ivan III
1619 – Tsar Michail’s father Filaret becomes patriarch of Moscow
1947 – Flying saucers sighted over Mount Rainier by pilot Ken Arnold
1963 – First demonstration of a home video recorder at BBC Studios in London
Famous Birthdays
1788 – Thomas Blanchard, American machinist and inventor, born in Sutton, Massachusetts (d. 1864)
1916 – Saloua Raouda Choucair, Lebanese abstract artist (Movement of the Angle; Infinite Module), born in Beirut, Lebanon (d. 2017)
1939 – Brigitte Fontaine, French pop and avant-garde singer-songwriter, playwright, and novelist, born in Morlaix, France
1960 – Juli Inkster, American golfer (7 LPGA major titles; US Open 1999, 2002), born in Santa Cruz, California
1985 – Yukina Shirakawa, Japanese gravure idol, born in Shizuoka, Japan
Famous Deaths
1572 – Cornelis van Diest, Dutch lay brother of Enkhuizen, hanged
1913 – Frank Lynes, American composer, dies at 55
1962 – Volfgangs Dārziņš, Latvian composer, pianist, folklorist, and music critic, dies at 54
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
2009 – Roméo LeBlanc, Canadian politician, 25th Governor General of Canada (1995-99), dies at 81
Famous Deaths for 23rd June 2026
1611 – Henry Hudson, English explorer Henry Hudson, his son John, and seven other crew members are set adrift in Hudson Bay by mutineers on his ship ‘Discovery’ and never seen again
1901 – Charles Kensington Salaman, British pianist and synagogue music composer, dies at 87
1959 – Jean Gallon, French composer, dies at 80
1971 – Walter Schulthess, Swiss composer, dies at 76
1995 – Jack Schroer, American rock saxophonist (Van Morrison’s The Caledonia Soul Orchestra), dies at 51
2003 – Maynard Jackson, American lawyer and the first African American mayor of Atlanta (1974-82; 1990-94), dies of a heart attack at 65
2006 – Luke Graham, American wrestler, dies at 66
2015 – Helmuth Lohner, Austrian stage and screen actor and stage director (Mrs. Warren’s Profession), dies at 82
2017 – Gabe Pressman, American television journalist (WNBC-TV, 1956-72; 1980-2017) and 11x Emmy Award winner, dies at 93
2023 – Jimmy Kim, American taekwondo practitioner (Olympic gold heavyweight 1988; World Cup gold 1987), dies at 56
Historical Events for 23rd June 2026
1848 – A bloody workers’ insurrection erupts in Paris as laborers and radicals rise against the newly proclaimed Second Republic after the closure of the National Workshops during the June Days uprising
1919 – Nitti government forms in Italy
1945 – Last organized Japanese defiance broken (Tarakan)
1954 – 122°F (50°C), Overton, Nevada (state record until June 29, 1994)
1992 – Emmy 19th Daytime Award presentation – Susan Lucci loses for 13th time
2011 – NBA Draft: Duke point guard Kyrie Irving first pick Cleveland Cavaliers
2014 – Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz is re-elected President of Mauritania
2018 – Explosion at a rally in Addis Ababa after speech by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed kills two and injures 150
Today in History for 23rd June 2026
Historical Events
1906 – US National Championship Women’s Tennis, Philadelphia CC: Helen Homans beats Maud Barger-Wallach 6-4, 6-3 for her lone major singles title
1927 – New York future Baseball Hall of Fame first baseman Lou Gehrig hits 3 HRs in Yankees’ 11-4 victory over Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park
1975 – Rocker Alice Cooper falls off the stage in Vancouver and breaks six ribs
1983 – US Supreme Court ruled Congress could not veto presidential decisions
2010 – Glastonbury Festival in Pilton, England opens: Gorillaz, Muse, and Stevie Wonder headline; other performers include Vampire Weekend, Snoop Dogg; Shakira, Willie Nelson, Ray Davies and The Pet Shop Boys
Famous Birthdays
1668 – Giambattista Vico, Italian philosopher and historian (New Science), born in Naples, Kingdom of Naples (d. 1744)
1824 – Carl Reinecke, German pianist, composer and teacher (Undine Sonata), born in Altona, Duchy of Holstein, Holy Roman Empire (d. 1910)
1859 – Florentinus M Wibaut, Amsterdams social alderman (building of houses), born in Vlissingen, Netherlands (d. 1936)
1943 – James Levine, American conductor (Metropolitan Opera, 1976-2017), born in Cincinnati, Ohio (d. 2021)
1972 – Selma Blair, American actress (Cruel Intentions, Legally Blonde), born in Southfield, Michigan
Famous Deaths
1956 – Reinhold Glière, Russian-Soviet composer, dies at 81
1996 – Ray Lindwall, Australian cricket fast bowler (61 Tests, 228 wickets @ 23.03), dies from a stroke at 74
1997 – Betty Shabazz, American educator and civil rights activist who was the widow of Malcolm X, dies from burns suffered in a fire started by her young grandson at 63
2006 – Aaron Spelling, American television producer (Charlie’s Angels, Dynasty), dies at 83
2019 – Dave Bartholomew, American RandB, rock, and jazz musician, composer, producer, and songwriter (“I Hear You Knocking”; “Ain’t That A Shame”; “Walkin’ To New Orleans”), dies at 100
Famous Deaths for 22nd June 2026
1846 – Benjamin Haydon, British painter (Waiting for The Times), commits suicide at 60
1906 – Fritz Schaudinn, German zoologist (examined syphilis), dies at 34
1945 – Isamu Tsjo, Japanese chief-staff 32nd Army, commits harakiri
1950 – Julio Fonseca, Costa Rican composer, dies at 65
1969 – Judy Garland [Frances Gumm], American actress (The Wizard of Oz; Meet Me In St. Louis; Easter Parade), and singer (“Over The Rainbow”); dies at 47; coroner determines cause as unintentional, incautious overdose of prescription barbiturates
1979 – (Walter) “Pee Wee” Hunt, American jazz trombonist (Casa Loma Orchestra, 1929-43; “Twelfth Street Rag”, “Oh!”), and bandleader, dies at 72
1989 – Lucien Saulnier, Canadian politician, dies at 72
1994 – L. V. Prasad, Indian pioneering filmmaker, dies at 87
1997 – Ted Gärdestad, Swedish singer (b. 1956)
2003 – Brian Dillon, British lawyer and judge, Lord Justice of Appeal (1982-94), dies at 77
Historical Events for 22nd June 2026
1870 – US Congress creates Department of Justice
1936 – Harry Froboess dives 110 meters from an airship into Lake Constance at the foot of the Alps and survives
1938 – Joe Louis scores a stunning 1st round KO of German Max Schmeling at Yankee Stadium, NYC to retain his world heavyweight boxing title
1946 – English cricketer Alec Bedser takes 7-49 v India on 1st day of his 1st Test cricket at Lord’s
1957 – Kansas City stops using streetcars in its transit system
1989 – Business Day reports that SA is about to test an intermediate range ballistic missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads
1992 – Supreme Court rules “hate crime” laws violated free-speech rights
2019 – Seven-story building collapses in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, with at least 25 construction workers sleeping inside killed
Today in History for 22nd June 2026
Historical Events
1812 – Upon learning of plans by the Americans to execute a surprise attack, Laura Secord walks 32 km to warn British troops, results in a British surprise victory at the Battle of Beaver Dams
1936 – Virgin Islands receives a constitution from US (Organic Act)
1959 – Vanguard SLV-6 launched for Earth orbit (fails)
1977 – Walt Disney’s animated film “The Rescuers” is released, first Disney film to get a sequel
2002 – WLAF World Bowl 10, Rheinstadion, Düsseldorf: Berlin Thunder beats Rhein Fire, 26-20
Famous Birthdays
1888 – Harold Burton, American politician (Rep (R) Ohio 1941-45), U.S. Supreme Court justice, born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 1964)
1937 – Bernie McGann, Australian jazz alto saxophone player and composer, born in Granville, Australia (d. 2013)
1939 – Don Matthews, American CFL HOF coach (Grey Cup 1985 BC Lions, 1995 Baltimore Stallions, 1996-97 Toronto Argonauts, 2002 Montreal Alouettes), born in Amesbury, Massachusetts (d. 2017)
1944 – Michael Obst, German coxsman (Olympic gold 1960), born in German FR
1952 – Graham Greene, First Nations actor (Dances with Wolves; The Green Mile; Leonard on “Northern Exposure”), born in Ohsweken, Six Nations Reserve, Ontario (d. 2025)
Famous Deaths
1535 – John Fisher, English Catholic clergyman (Bishop of Rochester, 1504-35; Cardinal, 1535), martyr, and saint, executed and beheaded by order of Henry VIII at about 65
1984 – (Dillwyn) “Dill” Jones, Welsh jazz stride pianist, dies of throat cancer at 60
1992 – Chuck Mitchell, American actor (General Hospital, Porky’s, Better Off Dead), dies at 64
2015 – James Horner, American Academy Award-winning film composer (Titanic; Apollo 13; Avatar), dies in a plane crash at 61
2017 – Hervé Filion, Canadian harness racing driver (World Driving C’ship 1970; Harness Tracks of America Driver of the Year 1969-74, 76, 78, 81, 89), dies of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at 77
Famous Deaths for 21st June 2026
1964 – James E. Chaney, American civil rights activist who helped organize the Freedom Summer campaign, murdered by the Ku Klux Klan at 21
1964 – Michael Schwerner, American civil rights activist, murdered at 21
1965 – Kay Fisker, Danish architect (Hornbeck House, Copenhagen), dies at 72
1970 – Sukarno, 1st President of Indonesia (1945-67), dies from kidney failure while under house arrest at 69
1973 – Frank Leahy, American football coach (Notre Dame), dies at 64
1979 – Angus Maclise, American percussionist, mystic, shaman, and composer (Velvet Underground), dies of hypoglycemia and pulmonary tuberculosis at 41
1995 – Laurence McKinley Gould, American Geologist and Polar Explorer who was chief scientist and second-in-command on the first expedition to the interior of Antarctica in 1929, dies at 98
2001 – Souad Hosni, Egyptian actress the “Cinderella” of Arab cinema, dies falling from a balcony at 58
2011 – Robert Kroetsch, Canadian author (b. 1927)
2023 – Peter Allan, Australian cricket fast bowler (1 Test, 2 wickets; Queensland), dies at 87
Historical Events for 21st June 2026
1834 – American inventor and businessman Cyrus McCormick patents the reaping machine
1858 – Louisiana chess prodigy Paul Morphy arrives in Europe
1923 – Marcus Garvey sentenced to 5 years for using mail to defraud
1932 – German champion Max Schmeling loses NYSAC, NBA and lineal heavyweight boxing titles in controversial split points decision to American Jack Sharkey in NYC, New York
1937 – French People’s Popular Front government of Socialist Léon Blum falls
1983 – Tennis ace Arthur Ashe undergoes double bypass heart surgery
2019 – UK police called to house of leader contender Boris Johnson over alleged altercation with his girlfriend
2021 – New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard is the first openly transgender athlete to be selected for the Olympics