On July 5th 1946, French designer Louis Reard unveiled a daring two-piece swimsuit at the Piscine Molitor, a popular swimming pool in Paris. Parisian showgirl Micheline Bernardini modeled the new fashion, which Reard dubbed "bikini," inspired by a news-making U.S. atomic test that took place off the Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean earlier that … Continue reading July 5 1946 Bikini introduced
Category: Daily History
On This Day In History
July 4 1927 Playwright and screenwriter Neil Simon born
On July 4th 1927, Neil Simon, the author of a long list of successful Broadway plays, was born in the Bronx section of New York City. Neil Simon was the second son of Irving Simon, a garment salesman, and his wife Mamie. He grew up in Washington Heights, Manhattan during the Great Depression. His father … Continue reading July 4 1927 Playwright and screenwriter Neil Simon born
July 3 1962 Tom Cruise born
On July 3rd 1962, Thomas Cruise Mapother IV was born in Syracuse, New York. After his breakout role in the 1983 film Risky Business, Cruise went on to become one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, appearing in a long list of critically acclaimed dramas and blockbuster action movies. Cruise is the son of Mary … Continue reading July 3 1962 Tom Cruise born
July 2 1839 Mutiny on the Amistad slave ship
On July 2nd 1839, early in the morning, Africans on the Cuban schooner Amistad rose up against their captors, killing two crewmembers and seizing control of the ship, which had been transporting them to a life of slavery on a sugar plantation at Puerto Principe, Cuba. In 1807, the U.S. Congress joined with Great Britain … Continue reading July 2 1839 Mutiny on the Amistad slave ship
July 1 1997 Hong Kong returned to China
On July 1st 1997, at midnight, Hong Kong reverted back to Chinese rule in a ceremony attended by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Prince Charles of Wales, Chinese President Jiang Zemin, and U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. A few thousand Hong Kongers protested the turnover, which was otherwise celebratory and peaceful. In 1839, Britain … Continue reading July 1 1997 Hong Kong returned to China
June 30 1936 Gone with the Wind published
On June 30th 1936, Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind, one of the best-selling novels of all time and the basis for a blockbuster 1939 movie, was published. In 1926, Mitchell was forced to quit her job as a reporter at the Atlanta Journal to recover from a series of physical injuries. With too much … Continue reading June 30 1936 Gone with the Wind published
June 29 1974 Isabela Peron takes office as Argentine president
On June 29th 1974, with Argentine President Juan Peron on his deathbed, Isabela Martinez de Peron, his wife and vice president, was sworn in as the leader of the South American country. President Isabela Peron, a former dancer and Peron's third wife, was the Western Hemisphere's first female head of government. Two days later, Juan … Continue reading June 29 1974 Isabela Peron takes office as Argentine president
June 28 1914 Archduke Franz Ferdinand assassinated
On June 28th 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie were shot to death by a Bosnian Serb nationalist during an official visit to the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo. The killings sparked a chain of events that led to the outbreak of World War I by early August. On June 28, 1919, … Continue reading June 28 1914 Archduke Franz Ferdinand assassinated
June 27 1985 Route 66 decertified
On June 27th 1985, after 59 years, the iconic Route 66 entered the realm of history, when the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials decertified the road and voted to remove all its highway signs. Measuring some 2,200 miles in its heyday, Route 66 stretched from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California, passing … Continue reading June 27 1985 Route 66 decertified
June 26 1975 Sonny and Cher’s divorce becomes final
On June 26th 1975, after 13 years together as a couple and six years of marriage—the last three for the cameras—Sonny and Cher were legally divorced. With a string of pop hits in the mid-1960s that began with the career-defining "I Got You Babe" (1965), Sonny and Cher Bono established themselves as the most prominent … Continue reading June 26 1975 Sonny and Cher’s divorce becomes final
June 25 1900 Lord Louis Mountbatten born
On June 25th 1900, Lord Louis Mountbatten, British admiral and second cousin to King George VI, was born in Windsor, England, the fourth child of Prince Louis of Battenberg and his wife, Princess Victoria, granddaughter of Queen Victoria. He entered the Royal Navy at age 13. Among his many assignments was that of aide-de-camp to … Continue reading June 25 1900 Lord Louis Mountbatten born
June 24 1997 US Air Force reports on Roswell
On June 24th 1997, U.S. Air Force officials released a 231-page report dismissing long-standing claims of an alien spacecraft crash in Roswell, New Mexico, almost exactly 50 years earlier. Public interest in Unidentified Flying Objects, or UFOs, began to flourish in the 1940s, when developments in space travel and the dawn of the atomic age … Continue reading June 24 1997 US Air Force reports on Roswell
June 23 1902 “Mercedes” registered as a brand name
On June 23rd 1902, German automaker Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG) first registered "Mercedes" as a brand name; the name would gain full legal protection the next September. Mechanical engineer Gottlieb Daimler sold his first luxury gasoline-powered automobile to the sultan of Morocco in 1899; a year later, he formed DMG in his hometown of Cannstatt, Germany. Emil … Continue reading June 23 1902 “Mercedes” registered as a brand name
June 22 1964 Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown born
On June 22nd 1964, Dan Brown, author of the international blockbuster “The Da Vinci Code” as well as other best-selling thrillers, was born in New Hampshire. Brown’s extensively researched novels are known for involving symbols, conspiracies and secret societies. Brown was raised in New Hampshire, where his father taught math at Phillips Exeter Academy and … Continue reading June 22 1964 Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown born
June 21 1965 Mr Tambourine Man released, folk-rock revolution begins
On June 21st 1965, the Byrds' debut album, Mr. Tambourine Man, marked the beginning of the folk-rock revolution. In just a few months, the Byrds had become a household name, with a #1 single and a smash-hit album that married the ringing guitars and backbeat of the British Invasion with the harmonies and lyrical depth … Continue reading June 21 1965 Mr Tambourine Man released, folk-rock revolution begins
June 20 1900 Boxer Rebellion begins in China
On June 20th 1900, in response to widespread foreign encroachment upon China's national affairs, Chinese nationalists launched the so-called Boxer Rebellion in Peking. Calling themselves I Ho Ch'uan, or "the Righteous and Harmonious Fists," the nationalists occupied Peking, killed several Westerners, including German ambassador Baron von Ketteler, and besieged the foreign legations in the diplomatic … Continue reading June 20 1900 Boxer Rebellion begins in China
June 19 1971 Carole King has her first #1 hit as a performer
On June 19th 1971, Carole King earned her first #1 single as a performer with the double-sided hit "It's Too Late/I Feel The Earth Move." Carole King began her career in music as a young newlywed and college graduate, working a 9-to-5 shift alongside her then-husband, Gerry Goffin, in Don Kirshner's songwriting factory, Aldon Music. … Continue reading June 19 1971 Carole King has her first #1 hit as a performer
June 18 1983 First American woman in space
On June 18th 1983, from Cape Canaveral, Florida, the space shuttle Challenger is launched into space on its second mission. Aboard the shuttle was Dr. Sally Ride, who as a mission specialist became the first American woman to travel into space. During the six-day mission, Ride, an astrophysicist from Stanford University, operated the shuttle's robot … Continue reading June 18 1983 First American woman in space
June 17 1579 Drake claims California for England
On June 17th 1579, during his circumnavigation of the world, English seaman Francis Drake anchored in a harbour just north of present-day San Francisco, California, and claimed the territory for Queen Elizabeth I. Calling the land "Nova Albion," Drake remained on the California coast for a month to make repairs to his ship, the Golden … Continue reading June 17 1579 Drake claims California for England
Jun 16 1963 First woman in space
On June 16th 1963, aboard Vostok 6, Soviet Cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman to travel into space. After 48 orbits and 71 hours, she returned to earth, having spent more time in space than all U.S. astronauts combined to that date. Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova was born to a peasant family in Maslennikovo, Russia, … Continue reading Jun 16 1963 First woman in space
June 15 1215 Magna Carta sealed
On June 15th 1215, following a revolt by the English nobility against his rule, King John put his royal seal on the Magna Carta, or "Great Charter." The document, essentially a peace treaty between John and his barons, guaranteed that the king would respect feudal rights and privileges, uphold the freedom of the church, and … Continue reading June 15 1215 Magna Carta sealed
June 14 1982 Falkland Islands War ends
On June 14th 1982, after suffering through six weeks of military defeats against Britain's armed forces, Argentina surrendered to Great Britain, ending the Falkland Islands War. The Falkland Islands, located about 300 miles off the southern tip of Argentina, had long been claimed by the British. British navigator John Davis may have sighted the islands … Continue reading June 14 1982 Falkland Islands War ends
June 13 1381 peasant army marches into London
On June 13th 1381, during the Peasants' Revolt, a large mob of English peasants led by Wat Tyler marched into London and began burning and looting the city. Several government buildings were destroyed, prisoners were released, and a judge was beheaded along with several dozen other leading citizens. The Peasants' Revolt had its origins in … Continue reading June 13 1381 peasant army marches into London
June 12 1898 Philippine independence declared
On June 12 1898, during the Spanish-American War, Filipino rebels led by Emilio Aguinaldo proclaimed the independence of the Philippines after 300 years of Spanish rule. By mid-August, Filipino rebels and U.S. troops had ousted the Spanish, but Aguinaldo's hopes for independence were dashed when the United States formally annexed the Philippines as part of … Continue reading June 12 1898 Philippine independence declared
June 11 1967 Six-Day War ends
On June 11th 1967, the Six-Day War between Israel and its Arab neighbours ends with a United Nations-brokered cease-fire. The outnumbered Israel Defence Forces achieved a swift and decisive victory in the brief war, rolling over the Arab coalition that threatened the Jewish state and more than doubling the amount of territory under Israel's control. … Continue reading June 11 1967 Six-Day War ends
Craig Hill 