On June 10th 1881, Count Leo Tolstoy sets off on a pilgrimage to a monastery disguised as a peasant. Tolstoy had already produced his two greatest masterpieces War and Peace (1865-1869) and Anna Karenina (1875-1877). The Russian nobleman was engaged in a spiritual struggle and felt torn between his responsibility as a wealthy landlord to … Continue reading June 10 1881 Tolstoy disguises himself as a peasant and leaves on a pilgrimage
Category: Daily History
On This Day In History
June 9 1993 “Hollywood madam” Heidi Fleiss arrested
On June 9th 1993, the now-infamous madam-to-the-stars Heidi Fleiss was arrested as part of a sting operation run by the Los Angeles Police and Beverly Hills Police Departments and the U.S. Justice Department. In the 1980s, Fleiss’ then-boyfriend introduced her to the leading Beverly Hills madam Elizabeth (Alex) Adams, who, according to Fleiss, taught her … Continue reading June 9 1993 “Hollywood madam” Heidi Fleiss arrested
June 8 1984 Ghostbusters released
On June 8th 1984, the now-classic comedy Ghostbusters was released in theatres across the United States. Produced and directed by Ivan Reitman, Ghostbusters starred Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis as disgraced parapsychology professors in New York City who turn to “paranormal investigation”--hunting down and capturing ghosts---to make money after Columbia University yanks their … Continue reading June 8 1984 Ghostbusters released
June 7 1866 Chief Seattle dies near the city named for him
On June 7th 1866, thirteen years after American settlers founded the city named for him, Chief Seattle died in a nearby village of his people. Born sometime around 1790, Seattle (Seathl) was a chief of the Duwamish and Suquamish tribes who lived around the Pacific Coast bay that is today called Puget Sound. He was … Continue reading June 7 1866 Chief Seattle dies near the city named for him
June 6 1949 George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-four is published
On June 6th 1949, George Orwell's novel of a dystopian future, Nineteen Eighty-four, was published. The novel's all-seeing leader, known as "Big Brother," became a universal symbol for intrusive government and oppressive bureaucracy. George Orwell was the nom de plume of Eric Blair, who was born in India. The son of a British civil servant, … Continue reading June 6 1949 George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-four is published
June 5 1968 Robert F Kennedy assassinated
On June 5th 1968, Senator Robert Kennedy was shot at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles after winning the California presidential primary. Immediately after he announced to his cheering supporters that the country was ready to end its fractious divisions, Kennedy was shot several times by the 22-year-old Palestinian Sirhan Sirhan. He died a day … Continue reading June 5 1968 Robert F Kennedy assassinated
June 4 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre takes place
On June 4th 1989, Chinese troops stormed through Tiananmen Square in the centre of Beijing, killing and arresting thousands of pro-democracy protesters. The brutal Chinese government assault on the protesters shocked the West and brought denunciations and sanctions from the United States. In May 1989, nearly a million Chinese, mostly young students, crowded into central … Continue reading June 4 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre takes place
June 3 1990 Bush and Gorbachev end second summit meeting
On June 3rd 1990, President George Bush and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev ended their three-day summit meeting with warm words of friendship, but without any concrete agreement concerning German reunification.Bush and Gorbachev held their second summit conference in Washington, D.C. The main topic of conversation was the future of a reunified Germany. Communist rule … Continue reading June 3 1990 Bush and Gorbachev end second summit meeting
June 2 1989 Dead Poets Society released
On June 2nd 1989, the boys’ prep school drama Dead Poets Society, starring Robin Williams, was released in selected U.S. theatrestheaters. Set in 1959 at a fictional all-male preparatory school called Welton Academy, the film starred Robin Williams as John Keating, a charismatic English teacher who encourages his students to “seize the day” (“carpe diem” … Continue reading June 2 1989 Dead Poets Society released
June 1 1980 CNN launches
On June 1st 1980, CNN (Cable News Network), the world's first 24-hour television news network, made its debut. The network signed on at 6 p.m. EST from its headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, with a lead story about the attempted assassination of civil rights leader Vernon Jordan. CNN went on to change the notion that news … Continue reading June 1 1980 CNN launches
May 31 1930 Clint Eastwood born
On May 31st 1930, the actor and Oscar-winning film maker, Clint Eastwood, was born in San Francisco, California. Clint Eastwood is best known to his many fans for one of his most memorable screen incarnations, San Francisco Police Inspector “Dirty” Harry Callahan. With his father, Eastwood wandered the West Coast as a boy during the … Continue reading May 31 1930 Clint Eastwood born
May 30 1593 Christopher Marlowe killed in tavern brawl
On May 30th 1593, playwright Christopher Marlowe, 29, was killed in a brawl over a bar tab. Marlowe, born two months before William Shakespeare, was the son of a Canterbury shoemaker. A bright student, he won scholarships to prestigious schools and earned his B.A. from Cambridge in 1584. He was nearly denied his master's degree … Continue reading May 30 1593 Christopher Marlowe killed in tavern brawl
May 29 2003 Bob Hope celebrates 100th birthday
On May 29th 2003, 35 U.S. states declared it to be Bob Hope Day, when the iconic comedic actor and entertainer turned 100 years old. In a public ceremony held in Hollywood, city officials renamed the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Avenue--famous for its historic buildings and as a central point on the Hollywood Walk … Continue reading May 29 2003 Bob Hope celebrates 100th birthday
May 28 1965 Mine explosion kills hundreds in India
On May 28th 1965, methane gas caused a mine explosion near Dharbad, India, that killed 375 people and injured hundreds more. The blast was so powerful that even workers on the surface of the mine were killed. The mine was located 225 miles northwest of Calcutta near the town of Dharbad and employed hundreds of … Continue reading May 28 1965 Mine explosion kills hundreds in India
May 27 1905 Battle of Tsushima Strait Begins
On May 27th 1905, during the Russo-Japanese War, the Russian Baltic Fleet is nearly destroyed at the Battle of Tsushima Strait. The decisive defeat, in which only 10 of 45 Russian warships escaped to safety, convinced Russian leaders that further resistance against Japan's imperial designs for East Asia was hopeless. On February 8t, 1904, following … Continue reading May 27 1905 Battle of Tsushima Strait Begins
May 26 1897 Dracula goes on sale in London
On May 26th 1897, the first copies of the classic vampire novel Dracula, by Irish writer Bram Stoker, appeared in London bookshops. A childhood invalid, Stoker grew up to become a football (soccer) star at Trinity College, Dublin. After graduation, he got a job in civil service at Dublin Castle, where he worked for the … Continue reading May 26 1897 Dracula goes on sale in London
May 25 1977 Chinese government removes ban on Shakespeare
On May 25th 1977, a new sign of political liberalisation appeared in China, when the communist government lifted its decade-old ban on the writings of William Shakespeare. The action by the Chinese government was additional evidence that the Cultural Revolution was over. In 1966, Mao Tse-Tung, the leader of the People's Republic of China, … Continue reading May 25 1977 Chinese government removes ban on Shakespeare
May 24 1943 Auschwitz gets a new doctor: “the Angel of Death”
On May 24th 1943, the extermination camp at Auschwitz, Poland, received a new doctor, 32-year-old Josef Mengele, a man who would earn the nickname "the Angel of Death." Born March 16, 1911, in Bavaria, Mengele studied philosophy under Alfred Rosenberg, whose racial theories highly influenced him. In 1934, already a member of the Nazi Party, … Continue reading May 24 1943 Auschwitz gets a new doctor: “the Angel of Death”
May 23 1960 Tsunami hits Hawaii
On May 23rd 1960, a tsunami caused by an earthquake off the coast of Chile travelled across the Pacific Ocean and killed 61 people in Hilo, Hawaii. The massive 8.5-magnitude quake had killed thousands in Chile the previous day. The earthquake, involving a severe plate shift, caused a large displacement of water off the coast … Continue reading May 23 1960 Tsunami hits Hawaii
May 22 2004 Controversial documentary Fahrenheit 9/11 wins Palme d’Or
On May 22nd 2004, Michael Moore’s documentary film Fahrenheit 9/11 beat out 18 other films to win the coveted Palme d’Or, the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival. It became the first documentary to triumph at Cannes since The Silent World, co-directed by Jacques Cousteau and Louis Malle, won the Palme d’Or in 1956. … Continue reading May 22 2004 Controversial documentary Fahrenheit 9/11 wins Palme d’Or
May 21 1932 Amelia Earhart completes transatlantic flight
On May 21st 1932, five years to the day that American aviator Charles Lindbergh became the first pilot to accomplish a solo, nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean, female aviator Amelia Earhart became the first pilot to repeat the feat, landing her plane in Ireland after flying across the North Atlantic. Earhart travelled over 2,000 … Continue reading May 21 1932 Amelia Earhart completes transatlantic flight
May 20 2007 The Simpsons airs 400th episode
On May 20th 2007, Fox’s long-running animated series The Simpsons aired its 400th episode. The Simpsons was created by Matt Groenig, whose comic strip Life Is Hell caught the attention of the Hollywood producer James L. Brooks. Brooks enlisted Groenig to create a cartoon short that would run during the Fox sketch comedy series The … Continue reading May 20 2007 The Simpsons airs 400th episode
May 19 1588 Spanish Armada sets sail
On May 19 1588, a massive Spanish fleet, known as the "Invincible Armada," set sail from Lisbon on a mission to secure control of the English Channel and transport a Spanish invasion army to Britain from the Netherlands. In the late 1580s, Queen Elizabeth's support of the Dutch rebels in the Spanish Netherlands led King … Continue reading May 19 1588 Spanish Armada sets sail
May 18 2001 Shrek released
On May 18th 2001, the fledgling movie studio Dreamworks SKG, founded by Hollywood heavyweights Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen, released what would become its most successful film to date: the animated feature Shrek. Based on William Steig’s 1990 children’s book, Shrek was vividly re-imagined by Dreamworks animators as a subversive twist on the … Continue reading May 18 2001 Shrek released
May 17 2005 Toyota announces plans for hybrid Camry
On May 17th 2005, Toyota Motor Company announced its plans to produce a gasoline-electric hybrid version of its bestselling Camry sedan. Built at the company's Georgetown, Kentucky, plant, the Camry became Toyota's first hybrid model to be manufactured in the United States. Toyota introduced the Camry--the name is a phonetic transcription of the Japanese word … Continue reading May 17 2005 Toyota announces plans for hybrid Camry
Craig Hill 