EVENTS
- 1862 – During the American Civil War, the Seven Days Campaign began as Confederate General Robert E. Lee launched a series of assaults to prevent a Union attack on Richmond, Virginia. The Campaign included battles at Oak Grove, Gaine’s Mills, Garnett’s Farm, Golding’s Farm, Savage’s Station, White Oak Swamp and Malvern Hill, resulting in over 36,000 casualties on both sides. Despite losing the final assault at Malvern Hill, the Confederates succeeded in preventing the Union Army from taking Richmond.
- 1876 – Battle of the Little Big Horn also called Custer’s Last stand takes place.
Battle of the Little Big Horn - 1910 – Igor Stravinsky’s ballet “The Firebird” is premiered. The work was performed by Sergei Diaghilev’s legendary ballet company “Ballets Russes”. It was a huge success, catapulting Stravinsky to stardom.
- 1947 – The Diary of Anne Frank is published. The Jewish girl’s account of her life in hiding from the Nazis has become a well-known work of world literature and made Anne one of the most prominent victims of the Nazi regime. She died at age 15 in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.
- 1950 – The Korean War begins.
- 1967 – The world’s first live global satellite TV program is aired. The BBC program “Our World” featured artists from 19 countries. The Beatles premiered their song “All You Need Is Love” on the show. Some 400 million viewers tuned in.
- 1990 – The U.S. Supreme Court ruled (5-4) that it was unconstitutional for any state to require, without providing other options, a minor to notify both parents before obtaining an abortion.
- 1991 – Marina Navratilova wins her 100th singles match at Wimbledon.
- 1991 – Following the collapse of Soviet rule in Eastern Europe, the republics of Croatia and Slovenia declared their independence from Yugoslavia. Ethnic rivalries between Serbians and Croatians soon erupted. In 1992, fighting erupted in Bosnia-Herzegovina between Serbians and ethnic Muslims. A campaign of terrorism and genocide, termed ‘ethnic cleansing,’ was started by the Serbs against the Muslims. At least two million people became refugees, and about 200,000 were missing and presumed dead. Violence in the region raged on through 1995 despite economic sanctions and the efforts of U.N. peacekeeping forces in the area.
- 1993 – Both Canada and Turkey elect female heads of government for the first time. Kim Campbell became Canada’s and Tansu Çiller Turkey’s Prime Minister on this day. Worldwide, women in top political positions are still the exception.
- 1995 – Andres Galarraga becomes the 4th baseball player to home run in three straight innings.
BIRTHDAYS
- 1852 – Antoni Gaudi (Spanish architect)
- 1903 – George Orwell (Author)
- 1924 – Sidney Lumet (American director)
- 1929 – Eric Carle (Children’s Author)
- 1942 – Willis Reed (Basketball player)
Willis Reed - 1961 – Ricky Gervais (English comedian, actor, writer)
- 1945 – Carly Simon (Singer)
- 1963 – George Michael (Singer)
- 1966 – Dikembe Motombo (Basketball Player)
DEATHS
- 1767 – Georg Philipp Telemann (German composer)
- 1822 – E. T. A. Hoffmann (German jurist, author)
E. T. A. Hoffmann - 1984 – Michel Foucault (French philosopher)
- 1997 – Jacques Cousteau (French biologist, author, inventor, co-developed the aqua-lung)
- 2009 – Michael Jackson (American singer-songwriter, producer, dancer, actor)
