June 24

Historic Events

2026

Two earthquakes strike Venezuela, leaving more than 2,200 people dead and dozens of others missing. ›

2023

The Wagner Group led by Yevgeny Prigozhin launches an insurrection against the Russian government. ›

2022

In Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the U.S. Supreme Court rules that the U.S. Constitution does not assign the authority to regulate abortions to the federal government, thereby returning such authority to the individual states. This overturns the prior decisions in Roe v. Wade (1973) and Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992). ›

2021

The Champlain Towers South condominium in Surfside, Florida suffers a sudden partial collapse, killing 98 people inside. ›

2013

Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is found guilty of abusing his power and engaging in sex with an underage prostitute, and is sentenced to seven years in prison. ›

2012

Death of Lonesome George, the last known individual of Chelonoidis nigra abingdonii, a subspecies of the Galápagos tortoise. ›

2010

At Wimbledon, John Isner of the United States defeats Nicolas Mahut of France, in the longest match in professional tennis history. ›

2010

Julia Gillard assumes office as the first female Prime Minister of Australia. ›

2004

In New York, capital punishment is declared unconstitutional. ›

2002

The Igandu train disaster in Tanzania kills 281, the worst train accident in African history. ›

1995

Rugby World Cup: South Africa defeats New Zealand and Nelson Mandela presents Francois Pienaar with the Webb Ellis Cup in an iconic post-apartheid moment. ›

1994

A Boeing B-52 Stratofortress crashes at Fairchild Air Force Base near Spokane, Washington, killing four. ›

1989

Jiang Zemin succeeds Zhao Ziyang to become the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party after the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre. ›

1982

"The Jakarta Incident": British Airways Flight 009 flies into a cloud of volcanic ash thrown up by the eruption of Mount Galunggung, resulting in the failure of all four engines. ›

1981

The Humber Bridge opens to traffic, connecting Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. It remained the world's longest bridge span for 17 years. ›

1978

Ahmad al-Ghashmi, the president of the Yemen Arab Republic, is killed when a bomb exploded in a suitcase carried by a South Yemeni envoy. ›

1975

Eastern Air Lines Flight 66 encounters severe wind shear and crashes on final approach to New York's JFK Airport killing 113 of the 124 passengers on board, making it the deadliest U.S. plane crash at the time. This accident led to decades of research into downburst and microburst phenomena and their effects on aircraft. ›

1973

The UpStairs Lounge arson attack takes place at a gay bar located on the second floor of the three-story building at 141 Chartres Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, US. Thirty-two people die as a result of fire or smoke inhalation. ›

1963

The United Kingdom grants Zanzibar internal self-government. ›

1960

Venezuelan President Rómulo Betancourt is injured in an assassination attempt. ›

1957

In Roth v. United States, the U.S. Supreme Court rules that obscenity is not protected by the First Amendment. ›

1954

First Indochina War: Battle of Mang Yang Pass: Viet Minh troops belonging to the 803rd Regiment ambush G.M. 100 of France in An Khê. ›

1950

Apartheid: In South Africa, the Group Areas Act is passed, formally segregating races. ›

1949

The first television western, Hopalong Cassidy, starring William Boyd, is aired on NBC. ›

1948

Cold War: Start of the Berlin Blockade: The Soviet Union makes overland travel between West Germany and West Berlin impossible. ›

1947

Kenneth Arnold makes the first widely reported UFO sighting near Mount Rainier, Washington. ›

1945

The first Victory Day Parade takes place on Red Square in Moscow, Soviet Union, symbolizing the victory of the Soviet Union over Nazi Germany. ›

1943

US military police attempt to arrest a black soldier in Bamber Bridge, England, sparking the Battle of Bamber Bridge mutiny that leaves one dead and seven wounded. ›

1939

Siam is renamed Thailand by Plaek Phibunsongkhram, the country's third prime minister. ›

1932

A bloodless revolution instigated by the People's Party ends the absolute power of King Prajadhipok of Siam (now Thailand). ›

1922

The American Professional Football Association is renamed the National Football League. ›

1918

First airmail service in Canada from Montreal to Toronto. ›

1916

Mary Pickford becomes the first female film star to sign a million-dollar contract. ›

1913

Greece and Serbia annul their alliance with Bulgaria. ›

1894

Assassination of the French President, Sadi Carnot by Sante Caserio during the Ère des attentats (1892–1894). ›

1880

First performance of O Canada at the Congrès national des Canadiens-Français. The song would later become the national anthem of Canada. ›

1866

Austro-Prussian War: In the Battle of Custoza an Austrian army defeats the Italian army. ›

1859

Battle of Solferino (Battle of the Three Sovereigns): Sardinia and France defeat Austria in Solferino, northern Italy. ›

1839

An Egyptian army under Ibrahim Pascha routs an Ottoman army under Hafiz Pasha in the battle of Nezib. ›

1821

Battle of Carabobo: Decisive battle in the war of independence of Venezuela from Spain. ›

1813

Battle of Beaver Dams: A British and Indian combined force defeats the United States Army. ›

1812

Napoleonic Wars: Napoleon's Grande Armée crosses the Neman river beginning the invasion of Russia. ›

1793

The first Republican constitution in France is adopted. ›

1779

American Revolutionary War: The Great Siege of Gibraltar begins. ›

1762

Battle of Wilhelmsthal: The British-Hanoverian army of Ferdinand of Brunswick defeats French forces in Westphalia. ›

1724

On the Feast of St. John the Baptist, Bach leads the first performance of his Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam, BWV 7, the third cantata of his chorale cantata cycle. ›

1717

The Premier Grand Lodge of England is founded in London, the first Masonic Grand Lodge in the world (now the United Grand Lodge of England). ›

1713

The treaty of Adrianople ends the Russo-Turkish War of 1710–1713, which restores territory to the Ottomans while allowing the Russians to focus on their war against the Swedes. ›

1663

The Spanish garrison of Évora capitulates, following the Portuguese victory at the Battle of Ameixial. ›

1622

Battle of Macau: The Dutch make a failed attempt to capture Macau. ›

1604

Samuel de Champlain encounters the mouth of the Saint John River, site of Reversing Falls and the present-day city of Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. ›

1593

The Dutch city of Geertruidenberg held by the Spanish, capitulates to a besieging Dutch and English army led by Maurice of Nassau. ›

1571

Miguel López de Legazpi conquers Manila for Spain, modern day capital of the Philippines. ›

1540

English King Henry VIII commands his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, to leave the court. ›

1535

The Anabaptist state of Münster is conquered and disbanded. ›

1520

The Field of the Cloth of Gold, a summit meeting between Henry VIII of England and Francis I of France, ends. ›

1509

Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon are crowned King and Queen of England. ›

1497

John Cabot lands in North America at Newfoundland leading the first European exploration of the region since the Vikings. ›

1374

A sudden outbreak of St. John's Dance causes people in the streets of Aachen, Germany, to experience hallucinations and begin to jump and twitch uncontrollably until they collapse from exhaustion. ›

1340

Hundred Years' War: Battle of Sluys: The French fleet is almost completely destroyed by the English fleet commanded personally by King Edward III. ›

1314

First War of Scottish Independence: The Battle of Bannockburn concludes with a decisive victory by Scottish forces led by Robert the Bruce. ›

1230

The Siege of Jaén begins, in the context of the Spanish Reconquista. ›

1128

Battle of São Mamede, near Guimarães: Forces led by Afonso I defeat forces led by his mother Teresa of León and her lover Fernando Pérez de Traba. ›

972

Battle of Cedynia, the first documented victory of Polish forces, takes place. ›

843

The Vikings sack the French city of Nantes. ›

637

The Battle of Moira is fought between the High King of Ireland and the Kings of Ulster and Dál Riata. It is claimed to be the largest battle in the history of Ireland. ›

474

Julius Nepos forces Roman usurper Glycerius to abdicate the throne and proclaims himself Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. ›

109

Roman emperor Trajan inaugurates the Aqua Traiana, an aqueduct that channels water from Lake Bracciano, 40 kilometres (25 miles) northwest of Rome. ›

1312 BC

Mursili II launches a campaign against the Kingdom of Azzi-Hayasa. ›