On This Day - 30th June

1894 - Tower Bridge opens in London
1917 - Lena Horne born
1919 - Susan Hayward born
1927 - The first Ryder Cup golf tournement is held - the US win
1934 - Hitler purges Nazi party in the Night of the long knieves
1934 - Harry Blackstone born
1950 - Leonard Whiting born

1954 - Millions of people turn to look at the darkening skies as a total eclipse of the sun spreads from America through Europe and on to Asia.
1966 - Mike Tyson born
1969 - Four million people face starvation when the Nigerian government bans night flights of food by the Red Cross.

1971 - Three Russian cosmonauts are found dead in their Soyuz 11 space capsule after it made what looked like a perfect landing in Kazakhstan.
1975 - Ralf Schumacher born
1985 - All 39 Americans being held captive by the Shia Muslim Amal militia in Lebanon are released, after almost three weeks in captivity. Also Michael Phelps born
1992 - Former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher takes her place in the House of Lords as Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven.

On This Day - 29th June

1613 - The original Globe Theatre in London burnt down during a performance of Henry the Eighth.
1900 - Antoine de Saint-Exupery born
1919 - Slim Pickens born
1930 - Robert Evans born
1944 - Gary Busey born
1947 - Richard Lewis born
1948 - Fred Grandy born
1950 - The United States defeated Walter Winterbottom's England 1-0 in the World Cup finals in Brazil.
1956 - Arthur Miller marries Marilyn Monroe.
1958 - Brazil came from behind to defeat hosts Sweden 5-2 and claim their first World Cup.

1960 - The BBC's new Television Centre will be the "Hollywood" of the small screen, the corporation's director of TV announces, as it is opened in White City, West london.

1974 - Isabel Peron is sworn in as interim leader of the Argentine Republic after her husband falls ill.

1986 - Millionaire Richard Branson smashes the world record for the fastest powerboat crossing of the Atlantic.Also Diego Maradona captained Argentina to their second World Cup with a 3-2 victory over West Germany.
1995 - American and Russian spacecrafts successfully dock in orbit for the first time in 20 years.

2001 - The government announces a memorial in honour of Diana, Princess of Wales, is to be built in London's Hyde Park.
2002 - Hakan Sukur scored the fastest goal in World Cup history, finding the net in just 11 seconds for Turkey against hosts South Korea.

On This Day - 28th June

1491 - Henry VIII born
1902 - Richard Rodgers born
1914 - Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian throne assassinated.
1919 – The Treaty of Versailles was signed in Paris, formally ending World War I.
1926 - Mel Brooks born
1933 - Pat Morita born
1946 - Gilda Radner born
1948 - Kathy Bates born
1958 - France orders the release of 30 political prisoners to win Muslim support for plans on Algeria's future.Also a 17-year-old Pele made his breakthrough on the international stage at Sweden '58, but the six goals he scored in the tournament were no match for France's Just Fontaine.

1960 - 45 men are killed in a gas explosion at a coal mine in Monmouthshire, Wales. Also John Elway born
1966 - John Cusack born
1970 - Steve Burton born
1976 - Three Britons and an American are sentenced to death by firing squad for their roles during the Angolan civil war.

1991 - Margaret Thatcher announces that she is to give up her seat in the House of Commons at the general election.
1994 - Oleg Salenko scored five times against an unsettled Cameroon side, setting the record for most goals scored in a single match at the World Cup.
1994 - On this day, at USA '94, all four teams in a group finished on equal points; the only time it has ever happened. Italy, Mexico, Norway and the Republic of Ireland finished on four points.
1997 – Mike Tyson was disqualified from a fight with Evander Holyfield after biting off a piece of his opponent's ear.
2004 - The US hands sovereignty back to Iraq in a low-key ceremony in Baghdad.

On This Day - 27th June

1844 - Mormon leader Joseph Smith is murdered by a mob
1880 - Helen Keller born
1927 - Bob "Captain Kangaroo" Keeshan born
1930 - H. Ross Perot born
1951 - Julia Duffy born
1957 - The link between smoking and lung cancer is one of 'direct cause and effect', a report by the Medical Research Council finds.

1963 - The US President John F Kennedy visits his ancestral homeland in County Wexford.
1975 - Tobey Maguire born
1977 - Home Secretary Merlyn Rees appeals for calm following two weeks of violent clashes outside the Grunwick factory in north London.

1986 - The International Court of Justice finds the United States guilty of violating international law by supporting rebels in Nicaragua.
1991 - Yugoslav tanks, troops and aircraft sweep into the small republic of Slovenia, 48 hours after it declared independence.
2011 - Former Manchester City captain Mike Doyle has died at the age of 64. Doyle was part of the City team which won the league title, FA Cup, European Cup Winners' Cup and the League Cup between 1968 and 1970, and skippered the side which won the League Cup again in 1976.

On This Day - 26th June

1483 – Richard III began a short-lasting reign as King of England.
1819 - Abner Doubleday born
1892 - Pearl S. Buck born
1904 - Peter Lorre born
1914 - Babe Didrikson Zaharias born
1922 - Eleanor Parker born
1954 - The highest scoring match in World Cup history takes place as Austria recorded a 7-5 quarter-final victory over host nation Switzerland.
1956 - Chris Isaak born

1959 - The Queen and President Eisenhower inaugurate the St Lawrence Seaway in Canada that connects the Great Lakes to the Atlantic.
1961 - Greg LeMond born
1963 - President Kennedy inspires the people of West Germany with the morale-boosting 'Ich bin ein Berliner' speech of defiance to the Soviet Union. Also Harriet Wheeler born

1970 - Riots break out in Londonderry after it is revealed Bernadette Devlin has been arrested. Also Chris O'Donnell born
1974 - The first scanning of a bar coded product (a packet of chewing gum). Also Derek Jeter born
1986 - Entrepreneur Richard Branson sets off on his second attempt to claim the transatlantic crossing record for Britain.

2000 - International inspectors say they have seen a large number of IRA weapons "safely and adequately stored" in bunkers.
2003 – Marc-Vivien Foé's tragic death shocked the football world. After collapsing on the field during Cameroon's Confederation Cup match with Colombia, efforts to revive the former Manchester City player were unsuccessful.

2006 - Four years ago, Switzerland made history by becoming the only team not to allow a goal at the World Cup finals.

On This Day - 25th June

1846 - In Britain the Corn Laws are repealled
1876 - The Battle of Little Big Horn in Montanna
1903 - George Orwell born
1924 - Sidney Lumet born
1925 - June Lockhart born
1945 - Carly Simon born
1947 - The Diary of Anne Frank was published for the first time.

1950 - North Korea invades South Korea at several points along the two countries' joint border.
1953 - John Christie is sentenced to hang for murdering his wife and then hiding her body under the floorboards of their Notting Hill home in London.
1963 - George Michael born
1970 - The United States launches its latest plan to end the current war of attrition between Israel and Egypt.
1978 - At Argentina '78, the Netherlands lose their second successive World Cup final, falling to the hosts 3-1 after extra-time.
1985 - Thirteen people are arrested in connection with a suspected IRA bombing campaign uncovered by police two days ago.
1991 - Slovenia declare their independence from Yugoslavia.
2001 - The ring leaders of a weekend of racial clashes in Burnley, Lancashire, are hunted by the police as the clear up in the town begins.
2005 - Ultra-conservative Mahmoud Admadinejad wins surprise victory in presidential poll.

2009 - Pop Star Michael Jackson dies at the age of 50.

On This Day - 24th June

1842 - Ambrose Bierce born
1878 - The St John's Ambulance are formed.
1895 - Jack Dempsey born
1899 - Chief Dan George born
1916 – The Battle of the Somme begins during the First World War
1942 - Michele Lee and Mick Fleetwood born
1944 - Jeff Beck born
1956 - Joe Penny born
1968 - The country's rail network is thrown into disarray as the National Union of Railwaymen begins its work-to-rule and ban on overtime.

1974 - The Labour Government admits Britain exploded a nuclear device in the United States a few weeks ago.
1983 - America's first woman in space, Sally Ride, returns safely in the Challenger space shuttle after a six-day flight.

1986 - Hard-line unionist leader the Reverend Ian Paisley warns Northern Ireland is on the verge of civil war.
1993 - Northern Ireland Minister Michael Mates resigns over his links with fugitive tycoon Asil Nadir.

On This Day - 23rd June

1400 - Johannes Gutenberg born. Inventor of the printing press with moveable type in 1436 and is best known for the bible that is named after him which was the first 'mass' produced book.
1894 – Baron Pierre de Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee at the Sorbonne in Paris.Also Alfred Kinsey and Edward VIII born
1912 - Alan Turing born
1927 - Bob Fosse born
1929 - June Carter born

1955 - The Queen Elizabeth ocean liner leaves for New York on schedule despite attempts by striking seamen to delay her departure.
1957 - Frances McDormand born
1968 – 74 fans are killed and 150 are injured in a stampede after a match between River Plate and Boca Juniors in Buenos Aires.
1972 - The Chancellor, Anthony Barber, announces his decision to temporarily float the pound. Also Selma Blair born
1977 - Jason Mraz born
1983 - Pope John Paul II holds a private meeting with the founder of Solidarity, Lech Walesa, on a visit to Poland.
1985 - An Air India 747 passenger jet disintegrates in mid-air off the coast of Ireland, killing all 329 people on board.
1990 - Twenty years ago to this day, 38-year-old Roger Milla scored twice, helping Cameroon become the first African nation to advance to the quarter-finals of a World Cup.

1992 - New York crime boss John Gotti is sentenced to life imprisonment with no chance of parole.
2011 - 'Columbo' actor Peter Falk dies of dementia aged 83.

On This Day - 22nd June

1897 – Queen Victoria celebrates her Diamond Jubilee with a procession in London.
1903 - John Dillinger born
1906 - Billy Wilder born
1921 - Joseph Papp born
1936 - Kris Kristofferson born

1941 - The German Army takes the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin by surprise as it begins a massive advance on Moscow. Also Ed Bradley born
1948 - Todd Rundgren born
1949 - Lindsay Wagner and Meryl Streep born
1953 - Cyndi Lauper born
1954 - Freddie Prinze born

1959 - Directors of Harrods are urging shareholders to vote for a merger with Debenhams department chain.
1971 - Kurt Warner born
1973 - Carson Daly born
1979 - A jury clears former Liberal Party leader Jeremy Thorpe of the attempted murder of Norman Scott.

1980 - Eric Stretch born
1981 - Mark Chapman changes his plea to guilty and admits he murdered John Lennon in December 1980.
1986 - Maradona scores the now legendary 'Hand of God' goal against Argentina's two nil victory over England in Mexico.
1987 - Fred Astaire dies.
2001 - The Parole Board decides that Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, the two schoolboy murderers of James Bulger are to be released after only eight years.
2003 – The largest hailstone ever recorded falls in Aurora, Nebraska.
2004 - A Belgian court sentences Marc Dutroux to life in prison for the kidnap, rape and murder of young girls.

2006 - Four years ago, English referee Graham Poll made a calamitous blunder by issuing Croatian defender Josip Simunic two yellow cards without sending him off.

On This Day - 21st June

1895 - Kiel Canal opens
1903 - Al Hirschfeld born
1905 - Jean-Paul Sartre born
1908 - composer Rimsky-Korsakov dies
1919 - The German fleets scuttles its self at Scapra Flow
1921 - Jane Russell born
1925 - Maureen Stapleton born
1940 - Mariette Hartley born
1942 - Germans take Tobruk
1944 - Ray Davies born

1945 - The Japanese island of Okinawa falls to the Americans after a long and bloody battle.
1947 - Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter born
1948 – Columbia Records introduces the LP record album at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York.
1968 - The Egg Marketing Board should be scrapped and an independent authority established in its place, according to a report published today.

1970 - Brazil made it a hat-trick of World Cup titles with a commanding 4-1 victory over Italy.
1973 - Juliette Lewis born
1978 - An outbreak of shooting between Provisional IRA members and the British Army leaves one civilian and three IRA men dead.
1982 - Diana, Princess of Wales, gives birth to 'Prince William' sixteen hours after checking in to St Mary's Hospital, in London.

1991 - British Gas chairman Robert Evans is under fire for accepting a pay increase taking his annual wage to £370,000.

On This Day - 20th June

1837 - Princess Victoria becomes Queen on the death of her Uncle King William IV
1863 - West Virginia becomes the 35th State of the US
1877 - Alexander Graham Bell, the man who invented the telephone, installed the first commercial phone service in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
1909 - Errol Flynn born
1924 - Audie Murphy and Chet Atkins born
1931 - Martin Landau born
1933 - Danny Aiello born
1942 - Brian Wilson born
1945 - Anne Murray born
1949 - Lionel Richie born
1952 - John Goodman born
1965 - Police in Algiers break up demonstrations by people who have taken to the streets chanting slogans in support of deposed President Ben Bella
1967 - Nicole Kidman born

1976 - Hundreds of Americans and Britons are moved from Beirut and taken to safety in Syria by the US military, following the murder of the US ambassador.
1984 - The biggest exam shake-up for over 10 years is announced with O-Level and CSE exams to be replaced by a new exam the GCSE.
1990 - British Chancellor John Major proposes a new European currency which would circulate alongside existing national currencies.
1995 - Oil giant Shell caves in to international pressure and abandons plans to dump the Brent Spar oil rig at sea.

2012 - Journalist and broadcaster Alastair Burnet dies aged 84.

On This Day - 19th June

1623 - Blaise Pascal born
1812 - The US declares war on Britain
1870 – All southern states are readmitted to the United States.
1896 - Wallis Simpson born
1897 - Moe Howard born
1902 - Guy Lombardo born
1903 - Lou Gehrig born
1915 - Pat Buttram born
1919 - Pauline Kael and Louis Jourdan born
1930 - Gena Rowlands born
1937 – J. M. Barrie, author of Peter Pan, diea aged 77.
1947 - Salman Rushdie born
1948 - Phylicia Rashad born
1954 - Kathleen Turner born
1961 – Oil-rich Kuwait declares its independence from the United Kingdom.
1962 - Paula Abdul born

1970 - Edward Heath becomes the new British prime minister after a surprise victory for the Conservatives in the general election. Also Brian "Head" Welch born
1975 - An inquest jury decides Lord Lucan murdered the 29-year-old nanny of his three young children.

1978 - Cricketing star Ian Botham becomes the first man in the history of the game to score a century and take eight wickets in one innings of a Test match. Also Zoë Saldana born
1980 - Three gunmen who attacked the British embassy in Baghdad are shot dead by Iraqi security forces.
1982 - Roberto Calvi 'God's Banker', a senior Italian banker, is found dead under Blackfriars Bridge in London more than a week after he went missing from Milan.

1997 - Fast food chain McDonald's wins a partial victory in its epic libel trial against two environmental campaigners.
2011 - Rory McIlroy wins his first golf major the U.S. Open aged 22.