June 6
The date is most famously associated with D-Day on Tuesday, 6 June 1944, when the Western Allies carried out landing and airborne operations in Normandy to begin Operation Overlord during World War II. D-Day was the largest seaborne invasion in history. It began the liberation of German-occupied France to lay the foundations of Allied victory over Nazi Germany, finally achieved in May 1945.
Events
pre-20th century
- 913 - Constantine VII, the 8-year-old illegitimate son of Leo VI the Wise, becomes nominal ruler of the Byzantine Empire under the regency of a seven-man council headed by Patriarch Nicholas Mystikos, appointed by Constantine's uncle Alexander III on his deathbed.
- 1513 - Battle of Novara. In the Italian Wars, Swiss troops defeat the French under Louis II de la Trémoille, forcing them to abandon Milan; Duke Massimiliano Sforza is restored.
- 1523 - Swedish regent Gustav Vasa is elected King of Sweden and, marking a symbolic end to the Kalmar Union, 6 June is designated the country's national day.
- 1762 - In the Seven Years' War, British forces begin the Siege of Havana and temporarily capture the city.
- 1813 - The Battle of Stoney Creek, considered a critical turning point in the War of 1812. A British force of 700 under John Vincent defeats an American force twice its size under William Winder and John Chandler.
- 1822 - Alexis St. Martin is accidentally shot in the stomach, leading to William Beaumont's studies on digestion.
- 1832 - The June Rebellion in Paris is put down by the National Guard.
- 1844 - The Young Men's Christian Association is founded in London.
- 1844 - The Glaciarium, the world's first mechanically frozen ice rink, opens.
- 1859 - Australia: Queensland is established as a separate colony from New South Wales.
- 1862 - American Civil War: Battle of Memphis: Union forces capture Memphis, Tennessee, from the Confederates.
- 1882 - The Shewan forces of Menelik II of Ethiopia defeat the Gojjame army in the Battle of Embabo. The Shewans capture Negus Tekle Haymanot of Gojjam, and their victory leads to a Shewan hegemony over the territories south of the Abay River.
- 1889 - The Great Seattle Fire destroys all of downtown Seattle.
- 1892 - The Chicago "L" elevated rail system begins operation.
- 1894 - Governor Davis H. Waite orders the Colorado state militia to protect and support the miners engaged in the Cripple Creek miners' strike.
post-19th century
- 1909 - French troops capture Abéché and install a puppet sultan in the Ouaddai Empire.
- 1912 - The eruption of Novarupta in Alaska begins. It is the largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century.
- 1916 - The death of Yuan Shikai marks the beginning of China's Warlord Era.
- 1918 - World War I: Battle of Belleau Wood: The U.S. Marine Corps suffers its worst single day's casualties while attempting to recapture the wood at Château-Thierry.
- 1933 - The first drive-in theater opens in Camden, New Jersey, United States.
- 1934 - New Deal: The U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 into law, establishing the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
- 1942 - World War II: Battle of Midway. U.S. Navy dive bombers sink the Japanese cruiser Mikuma and four Japanese carriers.
- 1944 - World War II: The Allied invasion of Normandy—codenamed Operation Overlord—begins with the execution of Operation Neptune, the landing of 155,000 Allied troops on the beaches of Normandy in France. The Allied soldiers quickly break through the Atlantic Wall and push inland in the largest amphibious military operation in history.
- 1946 - The Basketball Association of America is founded in New York City; the BAA was the precursor to the modern National Basketball Association.
- 1954 - The grand opening of the sculpture of Yuriy Dolgorukiy took place in Moscow. This statue is one of the main monuments of Moscow.
- 1964 - Under a temporary order, the rocket launches at Cuxhaven, Germany are terminated. They never resume.
- 1971 - Soyuz program: Soyuz 11 is launched.
- 1974 - A new Instrument of Government is promulgated making Sweden a parliamentary monarchy.
- 1982 - The Lebanon War begins. Forces under Israeli Defense Minister Ariel Sharon invade southern Lebanon during Operation Peace for the Galilee, eventually reaching as far north as the capital Beirut.
- 1985 - The grave of "Wolfgang Gerhard" is opened in Embu, Brazil; the exhumed remains are later proven to be those of Josef Mengele, Auschwitz's "Angel of Death"; Mengele is thought to have drowned while swimming in February 1979.
- 1993 - Punsalmaagiin Ochirbat wins the first presidential election in Mongolia.
- 2002 - Eastern Mediterranean event. A near-Earth asteroid estimated at ten meters in diameter explodes over the Mediterranean Sea between Greece and Libya. The explosion is estimated to have a force of 26 kilotons, slightly more powerful than the Nagasaki atomic bomb.
- 2004 - Tamil is established as a "classical language" by the President of India, Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, in a joint sitting of the two houses of the Indian Parliament.
Births
pre-19th century
- 1236 - Wen Tianxiang, Chinese general and scholar
- 1243 - Alix of Brittany, Dame de Pontarcy, Breton noble
- 1296 - Wladyslaw of Legnica
- 1436 - Regiomontanus, German mathematician, astronomer, and bishop
- 1519 - Andrea Cesalpino, Italian philosopher, physician, and botanist
- 1539 - Catherine Vasa, Regent of East Frisia
- 1556 - Edward la Zouche, 11th Baron Zouche, English politician and diplomat
- 1580 - Godefroy Wendelin, Belgian astronomer and author
- 1584 - Yuan Chonghuan, politician, military general and writer
- 1599 - Diego Velázquez, Spanish painter and educator
- 1606 - Pierre Corneille, French playwright and producer
- 1622 - Claude-Jean Allouez, French-American missionary and explorer
- 1646 - Hortense Mancini, favourite Italian niece of Cardinal Mazarin
- 1661 - Giacomo Antonio Perti, Italian composer and educator
- 1699 - Johann Georg Estor, German historian and theorist
- 1714 - Joseph I of Portugal
- 1735 - Anton Schweitzer, German composer
- 1755 - Nathan Hale, American soldier
- 1756 - John Trumbull, American soldier and painter
- 1772 - Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily
- 1799 - Alexander Pushkin, Russian author and poet
19th century
- 1807 - Thi?u Tr?, Vietnamese emperor
- 1810 - Friedrich Wilhelm Schneidewin, German philologist and scholar
- 1829 - Honinbo Shusaku, Japanese Go player
- 1841 - Eliza Orzeszkowa, Polish author and publisher
- 1844 - Konstantin Savitsky, Russian painter and academic
- 1850 - Karl Ferdinand Braun, German-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1857 - Aleksandr Lyapunov, Russian mathematician and physicist
- 1862 - Henry Newbolt, English historian, author, and poet
- 1867 - David T. Abercrombie, American surveyor and businessman, founded Abercrombie & Fitch
- 1868 - Robert Falcon Scott, English sailor and explorer
- 1872 - Alix of Hesse, German princess and Russian empress
- 1875 - Thomas Mann, German author and critic, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1878 - Vincent de Moro-Giafferi, French lawyer and politician
- 1884 - Jock Hutchison, Scottish-American golfer
- 1890 - Ted Lewis, American singer, clarinet player, and bandleader
- 1891 - Masti Venkatesha Iyengar, Indian author and academic
- 1891 - Erich Marcks, German general
- 1896 - Henry Allingham, English World War I soldier and supercentenarian.
- 1896 - Italo Balbo, Italian air marshal and politician
- 1898 - Walter Abel, American actor
- 1898 - Jacobus Johannes Fouché, South African politician, 2nd State President of South Africa
- 1898 - Ninette de Valois, English ballerina, choreographer, and director
- 1900 - Manfred Sakel, Ukrainian-American psychiatrist and physician
1901–1930
- 1901 - Jan Struther, English author and hymnwriter
- 1901 - Sukarno, Indonesian engineer and politician, 1st President of Indonesia
- 1902 - Jimmie Lunceford, American saxophonist and bandleader
- 1903 - Aram Khachaturian, Armenian composer and conductor
- 1903 - Bakht Singh, Indian evangelist, well-known bible teacher and preacher
- 1906 - Max August Zorn, German mathematician and academic
- 1907 - Bill Dickey, American baseball player and manager
- 1907 - Robin Humphreys, British scholar of Latin America
- 1908 - Giovanni Bracco, Italian race car driver
- 1909 - Isaiah Berlin, Latvian-English historian and philosopher
- 1913 - Carlo L. Golino, Italian-American author, critic, and academic
- 1915 - Vincent Persichetti, American pianist and composer
- 1916 - Hamani Diori, Nigerien academic and politician, 1st President of Niger
- 1917 - Kirk Kerkorian, American businessman, founded the Tracinda Corporation
- 1918 - Edwin G. Krebs, American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1919 - Peter Carington, 6th Baron Carrington, English army officer and politician, 6th Secretary General of NATO
- 1923 - V. C. Andrews, American author, illustrator, and painter
- 1923 - Jean Pouliot, Canadian broadcaster
- 1925 - Maxine Kumin, American poet and author
- 1925 - Frank Chee Willeto, American soldier and politician, 4th Vice President of the Navajo Nation
- 1926 - Torsten Andersson, Swedish painter and illustrator
- 1926 - Erdal Inönü, Turkish physicist and politician, Prime Minister of Turkey
- 1926 - Klaus Tennstedt, German conductor
- 1929 - Sunil Dutt, Indian actor, director, producer, and politician
- 1930 - Frank Tyson, English-Australian cricketer, coach and journalist
1931–1945
- 1932 - David Scott, American colonel, engineer, and astronaut
- 1932 - Billie Whitelaw, English actress
- 1933 - Eli Broad, American businessman and philanthropist, co-founded KB Home
- 1933 - Heinrich Rohrer, Swiss physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1934 - Albert II of Belgium
- 1935 - Jon Henricks, Australian swimmer; winner of two Olympic gold medals in 1956.
- 1936 - Mompati Merafhe, Botswana general and politician, Vice-President of Botswana
- 1936 - D. Ramanaidu, Indian actor, director, and producer, founded Suresh Productions
- 1936 - Levi Stubbs, American singer
- 1938 - Prince Luiz of Orléans-Braganza
- 1938 - Ryuchi Matsuda, Japanese martial artist and author
- 1939 - Louis Andriessen, Dutch pianist and composer
- 1939 - Gary U.S. Bonds, American singer-songwriter
- 1939 - Eddie Giacomin, Canadian-American ice hockey player, coach, and sportscaster
- 1940 - Kumar Bhattacharyya, Baron Bhattacharyya, Indian-English engineer and academic
- 1940 - Willie John McBride, Northern Irish rugby player, coach, and manager
- 1941 - Alexander Cockburn, Scottish-American journalist and author
- 1943 - José de Jesús Gudiño Pelayo, Mexican lawyer and jurist
- 1943 - Richard Smalley, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1943 - Joe Stampley, American country music singer-songwriter
- 1944 - Monty Alexander, Jamaican jazz pianist.
- 1944 - Phillip Allen Sharp, American molecular biologist; 1993 Nobel Prize laureate.
- 1944 - Tommie Smith, American sprinter and football player; winner of 1968 Olympic 200m gold medal in a world record time.
1946–2000
- 1946 - Tony Levin, American bass player and songwriter.
- 1947 - David Blunkett, British Labour politician; Home Secretary 2001–2004.
- 1947 - Robert Englund, American actor; best known for Nightmare on Elm Street.
- 1947 - Ada Kok, Dutch butterfly stroke swimmer; winner of three Olympic medals including gold in 1968.
- 1948 - Arlene Harris, American entrepreneur, inventor, investor and policy advocate.
- 1949 - Holly Near, American folk singer and songwriter.
- 1954 - Harvey Fierstein, American actor and playwright; twice a winner at the Tony Awards.
- 1954 - Wladyslaw Zmuda, Polish footballer and manager; 91 caps for Poland and voted Best Young Player at the 1974 FIFA World Cup.
- 1955 - Sam Simon, American director, producer and screenwriter; co-developer of The Simpsons.
- 1956 - Björn Borg, Swedish tennis player; winner of eleven Grand Slam singles titles including five consecutive Wimbledons.
- 1972 - Natalie Morales, American television journalist and NBC News anchor.
Deaths
pre-18th century
- 184 - Qiao Xuan, Chinese official.
- 863 - Abu Musa Utamish, vizier to the Abbasid Caliphate.
- 913 - Alexander III, Byzantine emperor.
- 1097 - Agnes of Aquitaine, Queen of Aragon and Navarre
- 1134 - Norbert of Xanten, German bishop and saint
- 1217 - Henry I, King of Castile and Toledo
- 1237 - John of Scotland, Earl of Huntingdon
- 1251 - William III of Dampierre, Count of Flanders
- 1252 - Robert Passelewe, Bishop of Chichester
- 1333 - William Donn de Burgh, 3rd Earl of Ulster
- 1393 - Emperor Go-En'yu of Japan
- 1480 - Vecchietta, Italian painter, sculptor, and architect
- 1548 - João de Castro, Portuguese soldier and politician, Governor of Portuguese India
- 1561 - Ridolfo Ghirlandaio, Italian painter
- 1583 - Nakagawa Kiyohide, Japanese daimyo
- 1659 - Nadira Banu Begum, Mughal princess
- 1661 - Martino Martini, Italian Jesuit missionary
1701–1900
- 1730 - Alain Emmanuel de Coëtlogon, French general
- 1740 - Alexander Spotswood, Moroccan-American colonial and politician, Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
- 1784 - Joan van der Capellen tot den Pol, Dutch politician
- 1799 - Patrick Henry, American lawyer and politician, 1st Governor of Virginia
- 1813 - Alexandre-Théodore Brongniart, French architect, designed the Hôtel de Mademoiselle de Condé
- 1813 - Antonio Cachia, Maltese architect, engineer and archaeologist
- 1832 - Jeremy Bentham, English jurist and philosopher
- 1840 - Marcellin Champagnat, French priest and saint, founded the Marist Brothers
- 1843 - Friedrich Hölderlin, German poet and author
- 1861 - Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, Italian politician, 1st Prime Minister of Italy
- 1862 - Turner Ashby, American colonel
- 1865 - William Quantrill, American captain
- 1878 - Robert Stirling, Scottish minister and engineer, invented the stirling engine
- 1881 - Henri Vieuxtemps, Belgian violinist and composer
- 1883 - Ciprian Porumbescu, Romanian composer and poet
- 1891 - John A. Macdonald, Scottish-Canadian lawyer and politician, 1st Prime Minister of Canada
1901–1950
- 1916 - Yuan Shikai, Chinese general and politician, 2nd President of the Republic of China
- 1922 - Lillian Russell, American actress and singer
- 1924 - William Pirrie, 1st Viscount Pirrie, Irish businessman and politician, Lord Mayor of Belfast
- 1934 - Julije Kempf, Croatian historian and author
- 1935 - Julian Byng, 1st Viscount Byng of Vimy, English field marshal and politician, 12th Governor-General of Canada
- 1941 - Louis Chevrolet, Swiss-American race car driver and businessman, founded Chevrolet and Frontenac Motor Corporation
- 1943 - Pandelis Pouliopoulos, Greek politician
- 1946 - Gerhart Hauptmann, German novelist, poet, and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1947 - James Agate, English author and critic
- 1948 - Louis Lumière, French director, producer, and screenwriter
1951–2000
- 1951 - Olive Tell, American actress
- 1954 - Fritz Kasparek, Austrian mountaineer and author
- 1955 - Max Meldrum, Scottish-Australian painter and educator
- 1961 - Carl Jung, Swiss psychiatrist and psychotherapist
- 1962 - Yves Klein, French painter
- 1962 - Tom Phillis, Australian motorcycle racer
- 1963 - William Baziotes, American painter and academic
- 1968 - Randolph Churchill, English journalist and politician
- 1968 - Robert F. Kennedy, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 64th United States Attorney General
- 1968 - Kâzim Özalp, Turkish general and politician, 3rd Turkish Minister of National Defence
- 1975 - Larry Blyden, American actor
- 1976 - J. Paul Getty, American businessman, founded the Getty Oil Company
- 1979 - Jack Haley, American actor
- 1980 - Ruth Aarons, American table tennis player and manager
- 1982 - Kenneth Rexroth, American poet and academic
- 1983 - Hans Leip, German author, poet, and playwright
- 1984 - A. Bertram Chandler, English-Australian soldier and author
- 1991 - Stan Getz, American saxophonist and jazz innovator
- 1994 - Barry Sullivan, American film actor
- 1996 - George Davis Snell, American geneticist and immunologist; awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1980 for his studies of histocompatibility
21st century
- 2005 - Anne Bancroft, American film actress; winner of the 1963 Academy Award for Best Actress for The Miracle Worker
- 2006 - Billy Preston, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and actor
- 2009 - Jean Dausset, French-Spanish immunologist and academic; awarded the 1980 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his studies of the genetic basis of immunological reaction
- 2012 - Vladimir Krutov, Russian ice hockey player; together with Igor Larionov and Sergei Makarov, formed the famed KLM Line.
- 2013 - Jerome Karle, American crystallographer and academic; awarded the 1985 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for research into the molecular structure of chemical compounds
- 2013 - Esther Williams, American swimmer and actress
- 2014 - Lorna Wing, English psychiatrist and physician; pioneered studies of autism
- 2015 - Vincent Bugliosi, American lawyer and author; prosecuting attorney in the Tate–LaBianca murders case
- 2015 - Ludvík Vaculík, Czech journalist and author; noted for The Two Thousand Words which inspired the Prague Spring
- 2016 - Viktor Korchnoi, Russian chess grandmaster; arguably the best player never to become World Chess Champion
- 2016 - Peter Shaffer, English playwright and screenwriter; works included Equus and Amadeus
Holidays and observances
Christian [feast day]s
- St Claude
- Ini Kopuria
- St Marcellin Champagnat
- St Norbert
Others
- D-Day Invasion Anniversary.
- Engineer's Day in Taiwan.
- Korean Children's Union Foundation Day in North Korea.
- Memorial Day in South Korea.
- National Day of Sweden, marking the end of the Danish-ruled Kalmar Union.
- National Huntington's Disease Awareness Day in the USA.
- Queensland Day.
- UN Russian Language Day.