Browse Historical Events by Month: What Happened in June?

Roman Emperor Nero escapes from Rome and commits suicide after he is declared a public enemy by the Roman Senate and is condemned to death in absentia. His death sparked a brief period of Roman civil war known as the Year of the Four Emperors. Nero ruled at a time of great social and political change including the Great Fire of Rome and Bou dica's rebellion. He is known as one of Rome's most infamous rulers, notorious for his cruelty and debauchery. He allegedly killed his mother and two of his wives, only cared about his art and had very little interest in ruling the empire. More

Alexander III of Macedon, most commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon. It is believed that Alexander the Great died on this day in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar II in Babylon at the age of 32.

The Battle of the Catalaunian Plains, also known as the Battle of Châlons, the Battle of Maurica, the Battle of the Campus Mauriacus, and the Battle of Troyes., takes place between a Roman-Visigoth coalition led by the Roman general Flavius Aetius and the Visigoth king Theodoric I, against the Huns and their vassals, commanded by their king, Attila. It proved to be one of the last major military operations of the Western Roman Empire. It stopped the Huns' from advancing further into Roman territory or establish vassals in Roman Gaul. However, the Huns looted and pillaged much of Gaul and crippled the military capacity of the Romans and Visigoths. Attila died two years later, in 453. More

Attila, frequently called Attila the Hun, enters Italy, sacking several cities and facing little resistance, the situation seemed dire for Rome. The turning point came when Pope Leo I intervened, traveling to meet Attila in a dramatic encounter near Mantua in the Italian region of Lombardy. Although the details of their conversation are unknown, Attila retreated following this meeting, leaving Italy behind without achieving his goal of capturing Rome. More

Chinese governor Li Yuan, is crowned Emperor Gaozu of Tang, marking the beginning of the Tang Dynasty and the end of the Sui Dynasty. Emperor Gaozu, focused on consolidating his rule and unifying China. He implemented reforms, including changes to taxation and the legal system. The Tang Imperial Dynasty, under Gaozu and his successors, brought a golden age of Chinese history, known for its cultural and artistic achievements. The Dynasty ruled from 618 to 907, with a short gap between 690 and 705. Historians generally regard the Tang as a high point in Chinese civilization, and of cosmopolitan culture

Death of Prophet Muhammad: The founder of Islam, Prophet Muhammad, passes away in Medina, Saudi Arabia, marking a significant event in the history of the Islamic faith.

The Assyrian solar eclipse, also known as the Bur-Sagale eclipse, is recorded in Assyrian eponym lists that most likely dates to the tenth year of the reign of king Ashur-dan III. The eclipse is identified as the one that occurred on 15 June 763 BC in the proleptic Julian calendar and helped and was helpful to understand the chronology of Mesopotamian history and correlate it to certain events mentioned in the Old Testament. More

The Viking raid on the monastery of Lindisfarne, the sacred heart of the Northumbrian kingdom in England occurs, highlighting the Viking expansion, and incursions throughout Europe. More

Iceland's first parliament, the Althing (Icelandic: Alþingi), was established in Thingvellir National Park . A flag still stands in the exact spot today in commemoration. More

Hugh Capet is crowned (approximate date) as the King of the Franks, ending the almost three century rule of the Carolingian dynasty and marking the beginning of the Capetian dynasty and the consolidation of power in France, laying the foundation for the for the French nation-state. Hugh Capet was the first of a direct line of 14 Capetian kings who ruled France until 1328. The dynasty came to an end with the death of Charles IV without a male heir in 1328. More

One of the world's most destructive earthquakes, the magnitude 7.4 - 7.7 Manjil-Rudbar Earthquake with hundreds of aftershocks, hits Northern Iran, near the Caspian Sea, killing an estimated 50,000 people and injuring another 135,000, leaving more than 500,000 homeless and destroying three cities (Rudbar, Manjil, and Lowshan) and 700 villages. Nearly all buildings were destroyed in the Rudbar-Manjil area.

The Battle of Lechfeld takes place between the East Frankish (German) forces under Henry II and the invading Hungarian armies, resulting in a decisive victory for the East Frankish forces.

The Battle of Manzikert takes place, where the Seljuk Turks defeat the Byzantine Empire, leading to the gradual decline of Byzantine power in Anatolia.

The Crusaders begin the Siege of Jerusalem, a pivotal event during the First Crusade that eventually leads to the capture of the city. On June 15, the Crusaders enter Jerusalem and establish the Kingdom of Jerusalem, marking the culmination of the First Crusade.

The Order of the Knights Templar is founded in Jerusalem after the First Crusade. They were a military religious order of the Catholic Church, officially known as the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon. they initially aimed to protect Christian pilgrims traveling to the Holy Land. Over time, they became a powerful and wealthy organization, deeply involved in European politics and finance, and played a significant role in the Crusades. More

The Treaty of Wallingford is signed, ending the civil war in England between King Stephen and Empress Matilda, and establishing Henry II as the undisputed king.

Thomas Becket, (1119 - 1170) the Archbishop of Canterbury, is formally canonized as a saint by Pope Alexander III. Becket, also known as Saint Thomas of Canterbury, and Thomas of London[ , served as Lord Chancellor from 1155 to 1162, and then as Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his death in 1170. He engaged in conflict with Henry II, King of England, over the rights and privileges of the Church and was murdered by followers of the King in Canterbury Cathedral. Soon after his death, he was Canonized by Pope Alexander III. He is venerated as a saint and martyr by the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion.

Five monks in Canterbury, England, observe an unusual phenomenon on the moon described by them as a "flaming torch" springing up from the split, spewing out fire, hot coals, and sparks. They also said the Moon's body below the division "writhed" and "throbbed like a wounded snake" Their unusual observation has sparked scientific debate for centuries. The most plausible scientific explanation is that they observed a meteor exploding in Earth's atmosphere that, from their specific location, appeared to be affecting the moon. This interpretation aligns with the lack of evidence for a major lunar impact at that time and the nature of the monks' description. More

The Battle of Fimreite takes place in Norway, where King Sverre Sigurdsson defeats the forces of Magnus Erlingsson, securing his rule. More

Holy Roman Emperor Fredrick I, also known as Barbarossa drowns while crossing the Saleph River (also known as the Göksu River) in modern-day Turkey, near the city of Seleucia in Anatolia. Frederic I was leading an army to Jerusalem during the Third Crusade, a religious and military expedition aimed at retaking the Holy Land from Muslim control. His death was a blow to the Third Crusade and led to the departure of many German nobles and others to abandon the Crusade before reaching Acre. Historians consider him among the Holy Roman Empire's greatest medieval emperors. More