Browse Historical Events by Month: What Happened in June?

Peasants' Revolt begins in England. More

Spain and Portugal sign the Treaty of Tordesillas, dividing the New World between them.

Michelangelo's David, the renowned marble sculpture is believed to have been installed on this day in the cathedral of Florence, Italy. The work, originally commissioned in 1501, when Michelangelo was only 26 years old, by the Opera del Duomo (the Overseers of the Office of Works of the Florence Cathedral), is considered to be one of the great works of art of the Renaissance. Michelangelo sculpted the statue from a single block of Carrara marble which had remained neglected for 25 years because of the presence of too many imperfections. The colossal statue stands at 17 feet (5.17 meters) tall. More

Charles I of Spain, crowned Holy Roman Emperor, becomes Charles V. Becoming one of the most powerful European rulers of all times. he reign over territories in Europe and the Americas. His goal as Holy Roman Emperor was to unite Europe, but instead, his reign was filled with war and conflict. More

The Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés forces fight their way out of Tenochtitlan suffering severe loses as the Aztecs revolt against their rule. Many Spanish soldiers drowned in Lake Texcoco. The exit is known as the "Noche Triste" or “the Night of Sadness".

Sweden National Day. Celebrates the election of King Gustav Vasa and the new constitutions of 1809 and 1974. The election of King Gustav Vasa was the de facto end of the Kalmar Union and has been seen as a formal declaration of independence.

The Puritan-led English Parliament during the republican Commonwealth, passed an ordinance which declared the celebration of Christmas to be a punishable offence. Although many people continued to celebrate Christmas in private, Christmas effectively ceased to be celebrated in the great majority of churches overtime. It wasn't until the restoration of the monarchy in 1660 that Christmas Day celebrations were brought back. In Scotland Celebrating Christmas was still deeply frowned upon for centuries. In fact, the 25th December only became a public holiday in Scotland in 1958. More

The first recorded victims of the Great Plague of London die.

The battle at Öland takes in the Baltic Sea, off the east coast of Öland during the Scanian War, resulting in the defeat of the Swedish navy by the allied Danish-Dutch forces. More

1692, June 10 - Bridget Bishop, is executed on Proctor's Ledge at Gallows Hill in Salem, becoming the first person to be executed during the Salem witch trials. More

Benjamin Franklin’s famous kite-in-a-thunderstorm experiment is said to have taken place on this day in 1752. More

Rhode Islanders, led by merchant John Brown, board and set fire to the revenue cutter HMS Gaspee in Narragansett Bay whereupon her powder magazine exploded. Efforts of the British authorities to learn the names of the culprits were unsuccessful since the public sentiment was in accord with the venture, despite the sizable reward that had been offered. More

The U.S. Army is officially born as the Second Continental Congress founds a united army to bring the 13 colonies together in the fight for independence from Great Britain. The Army was founded just months into the American Revolutionary War and predates the signing of the Declaration of Independence bymore than a year. More

The Continental Congress votes to appoint George Washington, the commander of the colonies' first official army. and he accepts the assignment and signs his commission. More

The Battle of Bunker Hill takes place near Boston, Mass, in the early stages of the American Revolutionary War.

The Continental Congress approves the first release of $1 million in bills of credit (paper currency) to help fund the American Revolutionary War. Another $1 million was authorized in July. By the end of 1775, Congress had authorized a total of $6 million bills of credit. The currency quickly lost value, partly because it was not backed by a physical asset like gold or silver, but also due to the fact that too many bills were printed. The loss in value inspired the term "not worth a continental". More

The Continental Congress creates a committee to draft the Declaration of Independence. The committee members were: Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston. More

Marquis De Lafayette accompanied by Baron De Kalb arrive on North Island, Georgetown County, S.C. to serve alongside General Washington. Lafayette was 19 at the time. He and George Washington went on to develop a strong bond. More

The Second Continental Congress issues a resolution adopting the Flag of the United States. It wasn't until 1949, that Congress approved the national observance, and President Harry Truman signed it into law. There have been twenty-seven official versions of the flag to date. The current version of the flag dates to August 21, 1959, after Hawaii became the fiftieth state. More

The first sustained flight occurred as a hot-air balloon was launched at Annonay, France, by brothers Joseph and Jacques Montgolfier, reaching an altitude of about 6,000 feet.