What Happened Today in History on June 25

The Peace of Constance is signed on June 25, 1183 ending the conflicts between the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I (Barbarossa) and the Lombard League  that granted autonomy to the Italian city-states, ending years of conflict. The treaty officially recognized the league's existence and allowed the cities to maintain their communal liberties, legal jurisdiction, and alliances, in exchange for fealty to the Emperor. This agreement was a result of the Emperor's military defeat at the Battle of Legnano in 1176.

Emperor Frederick III of Sicily dies, leading to a succession crisis.

Virginia ratifies the Articles of Confederation becoming the 10th State. More

The Battle of the Little Bighorn, known to the Lakota and other Plains Indians as the Battle of the Greasy Grass, takes place in southern Montana. The battle was fought along the ridges and steep bluffs of the Little Bighorn River, in south-central Montana, between warriors of the Lakota Sioux, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes, led by Sitting Bull, battling the 7th Regiment of the US Cavalry, led by Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer along with their Crow, and Arikara scouts. More

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is passed and signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The FLSA aimed to eliminate labor conditions detrimental to the well-being of workers, to ensure a minimum standard of living and to address issues like child labor, long working hours, and low wages, particularly in the context of the Great Depression. More

President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs Executive Order 8802 prohibiting ethnic and racial discrimination in the country’s growing defense industry including in companies, unions, and federal agencies. It also set up the Fair Employment Practice Committee. It was the first federal action, although not a law, to promote equal opportunity and prohibit employment discrimination in the United States. More

General Dwight Eisenhower arrives at U.S. headquarters in London and takes command of all U.S. operations, 14 days after being appointed to that position by Army Chief of Staff General George C. Marshall.

North Korea invades South Korea following clashes along the border. North Korea was supported by China and the Soviet Union. Two days later, on June 27, President Harry S. Truman orders U.S. air and naval forces to South Korea to aid the democratic nation in repulsing the invasion and in support of a U.N. resolution calling for an end to hostilities. The fighting ended with an armistice on 27 July 1953, formally dividing the country at the 38th parallel into North and South Korea. The Korean War was among the most destructive conflicts of the modern era, with approximately 3 million war fatalities including over 36,000 Americans. More

Detroit builds the last Packard that was actually designed by Packard. The name lived on for two more years on re-named Studebakers built in Indiana. More

Mozambique Independence Day from Portugal

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled (5-4) that it was unconstitutional for any state to require, without providing other options, for a minor to notify both parents before obtaining an abortion.

The Republics of Croatia and Slovenia declared their independence from Yugoslavia. Ethnic rivalries between Serbians and Croatians quickly erupted. About 200,000 went missing and presumed dead and over two million people became refugees.

A tanker truck loaded with 25,000 pounds of explosives bomb is detonated near the Khobar Tower housing complex in Dhahran during the night, Saudi Arabia, killing 19 Airmen and injuring more than 400 U.S. and international military members and civilians. The towers housed coalition forces supporting Operation Southern Watch, a no-fly zone operation in Southern Iraq. More