What Happened in June?

Rome was liberated by the U.S. 5th Army, led by General Mark Clark.

Allied forces launch the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France, during World War II - Over 160,000 Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy along a 50-mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline to fight Nazi Germany. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower called the operation a crusade in which, “we will accept nothing less than full victory.” By day’s end, the Allies gained a foot-hold in Continental Europe. The cost in lives on D-Day was high; more than 9,000 Allied Soldiers were killed or wounded. More

Six days after D-Day, during the Battle of Normandy, the five Allied landing groups of over 300,000 were able to link up and form a single continues solid front across northwestern France after a bitter fight to capture Carentan, between airborne forces of the United States Army and the German Wehrmacht. The deepest Allied penetration point was southwest of Bayeux, where the allies had driven nearly 15 miles (25 km) inland.  

Iceland officially becomes a republic following the Icelandic constitutional .referendum, where over 95% of voters chose independence from Denmark. This decision was made after the Treaty of Union with Denmark expired in 1943, and with Denmark still under German occupation, Icelanders opted to establish their own republic.

The WWII Battle of the Philippine Sea, the last and the largest of five major "carrier-versus-carrier" engagements between American and Japanese naval forces begins. The two day battle eliminated the Imperial Japanese Navy's ability to conduct large-scale carrier actions. It took place during the United States' amphibious reconquest of the Mariana Islands during the Pacific War. The battle ended the next day with a U.S. victory. More

The American forces secured Okinawa and the Tenth Army.conducts a flag-raising ceremony. While this marked the end of organized resistance, some Japanese soldiers continued to hide in caves and fight. The battle for Okinawa dragged out over nearly three months and included some of the worst kamikaze attacks of the war. The United States sustained over 49,000 casualties including more than 12,000 soldiers killed or missing. About 90,000 Japanese combatants died in the fighting, but deaths among Okinawan civilians may have reached 150,000. More

President Franklin D. Roosevelt Signs the Servicemen's Readjustment Act also known as the G.I. Bill.Within the following seven years, approximately eight million veterans received educational benefits. Under the act, approximately 2,300,000 attended colleges and universities, 3,500,000 received school training, and 3,400,000 received on-the-job training. The number of degrees awarded by U.S. colleges and universities more than doubled between 1940 and 1950, and the percentage of Americans with bachelor degrees, or advanced degrees, rose from 4.6 percent in 1945 to 25 percent a half-century later. More

The Japanese forces are defeated on Okinawa in World War II. Some sources consider June 22 to be the official date of the end of the battle when a flag-raising ceremony was held by the Tenth Army. While this marked the end of organized resistance, some Japanese soldiers continued to hide in caves and fight. The Japanese defense commander, Lieutenant General Mitsuru Ushijima, and his chief of staff committed suicide (hara-kiri) on June 22 rather than surrender. Victory at Okinawa cost more than 12,000 American lives. About 90,000 Japanese combatants died in the fighting, but deaths among Okinawan civilians may have reached 150,000. More

1945, June 26 - The United Nations Charter was signed by 50 nations in San Francisco. Poland signed it later on October 15, 1945, The United Nations Charter was ratified on October 24, 1945. More

The people of Italy approved a referendum to replace the governing monarchy with a republic. More

US Secretary of State George C. Marshall, delivers the commencement address at Harvard University in which he proposes the idea of a firm and formal plan for a European self-help program financed by the United States.  Expand +

American aviator, businessman, and politician. Kenneth Arnold saw "nine saucer-like aircraft flying in formation" at an altitude between 9,500 and 10,000 feet between Mount Rainer and Mount Adams in Washington moving at "the amazing speed of about 1,200 miles an hour." it was considered the first modern sighting of UFOs and gave rise to the term flying saucer. The report captured the attention of the nation. More 

The LP (Long Playing) record, developed by Columbia Records, is officially announced at a press conference at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York City. This introduction marked a significant advancement in recorded music, allowing for significantly longer playing times compared to the existing 78 RPM records. The LP quickly became the standard format for albums, leading to the concept album and a shift in how music was conceived and consumed.  Expand +

Joseph Stalin, the Soviet leader, imposes the Berlin Blockade cutting off all land and river transit between West Berlin and West Germany and announcing that the Western Allied powers no longer had any rights in Berlin.

In response to the Soviet blockade, the U.S. and Great Britain begin an emergency airlift of food and fuel to West Berlin to relieve two million isolated West Berliners. The Russians blockade of Berlin ended on May 12, 1949. More

British author George Orwell's "Nineteen Eighty-Four" dystopian classic 1s published. The dystopian novel serves as a warning against totalitarianism and introduces iconic concepts like Big Brother and the Thought Police. The novel explores the consequences of government overreach and manipulation of truth, and its impact on individual lives and society. More

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

President Harry S. Truman orders U.S. air and naval forces to South Korea in support of a U.N. resolution calling for an end to hostilities to aid the democratic nation in repulsing the invasion from North Korea which was supported by China and the Soviet Union On July 8th Douglas MacArthur was appointed commander of United Nations forces in the Korean War. 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

The first UNIVAC, acquired by the United States Census Bureau is dedicated. The UNIVAC I (Universal Automatic Computer I) was the first general-purpose electronic digital computer for business application produced in the U.S. Its design was started by J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly, the inventors of the ENIAC who owned EMCC. The company was acquired by Remington Rand which completed the work. (Remington Rand later became part of Sperry, now Unisys) More

Queen Elizabeth II is formally crowned in a ceremony at Westminster Abbey, London becoming s the thirty-ninth Sovereign to be crowned there. The ceremony, which followed her accession to the throne after the death of her father, King George VI, in February 1952, was a significant event and the first coronation to be televised. More