What Happened in June?

Italian explorer John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto) lands in North America, possibly in Newfoundland. Labrador, or Cape Breton Island. Commissioned by England's King Henry VII to find a westward route to Asia, his voyage was the first European one to North America since the Vikings and help  establish an early English claim to the continent. Cabot had set sail from Bristol, England, on one ship, the Matthew, and made landfall on June 24, 1497. Expand +

Michelangelo's David, the renowned marble sculpture is believed to have been temporarily installed next to the entrance to the Palazzo della Signoria, where it was placed on a wooden platform replacing Donatello's bronze sculpture of Judith and Holofernes. While the installation at the piazza occurred on this date, the statue was "unveiled" to the public and fully revealed on September 8, 1504. Expand +

English King, Henry VIII weds his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. In 1527 Pope Clement VII, refused to annul the marriage which led to Henry's break with the Catholic Church and the establishment of the Church of England. 

Henry VIII was crowned at Westminster Abbey when he was 18 years old. It was a grand affair that included a procession from the Tower of London.

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

Pope Leo X issues the bull Exsurge Domine (“Arise O Lord”) in response to the teachings of Martin Luther which opposed the views of the Catholic Church; giving Luther 60 days to recant.  Expand +

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 Protestant city of Zürich declares war on June 8, 1529, leading to the First War of Kappel in Switzerland. The war was triggered by the execution of Protestant pastor, Jacob Kaiser, who was burned at the stake for heresy in the Catholic canton of Schwyz in May 1529. Expand +

The Imperial-Spanish army, led by Antonio de Leyva, decisively defeats the French army under François de Bourbon, Comte de Saint-Pol, at the Battle of Landriano on June 21, 1529, which effectively ended the War of the League of Cognac.

The first Book of Common Prayer is published during the reign of King Edward VI of England. It reflected the England's split from the Roman Catholic Church under the previous monarch Henry VIII and the English Reformation following the break with Rome. It was put together by a religious committee headed by Thomas Cranmer the Archbishop of Canterbury. It was the first time a book of service was written in English. It has been extensively revised a number of times, the last in 1662. It has remained in use as the official liturgical book of the Church of England and other Anglican churches. More

England declares war on France during the Italian War of 1551–1559.

English Privateer, Martin Frobisher leaves Plymouth on June 3, 1578 on his third voyage to Frobisher Bay, Canada. The expedition consisted of 400 men aboard 15 ships.  It was, in search of ore believed to contain gold which had been found in a previous trip while searching for the Northwest Passage.  Expand +

Sir Francis Drake is believed to have landed on the coast of California in or near Drakes Bay on the Point Reyes Peninsula, Marin County, California. Drake claimed the land for England, naming it Nova Albion (New Albion). At the time, Drake was searching for a harbor to repair his ship, the Golden Hind which had developed a leak during his circumnavigation trip. More

After a mutiny by the crew of Henry Hudson's ship Discovery on June 22, 1611, Hudson and his son are set adrift along with seven loyal crew members in a small boat. They were never seen again. Expand +

The original Globe Theatre burns down. The theater, located on the south bank of the River Thames in London a landmark debut venue for most of William Shakespeare's plays. It  was built in 1599 by the playing company to which Shakespeare belonged. The Globe was known for its open-air, circular design and its ability to hold around 3,000 spectators. The fire occurred during a performance of All is True (known today as Henry VIII). It was rebuilt but later closed  and demolished in 1644.

The Petition of Right is formally accepted by England's King Charles I, on June 7, 1628 limiting his power. He agreed not to tax without consent, imprison without cause, or quarter soldiers in homes. Charles later ignored the petition, escalating tensions and contributing to the English Civil War.

Galileo Galilei is convicted of heresy by the Roman Catholic Church's Holy Office (the Inquisition)on June 22, 1633, and forced to publicly recant his scientific position that the Earth orbits the Sun.  Expand +

The oldest continuously maintained cemetery in Massachusetts, and according to the American Cemetery Association, in the United States, is the Myles Standish Burial Ground (or Old Burying Ground) in Duxbury. It was established around 1638 and It is the final resting place for many Pilgrims, including the Mayflower's first recorded burial, John Alden.  Expand +