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
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What Happened in June?
Deaths, raids, and battles. Examine landmark historical events that took place in June. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.
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The U.S. Army is officially born as the Second Continental Congress founds a united Continental 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 by more than a year. The next day, on June 15, George Washington was appointed its Commander-in-Chief. Washington maintained this leadership role throughout the Revolutionary War. From 1775 until the Revolutionary War’s end in 1783, over 231,000 men served in the Continental Army. Of that number, no more than 48,000 men served at one time. The first battle of the Continental Army was Lexington and Concord. More
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The American Continental Army is established by the Continental Congress, with George Washington appointed as its commander-in-chief on June 15, 1775
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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 on June 16. More
The Battle of Bunker Hill, a pivotal early battle of the American Revolutionary War, takes place near Boston, Mass, it resulted in heavy casualties for the British, although a tactical victory for them, proving the colonists could stand up to the British army and boosting revolutionary morale. The battle took place primarily on Breed's Hill, adjacent to Bunker Hill, in Charlestown, Massachusetts, overlooking Boston. More
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
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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
Marquis_de_Lafayette_(1757–1834) Portrait by Francesco Giuseppe Casanova, - Circa 1781-1785. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons . Cropped.
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. While not a federal holiday, Flag Day is observed annually on June 14th, commemorating the adoption of the original US Flag in 1777. More
Spain declares war on Great Britain on June 21, 1779, during the American Revolutionary War.
France had declared and war on Great Britain in February 1778, and the Spanish joined the French against England, and on April 12, 1779, José Moñino y Redondo, Count of Floridablanca and Spain’s minister of foreign affairs and French ambassador Armand Marc, Count of Montmorin, signed the Treaty of Aranjuez, effectively bringing Spain into the American Revolutionary War. Spain finalized this treaty and declared war against Great Britain on June 21, 1779.
The Confederation Congress approves and finalizes the first Great Seal of the United States.The First Continental Congress in 1776 originally commissioned Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams to create a national seal. These Founding Fathers intended to design a national emblem that reflected the independence and aspirations of the new nation.
It took more than three committees and six years of congressional debate to complete the Great Seal. It was Charles Thomson, Secretary of the Continental Congress, who submitted the final design for the Great Seal. Thomson’s uncluttered, design combined elements of previous submissions, fulfilling Congress’s expectations and gaining its approval. More
The Iceland Laki volcanic eruption starts, lasting eight months. Haze from the eruption was reported from Iceland to Syria. The long eruption caused the death of 10,000 or bout one-quarter of the human residents by famine. It also caused widespread famines throughout Asia and Europe. In Iceland, the haze lead to the loss of most of the island's livestock from eating fluorine contaminated grass), and crop failure cused by acid rain. More
The collapse of a landslide dam on the Dadu River kills 100,000 in Sichuan province, China. The landslide dam was created by a magnitude 7.75 earthquake ten days earlier on June 1, in and around Kangding, in what is now China's Sichuan province.
The U.S. Constitution is ratified as New Hampshire becomes the 9th State and the last necessary State of the original 13 colonies to ratify the U.S. Constitution. More
The Constitution became the official framework of the government of the United States of America when New Hampshire became the ninth of 13 states to ratify it, thus replacing the post-Revolutionary War Articles of Confederation. More
Lightning hits a fortress in Luxembourg being used as an armory during the occupation by Napoleon’s French forces, igniting the gunpowder stored inside resulting in a massive explosion that destroyed two city blocks with an estimated 300 or more fatalities and widespread fires and devastation. The Luxembourg disaster may have been the most deadly lightning strike in history. According to the NWS Storm Data, over the last 30 years (1989-2018) the U.S. has averaged 43 reported lightning fatalities per year. Only about 10% of people who are struck by lightning are killed, leaving 90% with various degrees of disability.
French forces under Marshal Moncey attack the Spanish city of Valencia during the Peninsular War on June 26, 1808 but are repulsed by Spanish defenders and retreat to Madrid. Their failure highlighted the fierce Spanish resistance during the Peninsular War.
Later, in January 1812, the French under Marshal Suchet successfully captured the city of Valencia a significant victory, making Valencia the French capital in Spain for a time before ultimately falling to Spanish resistance.