Today in History — June 21
2004
21 June 2004: SpaceShipOne Makes First Private Spaceflight
On June 21, 2004, SpaceShipOne became the first privately funded spacecraft to reach space, ushering in a new era of commercial space exploration. Piloted by Mike Melvill, the rocket plane soared to an altitude of…
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1837
20 June 1837: Queen Victoria Ascends to British Throne
On June 20, 1837, eighteen-year-old Princess Victoria ascended to the British throne following the death of her uncle, King William IV. Her coronation would mark the beginning of an era that would bear her name,…
Read more →1865
19 June 1865: Juneteenth Marks End of Slavery in America
On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, to announce that the Civil War had ended and that all enslaved people were now free. This date, now celebrated as Juneteenth, marked the practical…
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- 20 June 1837: Queen Victoria Ascends to British ThroneJun 20
- 19 June 1865: Juneteenth Marks End of Slavery in AmericaJun 19
- 18 June 1815: Battle of Waterloo Ends Napoleonic EraJun 18
- Fred Marriott (1872)Jun 18
- Hugh McElhenny (1928)Jun 18
- Connie Willis (1945)Jun 18
- Raphie Kaplinsky (1946)Jun 18
- Paul Westerberg (1959)Jun 18
- David Bedford (1949)Jun 18
- Daniel T. Barry (1953)Jun 18
- Patti Smith (1946)Jun 18
- Jeff Lynne (1947)Jun 18
- Pedro Costa (1958)Jun 18
- Marianne Faithfull (1946)Jun 18
- Jacky Clark Chisholm (1948)Jun 18