June 20th in History

In the Northern Hemisphere, meteorological Summer begins on 20th June. In the Southern Hemisphere, meteorological Winter begins on this date.

537 - St. Pope Silverius dies

1214 - The University of Oxford receives its charter.

1605 - After only three months as Tsar, 16 year old Feodor II of Russia is assassinated.

1631 - The sack of Baltimore: the Irish village of Baltimore is attacked by Algerian pirates.

1685 - Monmouth Rebellion: James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth declares himself King of England at Bridgwater.

1782 - The US Congress adopts the Great Seal of the United States.

1789 - Deputies of the French Third Estate take the Tennis Court Oath.

1837 - Queen Victoria ascends to the British throne.

1863 - American Civil War: West Virginia is admitted as the 35th US state.

1900 - Boxer Rebellion: The Imperial Chinese Army begins a 55-day siege of the Legation Quarter in Beijing, China.

1940 - World War II: Italy begins an unsuccessful invasion of France.

1944 - Continuation war: the Soviet Union demands an unconditional surrender from Finland during the beginning of partially successful Vyborg–Petrozavodsk Offensive. The Finnish government refuses.

1960 - The Mali Federation gains independence from France (it later splits into Mali and Senegal).

1963 - The so-called "red telephone" is established between the Soviet Union and the United States following the Cuban Missile Crisis.

1982 - The Argentine base (Corbeta Uruguay) on Southern Thule surrenders to Royal Marine commandos in the final action of the Falklands War.

1991 - The German Bundestag votes to move the capital from Bonn back to Berlin.

2003 - The WikiMedia Foundation is founded in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Famous Birthdays

1005 - Ali az-Zahir, Caliph

1469 - Gian Galeazzo Sforza, Duke of Milan

1647 - John George III, Elector of Saxony

1754 -Princess Landgravine Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt

1872 - George Carpenter, 5th General of The Salvation Army

1928 - Martin Landau, actor

1942 - Brian Wilson, singer-songwriter, musician, and producer

1946 - Xanana Gusmão, 1st President of East Timor

1954 - Michael Anthony, singer and musician

1960 - John Taylor, musician, songwriter, producer, and actor

1970 - HRH Prince Moulay Rachid of Morocco, 2nd in line to the Moroccan throne.

1979 - Charles Howell III, golfer

1986 - Dreama Walker, actress

1989 - Javier Pastore, footballer