June 21st in History

On non-leap years (until 2039), this day marks the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere and the winter solstice in the southern hemisphere, and is the day of the year with the most hours of daylight in the northern hemisphere and the least hours of daylight in the southern hemisphere.

1529 - French forces are driven out of northern Italy by Spain at the Battle of Landriano during the War of the League of Cognac.

1791 - King Louis XVI of France and his immediate family begin the Flight to Varennes during the French Revolution.

1798 - Irish Rebellion of 1798: The British Army defeats Irish rebels at the Battle of Vinegar Hill.

1813 - Peninsular War: Battle of Vitoria.

1824 - Greek War of Independence: Egyptian forces capture Psara in the Aegean Sea.

1877 - The Molly Maguires, ten Irish immigrants convicted of murder, are hanged at the Schuylkill County and Carbon County, Pennsylvania prisons.

1898 - The United States captures Guam from Spain.

1900 - Boxer Rebellion. China formally declared war on the United States, Britain, Germany, France and Japan, as an edict issued from the Dowager Empress Cixi.

1930 - One-year conscription comes into force in France.

1942 - World War II: Tobruk falls to Italian and German forces.

1957 - Ellen Fairclough is sworn in as Canada's first woman Cabinet Minister.

1963 - Cardinal Giovanni Battista Montini is elected as Pope Paul VI.

2006 - Pluto's newly discovered moons are officially named Nix & Hydra.

2009 - Greenland assumes self-rule.

Famous Birthdays

1002 - St. Pope Leo IX

1226 - Boleslaus V of Poland

1528 - Maria of Austria, Holy Roman Empress

1788 - Princess Augusta of Bavaria

1850 - Daniel Carter Beard, illustrator and author, founder of the Boy Scouts of America

1921 - Jane Russell, actress

1925 - Maureen Stapleton, actress

1944 - Ray Davies, singer-songwriter and musician

1950 - Joey Kramer, drummer and songwriter

1953 - Michael Bowen, actor

1967 - Pierre Omidyar, businessman, founded eBay

1981 - Brandon Flowers, singer-songwriter and musician

1982 - HRH Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, 2nd in the line to the thrones of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth realms

1987 - Dale Thomas, footballer

1989 - Jascha Washington, actor

1997 - Rebecca Black, singer, dancer, and actress