June 5th in History

1595 - Henry IV's(of France) army defeated the Spanish at the Battle of Fontaine-Francaise. 

1752 - Benjamin Franklin flew a kite for the first time to demonstrate that lightning was a form of electricity. 

1794 - The U.S. Congress prohibited citizens from serving in any foreign armed forces. 

1827 - Athens fell to the Ottomans. 

1884 - U.S. Civil War General William T. Sherman refused the Republican presidential nomination, saying, "I will not accept if nominated and will not serve if elected." 

1917 - American men began registering for the World War I draft.

1933 - President Roosevelt signed the bill that took the U.S. off of the gold standard. 

1940 - During World War II, the Battle of France began when Germany began an offensive in Southern France. 

1942 - In France, Pierre Laval congratulated French volunteers that were fighting in the U.S.S.R. with Germans. 

1944 - The first B-29 bombing raid hit the Japanese rail line in Bangkok, Thailand. 

1947 - U.S. Secretary of State George C. Marshall gave a speech at Harvard University in which he outlined the Marshall Plan. 

1956 - Premier Nikita Khrushchev denounced Josef Stalin to the Soviet Communist Party Congress. 

1967 - The Six Day War between Israel and Egypt, Syria and Jordan began. 

1975 - Egypt reopened the Suez Canal to international shipping, eight years after it was closed because of the 1967 war with Israel. 

1981 - In the U.S., the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported that five men in Los Angeles were suffering from a rare pneumonia found in patients with weakened immune systems. They were the first recognized cases of what came to be known as AIDS. 

Famous Birthdays:

1723 - Adam Smith, Author

1883 - John Maynard Keynes, Economist

1916 - Eddie Joost, Baseball player

1925 - William "Bill" Foster Hayes III, Actor

1928 - Tony Richardson, Director, producer

1945 - Don Reid, Musician

1956 - Kenny G, Musician

June 4th in History

1615 - The fortress of Osaka, Japan, fell to shogun Ieyasu after a six month siege. 

1647 - The British army seized King Charles I and held him as a hostage. 

1674 - Horse racing was prohibited in Massachusetts. 

1717 - The Freemasons were founded in London.

1792 - Captain George Vancouver claimed Puget Sound for Britain. 

1794 - British troops captured Port-au-Prince, Haiti. 

1805 - Tripoli was forced to conclude peace with U.S. after conflicts over tribute. 

1812 - The Louisiana Territory had its name changed to the Missouri Territory.

1878 - Turkey turned Cyprus over to Britain. 

1918 - French and American troops halted Germany's offensive at Chateau-Thierry, France. 

1919 - The U.S. Senate passed the Women's Suffrage bill. 

1940 - The British completed the evacuation of 300,000 troops at Dunkirk, France. 

1942 - The Battle of Midway began. It was the first major victory for America over Japan during World War II. The battle ended on June 6 and ended Japanese expansion in the Pacific. 

1943 - In Argentina, Juan Peron took part in the military coup that overthrew Ramon S. Castillo. 

1944 - During World War II, the U.S. Fifth Army entered Rome, which began the liberation of the Italian capital. 

1946 - Juan Peron was installed as Argentina's president. 

1947 - The House of Representatives approved the Taft-Hartley Act. The legislation allowed the President of the United States to intervene in labor disputes. 

Famous Birthdays: 

1738 - George III of England

1867 - Carl Gustaf Mannerheim, military leader and 6th President of Finland

1936 - Bruce Dern, Actor

1944 - Michelle Phillips, Singer

1952 - Parker Stevenson, Actor

1975 - Russell Brand, Actor and comedian

1975 - Angelina Jolie, Actress

George Washington - First President of the United States

George Washington was born on February 22nd 1732. The first child of Augustine Washington (1694–1743) and his second wife, Mary Ball Washington (1708–1789), George Washington was born on their Pope's Creek Estate near present-day Colonial Beach in Westmoreland County, Virginia. His wealthy planter family owned tobacco plantations and slaves.  Washington's ancestors were from Sulgrave, England; his great-grandfather, John Washington, had immigrated to Virginia in 1657. Washington spent much of his boyhood at Ferry Farm in Stafford County near Fredericksburg. On the death of his father he inherited Ferry Farm.

In 1749, Washington was appointed as surveyor for Culpepper County, Virginia after a trek for Lord Fairfax into the Blue Ridge Mountains. He was in the military from 1752-8 before being elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1759. He spoke against Britain's policies and became a leader in the Association. From 1774-5 he attended both Continental Congresses. He led the Continental Army from 1775-1783 during the American Revolution. He then became the president of the Constitutional Convention in 1787.

Military Career
Washington joined the Virginia militia in 1752. He created and then was forced to surrender Fort Necessity to the French. He resigned from the military in 1754 and rejoined in 1766 as an aide-de-camp to General Edward Braddock. When Braddock was killed during the French and Indian War (1754-63), he managed to stay calm and keep the unit together as they retreated.

Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army - 1775-1783:

Washington was unanimously named Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army. This army was no match for the British regulars and Hessians. He led them to significant victories such as the capture of Boston along with major defeats including the loss of New York City. After the winter at Valley Forge (1777), the French recognized American Independence. Baron von Steuben arrived and began training his troops. This help led to increased victories and the British surrender at Yorktown in 1781.

Election as the First President - 1789:

Despite being a member of the Federalist Party, Washington was immensely popular as a war hero and was an obvious choice as the first president for both federalists and anti-federalists. He was unanimously elected by the 69 electors. His runner up, John Adams, was named Vice President.

Reelection - 1792:

George Washington was able to rise above the politics of the day and carry every electoral vote - 132 from 15 states - to win a second term. John Adams, as runner-up, remained the Vice President.

President Washington

George Washington's Post-Presidential Period:

Washington did not run a third time. He retired to Mount Vernon. He was again asked to be the American commander if the US went to war with France over the XYZ affair. However, fighting never occurred on land and he did not have to serve. On the 13th of December, 1799, Washington was exposed to a storm of sleet, and took cold. He died on December 14, 1799 possibly from a streptococcal infection of his throat made worse from being bled four times. He was buried at his home of Mount Vernon, Virginia. After grave robbers assaulted his first tomb near the Potomac River, his body was moved to the present more secure location higher up from the river.

George Washington in his later years

Tomb of George Washington

June 3rd in History

1098 - Christian Crusaders of the First Crusade seized Antioch, Turkey. 

1539 - Hernando De Soto claimed Florida for Spain. 

1784 - The U.S. Congress formally created the United States Army to replace the disbanded Continental Army.

1800 - John Adams moved to Washington, DC. He was the first President to live in what later became the capital of the United States. 

1918 - The Finnish Parliament ratified its treaty with Germany. 

1923 - In Italy, Benito Mussolini granted women the right to vote. 

1937 - Nearly six months after Edward, Duke of Windsor, abdicated the British throne, he married American socialite Wallis Simpson in a private ceremony near Tours, France.

1938 - The German Reich voted to confiscate so-called "degenerate art."

1952 - A rebellion by North Korean prisoners in the Koje prison camp in South Korea was put down by American troops. 

1989 - Chinese army troops positioned themselves to began a sweep of Beijing to crush student-led pro-democracy demonstrations in Tiananmen Square. 

Famous Birthdays:

1780 - William Hone, Writer

1901 - Maurice Evans, Actor

1925 - Tony Curtis, Actor

1929 - Chuck Barris, Game show host

1936 - Larry McMurtry, Author

1946 - John Paul Jones, Musician  (Led Zeppelin)

1951 - Deniece Williams, Actress

1986 - Rafael Nadal, Tennis Player

June 2nd in History

1537 - Pope Paul III banned the enslavement of Indians.

1774 - The Quartering Act, which required American colonists to allow British soldiers into their houses, was reenacted.

1793 - Maximillian Robespierre initiated the "Reign of Terror". It was an effort to purge those suspected of treason against the French Republic.

1818 - The British army defeated the Maratha alliance in Bombay, India.

1851 - Maine became the first U.S. state to enact a law prohibiting alcohol.

1886 - Grover Cleveland became the second U.S. president to get married while in office. He was the first to have a wedding in the White House.

1924 - All American Indians were granted U.S. citizenship by the U.S. Congress.

1928 - Nationalist Chiang Kai-shek captured Peking, China.

1935 - George Herman "Babe" Ruth announced that he was retiring from baseball.


1946 - Italians voted by referendum to form a republic instead of a monarchy.

1953 - Queen Elizabeth II was crowned Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Commonwealth nations at Westminster Abbey.

1954 - U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy charged that there were communists working in the CIA and atomic weapons plan.

1979 - Pope John Paul II arrived in his native Poland on the first visit by a pope to a Communist country.

1999 - In South Africa, the African National Congress (ANC) won a major victory. ANC leader Thabo Mbeki was to succeed Nelson Mandela as the nation's President.

Famous Birthdays:


1740 - Marquis de Sade, French aristocrat, revolutionary and writer

1904 - Johnny Weissmuller, Olympic swimmer

1941 - Charlie Watts, Musician (Rolling Stones)

Worlds longest running chat show turns 50

The Late Late Show (Ireland) this year celebrates 50 years of broadcasting. The show is broadcast live for over two hours in front of a studio audience at 9:30pm on Friday nights between September and May. It is regarded as an Irish television institution, even outside the country, and is considered "Ireland's chat show".
The show, originally conceived as a temporary summer filler programme for a niche audience on Saturday nights at 11:30pm, began broadcasting on Friday nights in 1962 and was presented by Gay Byrne for  37 years, Pat Kenny for 10 and at present Ryan Tubridy
Some sociologists[vague] have credited it with influencing Irish attitudes towards many issues, and directing social change in Ireland to construct current Irish societal norms.  Some of the momentous events have been:
The debate on divorce, debate on abortion and the debate on contraception.

June 1st in History

193 - The Roman Emperor, Marcus Didius, was murdered in his palace.

1533 - Anne Boleyn, (Henry VIIIs second wife) was crowned.

1774 - The British government ordered the Port of Boston closed.

1792 - Kentucky became the 15th state of the U.S.

1796 - Tennessee became the 16th state of the U.S.

1877 - U.S. troops were authorized to pursue bandits into Mexico.

1938 - Baseball helmets were worn for the first time.

1938 - Superman, the world's first super hero, appeared in the first issue of Action Comics.

1941 - The German Army completed the capture of Crete as the Allied evacuation ended.

1942 - The U.S. began sending Lend-Lease materials to the Soviet Union.

1943 - Germans shot down a civilian flight from Lisbon to London.

1944 - The French resistance was warned by a coded message from the British that the D-Day invasion was imminent.

1944 - Siesta was abolished by the government of Mexico.

1958 - Charles de Gaulle became the premier of France.

1970 - Zimbabwe came into existence. It was formerly known as Rhodesia.

1980 - Cable News Network (CNN) made its debut as the first all-news station.

2008 - The Phoenix Mars Lander became the first NASA spacecraft to scoop Martian soil.

Famous Birthdays:


1801 - Brigham Young, 2nd President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

1926 - Andy Griffith, Actor

1926 - Norma Jeane Mortenson (Marilyn Monroe), Actress

1934 - Pat Boone, Singer

1937 - Morgan Freeman, Actor

1947 - Ron Wood, Musician (Rolling Stones)

1956 - Lisa Hartman Black, Actress

1961 - Paul Coffey, Hockey player

1973 - Heidi Klum, Model