On This Day — June 6

Famous events, births, and deaths from June 6 in history, plus the public holidays, religious observances, sports, and national days happening on this date today.

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50 events · 188 births · 93 deaths recorded for June 6.

🕰️ Notable Events on June 6

2005 — In Gonzales v. Raich, the United States Supreme Court upholds a federal law banning cannabis, including medical marijuana. Wikipedia ↗
2004 — Tamil is established as a "classical language" by the President of India, Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, in a joint sitting of the two houses of the Indian Parliament. Wikipedia ↗
2002 — Eastern Mediterranean event. A near-Earth asteroid estimated at ten meters in diameter explodes over the Mediterranean Sea between Greece and Libya. The resulting explosion is estimated to have a force of 26 kilotons, slightly more powerful than the Nagasaki atomic bomb. Wikipedia ↗
1993 — Mongolia holds its first direct presidential elections. Wikipedia ↗
1985 — The grave of "Wolfgang Gerhard" is opened in Embu, Brazil; the exhumed remains are later proven to be those of Josef Mengele, Auschwitz's "Angel of Death"; Mengele is thought to have drowned while swimming in February 1979. Wikipedia ↗
1982 — The Lebanon War begins. Forces under Israeli Defense Minister Ariel Sharon invade southern Lebanon during Operation Peace for the Galilee, eventually reaching as far north as the capital Beirut. Wikipedia ↗
1981 — Bihar train disaster: A passenger train travelling between Mansi and Saharsa, India, jumps the tracks at a bridge crossing the Bagmati River. The government places the official death toll at 268 plus another 300 missing; however, it is generally believed that the death toll is closer to 1,000. Wikipedia ↗
1974 — A new Instrument of Government is promulgated making Sweden a parliamentary monarchy. Wikipedia ↗
1971 — Soyuz program: Soyuz 11 is launched. Wikipedia ↗
1971 — A midair collision between a Hughes Airwest Douglas DC-9 jetliner and a United States Marine Corps McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II jet fighter near Duarte, California, claims 50 lives. Wikipedia ↗
1971 — Vietnam War: The Battle of Long Khanh between Australian and Vietnamese communist forces begins. Wikipedia ↗
1968 — Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy: Robert F. Kennedy, Democratic Party senator from New York and brother of 35th President John F. Kennedy, dies from gunshot wounds inflicted on June 5. Wikipedia ↗
1964 — Under a temporary order, the rocket launches at Cuxhaven, Germany are terminated. They never resume. Wikipedia ↗
1954 — The grand opening of the sculpture of Yuriy Dolgorukiy took place in Moscow. This statue is one of the main monuments of Moscow. Wikipedia ↗
1946 — The Basketball Association of America is founded in New York City; the BAA was the precursor to the modern National Basketball Association Wikipedia ↗
1944 — World War II: The Battle of Normandy begins. D-Day, code named Operation Overlord, commences with the landing of 155,000 Allied troops on the beaches of Normandy in France. The allied soldiers quickly break through the Atlantic Wall and push inland in the largest amphibious military operation in history. Wikipedia ↗
1942 — World War II: Battle of Midway. U.S. Navy dive bombers sink the Japanese cruiser Mikuma and four Japanese carriers. Wikipedia ↗
1939 — Judge Joseph Force Crater, known as the "Missingest Man in New York", is declared legally dead. Wikipedia ↗
1934 — New Deal: The U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 into law, establishing the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Wikipedia ↗
1933 — The first drive-in theater opens in Camden, New Jersey, United States. Wikipedia ↗
1932 — The Revenue Act of 1932 is enacted, creating the first gas tax in the United States, at a rate of 1 cent per US gallon ( 1⁄4¢/L) sold. Wikipedia ↗
1921 — Southwark Bridge in London is opened to traffic by King George V and Queen Mary. Wikipedia ↗
1919 — The Republic of Prekmurje ends. Wikipedia ↗
1918 — World War I: Battle of Belleau Wood: The U.S. Marine Corps suffers its worst single day's casualties while attempting to recapture the wood at Château-Thierry. Wikipedia ↗
1912 — The eruption of Novarupta in Alaska begins. It is the largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century. Wikipedia ↗
1909 — French troops capture Abéché (in modern-day Chad) and install a puppet sultan in the Ouaddai Empire. Wikipedia ↗
1894 — Governor Davis H. Waite orders the Colorado state militia to protect and support the miners engaged in the Cripple Creek miners' strike. Wikipedia ↗
1892 — The Chicago "L" elevated rail system begins operation. Wikipedia ↗
1889 — The Great Seattle Fire destroys all of downtown Seattle. Wikipedia ↗
1882 — More than 100,000 inhabitants of Bombay are killed when a cyclone in the Arabian Sea pushes huge waves into the harbour. Wikipedia ↗
1882 — The Shewan forces of Menelik II of Ethiopia defeat the Gojjame army in the Battle of Embabo. The Shewans capture Negus Tekle Haymanot of Gojjam, and their victory leads to a Shewan hegemony over the territories south of the Abay River. Wikipedia ↗
1862 — American Civil War: Battle of Memphis: Union forces capture Memphis, Tennessee, from the Confederates. Wikipedia ↗
1859 — Australia: Queensland is established as a separate colony from New South Wales (Queensland Day). Wikipedia ↗
1857 — Sophia of Nassau marries the future King Oscar II of Sweden-Norway. Wikipedia ↗
1844 — The Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) is founded in London. Wikipedia ↗
1844 — The Glaciarium, the world's first mechanically frozen ice rink, opens. Wikipedia ↗
1832 — The June Rebellion in Paris is put down by the National Guard. Wikipedia ↗
1822 — Alexis St. Martin is accidentally shot in the stomach, leading to William Beaumont's studies on digestion. Wikipedia ↗
1813 — War of 1812: Battle of Stoney Creek: A British force of 700 under John Vincent defeats an American force twice its size under William Winder and John Chandler. Wikipedia ↗
1809 — Sweden promulgates a new Constitution, which restores political power to the Riksdag of the Estates after 20 years of enlightened absolutism. At the same time, Charles XIII is elected to succeed Gustav IV Adolf as King of Sweden. Wikipedia ↗
1808 — Napoleon's brother, Joseph Bonaparte, is crowned King of Spain. Wikipedia ↗
1762 — Seven Years' War: British forces begin a siege of Havana, Cuba, and temporarily capture the city in the Battle of Havana. Wikipedia ↗
1749 — The Conspiracy of the Slaves in Malta is discovered. Wikipedia ↗
1674 — Shivaji, founder of the Maratha Empire, is crowned. Wikipedia ↗
1654 — Queen Christina abdicates the Swedish throne and is succeeded by her cousin Charles X Gustav. Wikipedia ↗
1644 — The Qing dynasty Manchu forces led by the Shunzhi Emperor capture Beijing during the collapse of the Ming dynasty. Wikipedia ↗
1586 — Francis Drake's forces raid St. Augustine in Spanish Florida. Wikipedia ↗
1523 — Gustav Vasa, the Swedish regent, is elected King of Sweden, marking a symbolic end to the Kalmar Union. This is the Swedish national day. Wikipedia ↗
1513 — Italian Wars: Battle of Novara. Swiss troops defeat the French under Louis II de la Trémoille, forcing the French to abandon Milan. Duke Massimiliano Sforza is restored. Wikipedia ↗
913 — Emperor Alexander III dies of exhaustion while playing the game tzykanion (Byzantine name for polo). He is succeeded by his 8-year-old nephew Constantine VII. Wikipedia ↗

🎂 Notable Births on June 6

1995 — Julian Green, American footballer Wikipedia ↗
1994 — Jake Mamo, Australian rugby league player Wikipedia ↗
1993 — Vic Mensa, American rapper Wikipedia ↗
1992 — Hyuna, South Korean singer-songwriter, dancer, and model Wikipedia ↗
1990 — Raisa Andriana, Indonesian singer and actress Wikipedia ↗
1990 — Vid Belec, Slovenian footballer Wikipedia ↗
1990 — Anthony Rendon, American baseball player Wikipedia ↗
1989 — Paula Brancati, Canadian actress Wikipedia ↗
1989 — Darcy Lussick, Australian rugby league player Wikipedia ↗
1989 — Paweł Wojciechowski, Polish pole vaulter Wikipedia ↗
1988 — Maria Alyokhina, Russian singer and activist Wikipedia ↗
1988 — Ryan Brathwaite, Barbadian hurdler Wikipedia ↗
1988 — Israel Dagg, New Zealand rugby player Wikipedia ↗
1987 — Niklas Hjalmarsson, Swedish ice hockey player Wikipedia ↗
1987 — Rory Kostjasyn, Australian-Irish rugby league player Wikipedia ↗
1987 — Rubin Okotie, Austrian footballer Wikipedia ↗
1986 — Junichi Tazawa, Japanese-American baseball player Wikipedia ↗
1985 — Drew Galloway, Scottish wrestler Wikipedia ↗
1985 — Martyn Irvine, Northern Irish cyclist Wikipedia ↗
1985 — Sebastian Larsson, Swedish footballer Wikipedia ↗
1985 — Nikolay Varbanov, Bulgarian basketball player Wikipedia ↗
1983 — Michael Krohn-Dehli, Danish footballer Wikipedia ↗
1983 — Joe Rokocoko, Fijian-New Zealand rugby player Wikipedia ↗
1982 — Marian Oprea, Romanian triple jumper Wikipedia ↗
1981 — Luke Burt, Australian rugby league player Wikipedia ↗
1978 — Carl Barât, English singer-songwriter Wikipedia ↗
1977 — David Connolly, English-Irish footballer Wikipedia ↗
1977 — Mark Ellis, American baseball player Wikipedia ↗
1976 — Emilie-Claire Barlow, Canadian singer and actress Wikipedia ↗
1976 — Geoff Rowley, English skateboarder and businessman Wikipedia ↗
1975 — Niklas Sundström, Swedish ice hockey player Wikipedia ↗
1974 — Uncle Kracker (Matthew Shafer), American singer-songwriter and guitarist Wikipedia ↗
1974 — Guillaume Musso, French novelist Wikipedia ↗
1973 — Patrick Rothfuss, American author and academic Wikipedia ↗
1972 — Noriaki Kasai, Japanese ski jumper Wikipedia ↗
1972 — Natalie Morales, American television journalist and anchor Wikipedia ↗
1970 — Evgeni Berzin, Russian cyclist Wikipedia ↗
1970 — Richard Di Natale, Australian politician Wikipedia ↗
1970 — Albert Ferrer, Spanish footballer and coach Wikipedia ↗
1970 — Sunil Joshi, Indian cricketer Wikipedia ↗
1970 — James Shaffer, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer Wikipedia ↗
1969 — Erik Prince, American soldier and businessman, co-founded Academi Wikipedia ↗
1969 — Fernando Redondo, Argentinian footballer Wikipedia ↗
1968 — François Avard, Canadian author and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
1967 — Max Casella, American actor Wikipedia ↗
1967 — Paul Giamatti, American actor Wikipedia ↗
1965 — Cam Neely, Canadian ice hockey player and actor Wikipedia ↗
1965 — Megumi Ogata, Japanese voice actress and singer Wikipedia ↗
1964 — Jay Bentley, American singer and bass player Wikipedia ↗
1963 — Eric Cantor, American lawyer and politician Wikipedia ↗
1963 — Vincent Collet, French former professional basketball player Wikipedia ↗
1963 — Wolfgang Drechsler, German scholar, author, and academic Wikipedia ↗
1963 — Jason Isaacs, English actor Wikipedia ↗
1963 — Ahmed Johnson, American football player, wrestler, and actor Wikipedia ↗
1963 — Dariusz Kubicki, Polish footballer and coach Wikipedia ↗
1962 — Grant Fox, New Zealand rugby player and sportscaster Wikipedia ↗
1961 — Tom Araya, Chilean-American singer-songwriter and bass player Wikipedia ↗
1961 — Nir Brand, Israeli composer and conductor Wikipedia ↗
1960 — Steve Vai, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer Wikipedia ↗
1959 — Jimmy Jam, American keyboard player, songwriter, and producer Wikipedia ↗
1959 — Andrey Prokofyev, Russian sprinter and hurdler (d. 1989) Wikipedia ↗
1959 — David Schultz, American wrestler (d. 1996) Wikipedia ↗
1957 — Mike Gatting, English cricketer, coach, and sportscaster Wikipedia ↗
1957 — Balanadarajah Iyer, Sri Lankan poet and activist (d. 2004) Wikipedia ↗
1957 — Christian Rach, German chef and author Wikipedia ↗
1956 — Björn Borg, Swedish tennis player and fashion designer Wikipedia ↗
1956 — Dave Cusack, English footballer and manager Wikipedia ↗
1955 — Sandra Bernhard, American actress and comedian Wikipedia ↗
1955 — Sam Simon, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2015) Wikipedia ↗
1955 — Suresh Bhardwaj, Indian stage designer, director and theatre teacher (d. 2016) Wikipedia ↗
1955 — Lee Smolin, American theoretical physicist Wikipedia ↗
1954 — Harvey Fierstein, American actor and playwright Wikipedia ↗
1954 — Allan Hewson, New Zealand rugby player Wikipedia ↗
1954 — Urve Tiidus, Estonian journalist and politician, 8th Estonian Minister of Culture Wikipedia ↗
1954 — Władysław Żmuda, Polish footballer and manager Wikipedia ↗
1953 — Dimitris Avramopoulos, Greek lieutenant and politician, Greek Minister for National Defence Wikipedia ↗
1952 — Yukihiro Takahashi, Japanese drummer, producer, and actor Wikipedia ↗
1951 — Marietta Giannakou, Greek psychiatrist and politician, Greek Minister of Health Wikipedia ↗
1951 — Noritake Takahara, Japanese race car driver Wikipedia ↗
1951 — Dwight Twilley, American rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, and pianist Wikipedia ↗
1950 — Chantal Akerman, Belgian actress, director, and producer (d. 2015) Wikipedia ↗
1949 — Noli de Castro, Filipino journalist and politician, 14th Vice President of the Philippines Wikipedia ↗
1949 — Ioannis Matzourakis, Greek footballer and manager Wikipedia ↗
1949 — Holly Near, American folk singer-songwriter Wikipedia ↗
1948 — Arlene Harris, American entrepreneur, inventor, investor and policy advocate Wikipedia ↗
1947 — David Blunkett, English academic and politician, Secretary of State for Education Wikipedia ↗
1947 — Robert Englund, American actor Wikipedia ↗
1947 — Ada Kok, Dutch swimmer Wikipedia ↗
1946 — Tony Levin, American bass player and songwriter Wikipedia ↗
1945 — David Dukes, American actor (d. 2000) Wikipedia ↗
1945 — Nikolai Velikov, Russian figure skater and coach Wikipedia ↗
1944 — Monty Alexander, Jamaican pianist Wikipedia ↗
1944 — Edgar Froese, Russian-German keyboard player and songwriter (d. 2015) Wikipedia ↗
1944 — Phillip Allen Sharp, American geneticist and biologist, Nobel Prize laureate Wikipedia ↗
1944 — Tommie Smith, American runner and football player Wikipedia ↗
1943 — José de Jesús Gudiño Pelayo, Mexican lawyer and jurist (d. 2010) Wikipedia ↗
1943 — Asif Iqbal, Indian-Pakistani cricketer Wikipedia ↗
1943 — Richard Smalley, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2005) Wikipedia ↗
1943 — Joe Stampley, American country music singer-songwriter Wikipedia ↗
1941 — Alexander Cockburn, Scottish-American journalist and author (d. 2012) Wikipedia ↗
1940 — Kumar Bhattacharyya, Baron Bhattacharyya, Indian-English engineer and academic Wikipedia ↗
1940 — Tiger Lance, South African cricketer (d. 2010) Wikipedia ↗
1940 — Willie John McBride, Northern Irish rugby player, coach, and manager Wikipedia ↗
1939 — Louis Andriessen, Dutch pianist and composer Wikipedia ↗
1939 — Gary U.S. Bonds, American singer-songwriter Wikipedia ↗
1939 — Eddie Giacomin, Canadian-American ice hockey player, coach, and sportscaster Wikipedia ↗
1938 — Prince Luiz of Orléans-Braganza Wikipedia ↗
1938 — Ryuchi Matsuda, Japanese martial artist and author (d. 2013) Wikipedia ↗
1936 — Mompati Merafhe, Botswana general and politician, Vice-President of Botswana (d. 2015) Wikipedia ↗
1936 — D. Ramanaidu, Indian actor, director, and producer, founded Suresh Productions (d. 2015) Wikipedia ↗
1936 — Levi Stubbs, American singer (d. 2008) Wikipedia ↗
1935 — Jon Henricks, Australian swimmer Wikipedia ↗
1934 — Albert II of Belgium Wikipedia ↗
1933 — Eli Broad, American businessman and philanthropist, co-founded KB Home Wikipedia ↗
1933 — Heinrich Rohrer, Swiss physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2013) Wikipedia ↗
1932 — David Scott, American colonel, engineer, and astronaut Wikipedia ↗
1932 — Billie Whitelaw, English actress (d. 2014) Wikipedia ↗
1930 — Frank Tyson, English-Australian cricketer, coach, and journalist (d. 2015) Wikipedia ↗
1929 — Sunil Dutt, Indian actor, director, producer, and politician (d. 2005) Wikipedia ↗
1926 — Torsten Andersson, Swedish painter and illustrator (d. 2009) Wikipedia ↗
1926 — Erdal İnönü, Turkish physicist and politician, Prime Minister of Turkey (d. 2007) Wikipedia ↗
1926 — Klaus Tennstedt, German conductor (d. 1998) Wikipedia ↗
1925 — Maxine Kumin, American poet and author (d. 2014) Wikipedia ↗
1925 — Frank Chee Willeto, American soldier and politician, 4th Vice President of the Navajo Nation (d. 2013) Wikipedia ↗
1923 — V. C. Andrews, American author, illustrator, and painter (d. 1986) Wikipedia ↗
1923 — Jean Pouliot, Canadian broadcaster (d. 2004) Wikipedia ↗
1919 — Peter Carington, 6th Baron Carrington, English captain and politician, 6th Secretary General of NATO Wikipedia ↗
1918 — Edwin G. Krebs, American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2009) Wikipedia ↗
1917 — Kirk Kerkorian, American businessman, founded the Tracinda Corporation (d. 2015) Wikipedia ↗
1916 — Hamani Diori, Nigerien academic and politician, 1st President of Niger (d. 1989) Wikipedia ↗
1915 — Vincent Persichetti, American pianist and composer (d. 1987) Wikipedia ↗
1913 — Carlo L. Golino, Italian-American author, critic, and academic (d. 1991) Wikipedia ↗
1909 — Isaiah Berlin, Latvian-English historian and philosopher (d. 1997) Wikipedia ↗
1908 — Giovanni Bracco, Italian race car driver (d. 1968) Wikipedia ↗
1907 — Bill Dickey, American baseball player and manager (d. 1993) Wikipedia ↗
1907 — Robin Humphreys, British scholar of Latin America (d. 1999) Wikipedia ↗
1906 — Max August Zorn, German mathematician and academic (d. 1993) Wikipedia ↗
1903 — Aram Khachaturian, Armenian composer and conductor (d. 1978) Wikipedia ↗
1903 — Bakht Singh, Indian evangelist, well-known bible teacher and preacher (d. 2000) Wikipedia ↗
1902 — Jimmie Lunceford, American saxophonist and bandleader (d. 1947) Wikipedia ↗
1901 — Jan Struther, English author and hymnwriter (d. 1953) Wikipedia ↗
1901 — Sukarno, Indonesian engineer and politician, 1st President of Indonesia (d. 1970) Wikipedia ↗
1900 — Manfred Sakel, Ukrainian-American psychiatrist and physician (d. 1957) Wikipedia ↗
1898 — Walter Abel, American actor (d. 1987) Wikipedia ↗
1898 — Jacobus Johannes Fouché, South African politician, 2nd State President of South Africa (d. 1980) Wikipedia ↗
1898 — Ninette de Valois, English ballerina, choreographer, and director (d. 2001) Wikipedia ↗
1896 — Henry Allingham, English soldier (d. 2009) Wikipedia ↗
1896 — Italo Balbo, Italian air marshal and politician (d. 1940) Wikipedia ↗
1891 — Masti Venkatesha Iyengar, Indian author and academic (d. 1986) Wikipedia ↗
1891 — Erich Marcks, German general (d. 1944) Wikipedia ↗