📅 On This Day in History

What Happened on June 1st in History

60 historical events on this date

1941

World War II: The Battle of Crete ends as Crete capitulates to Germany.

World War II, or the Second World War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated. Tanks and aircraft played major...

1941

World War II: The Battle of Crete ends as Crete capitulates to Germany.

World War II, or the Second World War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated. Tanks and aircraft played major...

1943

BOAC Flight 777 is shot down over the Bay of Biscay by German Junkers Ju 88s, killing British actor Leslie Howard and leading to speculation that it was actually an attempt to kill British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

BOAC Flight 777 was a KLM flight scheduled as a British Overseas Airways Corporation civilian airline flight from Portela Airport in Lisbon, Portugal, to Whitchurch Airport near Bristol, England. On...

1943

BOAC Flight 777 is shot down over the Bay of Biscay by German Junkers Ju 88s, killing British actor Leslie Howard and leading to speculation that it was actually an attempt to kill British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

BOAC Flight 777 was a KLM flight scheduled as a British Overseas Airways Corporation civilian airline flight from Portela Airport in Lisbon, Portugal, to Whitchurch Airport near Bristol, England. On...

1946

Ion Antonescu, "Conducator" ("Leader") of Romania during World War II, is executed.

Ion Antonescu was a Romanian military officer and marshal who presided over two successive wartime dictatorships as Prime Minister and Conducător during most of World War II. Having been responsible...

1946

Ion Antonescu, "Conducator" ("Leader") of Romania during World War II, is executed.

Ion Antonescu was a Romanian military officer and marshal who presided over two successive wartime dictatorships as Prime Minister and Conducător during most of World War II. Having been responsible...

1950

The Declaration of Conscience speech, by U.S. Senator from Maine, Margaret Chase Smith, is delivered in response to Joseph R. McCarthy's speech at Wheeling, West Virginia.

"Declaration of Conscience" was a Cold War speech made by U.S. Senator from Maine, Margaret Chase Smith on June 1, 1950, less than four months after Senator Joseph McCarthy's "Wheeling Speech" on...

1950

The Chinchaga fire ignites. By September, it would become the largest single fire on record in North America.

The Chinchaga fire, also known as the Wisp fire, Chinchaga River fire and Fire 19, was a forest fire that burned in northern British Columbia and Alberta in the summer and early fall of 1950. With a...

1950

The Declaration of Conscience speech, by U.S. Senator from Maine, Margaret Chase Smith, is delivered in response to Joseph R. McCarthy's speech at Wheeling, West Virginia.

"Declaration of Conscience" was a Cold War speech made by U.S. Senator from Maine, Margaret Chase Smith on June 1, 1950, less than four months after Senator Joseph McCarthy's "Wheeling Speech" on...

1950

The Chinchaga fire ignites. By September, it would become the largest single fire on record in North America.

The Chinchaga fire, also known as the Wisp fire, Chinchaga River fire and Fire 19, was a forest fire that burned in northern British Columbia and Alberta in the summer and early fall of 1950. With a...

1951

Washington State Ferries, the largest ferry system in the United States, begins operation under state ownership after a buyout of the Puget Sound Navigation Company.

Washington State Ferries (WSF) is a public ferry system in the U.S. state of Washington that carries passengers and vehicles. A division of the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT),...

1951

Washington State Ferries, the largest ferry system in the United States, begins operation under state ownership after a buyout of the Puget Sound Navigation Company.

Washington State Ferries (WSF) is a public ferry system in the U.S. state of Washington that carries passengers and vehicles. A division of the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT),...

1958

Charles de Gaulle comes out of retirement to lead France by decree for six months.

Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces against Nazi Germany and Vichy France in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government of...

1958

Charles de Gaulle comes out of retirement to lead France by decree for six months.

Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces against Nazi Germany and Vichy France in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government of...

1961

The Canadian Bank of Commerce and Imperial Bank of Canada merge to form the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, the largest bank merger in Canadian history.

The Canadian Bank of Commerce was a Canadian bank that operated from 1867 to 1961. It merged in 1961 with the Imperial Bank of Canada to form the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, which today is...

1961

The Canadian Bank of Commerce and Imperial Bank of Canada merge to form the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, the largest bank merger in Canadian history.

The Canadian Bank of Commerce was a Canadian bank that operated from 1867 to 1961. It merged in 1961 with the Imperial Bank of Canada to form the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, which today is...

1962

Adolf Eichmann, former SS officer in Nazi Germany, is hanged in Israel for having committed crimes against humanity, war crimes, and other offenses.

Otto Adolf Eichmann was a German-Austrian official of the Nazi Party, an officer of the Schutzstaffel (SS), a convicted war criminal, and one of the major organizers of the Holocaust. He...

1962

Adolf Eichmann, former SS officer in Nazi Germany, is hanged in Israel for having committed crimes against humanity, war crimes, and other offenses.

Otto Adolf Eichmann was a German-Austrian official of the Nazi Party, an officer of the Schutzstaffel (SS), a convicted war criminal, and one of the major organizers of the Holocaust. He...

1974

The Heimlich maneuver for rescuing choking victims is published in the journal Emergency Medicine.

The Heimlich maneuver, also known as an abdominal thrust, is a first-aid procedure used to treat upper-airway obstructions by foreign objects. American doctor Henry Heimlich is often credited for...

1974

The Heimlich maneuver for rescuing choking victims is published in the journal Emergency Medicine.

The Heimlich maneuver, also known as an abdominal thrust, is a first-aid procedure used to treat upper-airway obstructions by foreign objects. American doctor Henry Heimlich is often credited for...

1975

The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan was founded by Jalal Talabani, Nawshirwan Mustafa, Fuad Masum and others.

The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan is a centre-left regionalist political party active in Kurdistan Region and the disputed territories in Iraq. The PUK describes its goals as self-determination,...

1975

The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan was founded by Jalal Talabani, Nawshirwan Mustafa, Fuad Masum and others.

The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan is a centre-left regionalist political party active in Kurdistan Region and the disputed territories in Iraq. The PUK describes its goals as self-determination,...

1976

Aeroflot Flight 418 crashes in Bioko, Equatorial Guinea, killing 46.

Aeroflot Flight 418 was an international passenger flight from Luanda to Moscow Sheremetyevo with three intermediate stops. On 1 June 1976, the Tupolev Tu-154A (CCCP-85102) operating the first leg...

1976

Aeroflot Flight 418 crashes in Bioko, Equatorial Guinea, killing 46.

Aeroflot Flight 418 was an international passenger flight from Luanda to Moscow Sheremetyevo with three intermediate stops. On 1 June 1976, the Tupolev Tu-154A (CCCP-85102) operating the first leg...

1978

The first international applications under the Patent Cooperation Treaty are filed.

The Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) is an international patent law treaty, concluded in 1970. It provides a unified procedure for filing patent applications to protect inventions in each of its...

1978

The first international applications under the Patent Cooperation Treaty are filed.

The Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) is an international patent law treaty, concluded in 1970. It provides a unified procedure for filing patent applications to protect inventions in each of its...

1979

The first black-led government of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) in 90 years takes power.

Rhodesia, officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state in Southern Africa that existed from 1965 to 1979. Rhodesia was the de facto successor to the colony of Southern...

1979

The first black-led government of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) in 90 years takes power.

Rhodesia, officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state in Southern Africa that existed from 1965 to 1979. Rhodesia was the de facto successor to the colony of Southern...

1980

Cable News Network (CNN) begins broadcasting.

Cable News Network, Inc. (CNN) is an American multinational news media company and the flagship namesake property of CNN Worldwide, a division of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). Founded on June 1,...

1980

Cable News Network (CNN) begins broadcasting.

Cable News Network, Inc. (CNN) is an American multinational news media company and the flagship namesake property of CNN Worldwide, a division of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). Founded on June 1,...

1988

The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty comes into effect.

The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty was an arms control treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union. US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev...

1988

The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty comes into effect.

The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty was an arms control treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union. US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev...

1990

Cold War: George H. W. Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev sign a treaty to end chemical weapon production.

The Cold War was a period of international geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist...

1990

Cold War: George H. W. Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev sign a treaty to end chemical weapon production.

The Cold War was a period of international geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist...

1993

Dobrinja mortar attack: Thirteen are killed and 133 wounded when Serb mortar shells are fired at a soccer game in Dobrinja, west of Sarajevo.

The Dobrinja mortar attack was a massacre which occurred at 10:20 a.m. on 1 June 1993, in Dobrinja, a suburb west of Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Two mortar rounds were fired from Serb-held...

1993

Dobrinja mortar attack: Thirteen are killed and 133 wounded when Serb mortar shells are fired at a soccer game in Dobrinja, west of Sarajevo.

The Dobrinja mortar attack was a massacre which occurred at 10:20 a.m. on 1 June 1993, in Dobrinja, a suburb west of Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Two mortar rounds were fired from Serb-held...

1994

Republic of South Africa becomes a republic in the Commonwealth of Nations.

South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. Its nine provinces are bounded to the south by 2,798 kilometres of coastline that stretches along...

1994

Republic of South Africa becomes a republic in the Commonwealth of Nations.

South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. Its nine provinces are bounded to the south by 2,798 kilometres of coastline that stretches along...

1999

American Airlines Flight 1420 slides and crashes while landing at Little Rock National Airport, killing 11 people on a flight from Dallas to Little Rock.

American Airlines Flight 1420 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to Little Rock National Airport in the United States. On Tuesday, June 1st,...

1999

American Airlines Flight 1420 slides and crashes while landing at Little Rock National Airport, killing 11 people on a flight from Dallas to Little Rock.

American Airlines Flight 1420 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to Little Rock National Airport in the United States. On Tuesday, June 1st,...

2001

Nepalese royal massacre: Crown Prince Dipendra of Nepal shoots and kills several members of his family including his father and mother.

The Nepalese royal massacre was a mass shooting which occurred on 1 June 2001 at the Narayanhiti Palace, the then-residence of the Nepali monarchy, resulting in the deaths of nine members of the...

2001

Dolphinarium discotheque massacre: A Hamas suicide bomber kills 21 at a disco in Tel Aviv.

On 1 June 2001, Palestinian militant Saeed Hotari performed a suicide bombing outside the Dolphinarium discotheque on the beachfront in Tel Aviv, Israel, killing himself and 21 Israelis, 16 of whom...

2001

Nepalese royal massacre: Crown Prince Dipendra of Nepal shoots and kills several members of his family including his father and mother.

The Nepalese royal massacre was a mass shooting which occurred on 1 June 2001 at the Narayanhiti Palace, the then-residence of the Nepali monarchy, resulting in the deaths of nine members of the...

2001

Dolphinarium discotheque massacre: A Hamas suicide bomber kills 21 at a disco in Tel Aviv.

On 1 June 2001, Palestinian militant Saeed Hotari performed a suicide bombing outside the Dolphinarium discotheque on the beachfront in Tel Aviv, Israel, killing himself and 21 Israelis, 16 of whom...

2004

Oklahoma City bombing co-conspirator Terry Nichols is sentenced to 161 consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole.

On April 19, 1995, American anti-government extremist Timothy McVeigh, assisted by Terry Nichols, detonated a makeshift bomb stored in a rental truck parked in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal...

2004

Oklahoma City bombing co-conspirator Terry Nichols is sentenced to 161 consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole.

On April 19, 1995, American anti-government extremist Timothy McVeigh, assisted by Terry Nichols, detonated a makeshift bomb stored in a rental truck parked in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal...

2007

Cyclone Gonu develops from an area of convection in the Arabian Sea, becoming the worst recorded natural disaster in Oman.

Super Cyclonic Storm Gonu was an extremely powerful tropical cyclone that became the strongest cyclone on record in the Arabian Sea. The second named tropical cyclone of the 2007 North Indian Ocean...

2007

Cyclone Gonu develops from an area of convection in the Arabian Sea, becoming the worst recorded natural disaster in Oman.

Super Cyclonic Storm Gonu was an extremely powerful tropical cyclone that became the strongest cyclone on record in the Arabian Sea. The second named tropical cyclone of the 2007 North Indian Ocean...

2008

A fire on the back lot of Universal Studios breaks out, destroying the attraction King Kong Encounter and a large archive of master tapes for music and film, the full extent of which was not revealed until 2019.

On June 1, 2008, a fire broke out on the backlot of Universal Studios Hollywood, an American film studio and theme park in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles County, California. The fire...

2008

A fire on the back lot of Universal Studios breaks out, destroying the attraction King Kong Encounter and a large archive of master tapes for music and film, the full extent of which was not revealed until 2019.

On June 1, 2008, a fire broke out on the backlot of Universal Studios Hollywood, an American film studio and theme park in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles County, California. The fire...

2009

Air France Flight 447 crashes into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Brazil on a flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris. All 228 passengers and crew are killed.

Air France Flight 447 was a scheduled international transatlantic passenger flight from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, France, that crashed into the mid-Atlantic Ocean...

2009

General Motors files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. It is the fourth largest United States bankruptcy in history.

General Motors Company (GM) is an American multinational automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. The company is most known for owning and manufacturing...

2009

Air France Flight 447 crashes into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Brazil on a flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris. All 228 passengers and crew are killed.

Air France Flight 447 was a scheduled international transatlantic passenger flight from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, France, that crashed into the mid-Atlantic Ocean...

2009

General Motors files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. It is the fourth largest United States bankruptcy in history.

General Motors Company (GM) is an American multinational automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. The company is most known for owning and manufacturing...

2011

A rare tornado outbreak occurs in New England; a strong EF3 tornado strikes Springfield, Massachusetts, during the event, killing four people.

On the afternoon of June 1, 2011, an unusually long-tracked and powerful tornado caused significant damage in Hampden and Worcester Counties in Western and Central Massachusetts, including the city...

2011

Space Shuttle Endeavour makes its final landing after 25 flights.

Space Shuttle Endeavour is a retired orbiter from NASA's Space Shuttle program and the fifth and final operational Shuttle built. It embarked on its first mission, STS-49, in May 1992 and its 25th...

2011

A rare tornado outbreak occurs in New England; a strong EF3 tornado strikes Springfield, Massachusetts, during the event, killing four people.

On the afternoon of June 1, 2011, an unusually long-tracked and powerful tornado caused significant damage in Hampden and Worcester Counties in Western and Central Massachusetts, including the city...

2011

Space Shuttle Endeavour makes its final landing after 25 flights.

Space Shuttle Endeavour is a retired orbiter from NASA's Space Shuttle program and the fifth and final operational Shuttle built. It embarked on its first mission, STS-49, in May 1992 and its 25th...

2015

A ship carrying 458 people capsizes in the Yangtze river in China's Hubei province, killing 442 people.

MV Dongfang zhi Xing was a river cruise ship that operated in the Three Gorges region of inland China. On the night of 1 June 2015, the ship was traveling on the Yangtze River when it capsized...

2015

A ship carrying 458 people capsizes in the Yangtze river in China's Hubei province, killing 442 people.

MV Dongfang zhi Xing was a river cruise ship that operated in the Three Gorges region of inland China. On the night of 1 June 2015, the ship was traveling on the Yangtze River when it capsized...