Today in History
Historical Events
A police raid of a gay tavern sparks a series of violent clashes. The Stonewall Riots in New York City marked the beginning of the gay rights movement in the United States. The Christopher Street Day, a yearly observance for Gay Pride in some European countries, is named after the bar's location.
Israel annexes East Jerusalem. From Israel's point of view, the annexation effected the reunification of its capital city. However, the international community declared it illegal and views East Jerusalem as Palestinian territory occupied by Israel.
The world's first scheduled transatlantic flight takes off. The Boeing 314 Clipper flying boat was operated by Pan Am. It took about 24 hours to reach Marseille, France. The scheduled service was soon discontinued again because of the outbreak of World War II.
Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie are assassinated. Gavrilo Princip's attack effected a crisis among Europe's major powers (July Crisis). This ultimately triggered the First World War, which with over 37 million deaths was one of the bloodiest war of all time. Five years later to the day, the Treaty of Versailles formally ended the war.
The saxophone is patented. Belgian musician Adolphe Sax developed the woodwind instrument typically made of brass, which in recent decades has heavily influenced the sound of the jazz, military band, rock, and pop musical genres.
Famous Births
Born on this day

Muhammad Yunus
1940
Bangladeshi economist, Nobel Prize laureate

Mel Brooks
1926
American actor, director, producer, writer

Jean-Jacques Rousseau
1712
Swiss philosopher, polymath

Peter Paul Rubens
1577
Flemish painter

Henry VIII of England
1491
Famous Deaths
Died on this day

Mortimer J. Adler
2001
American philosopher, author

Terry Fox
1981
Canadian athlete, activist

Rod Serling
1975
American screenwriter, producer, created The Twilight Zone

Mickey Cochrane
1962
American baseball player, manager

James Madison
1836
American politician, 4th President of the United States