June 12

Interior of Incapillo

Incapillo is a Pleistocene-age caldera – a depression formed by the collapse of a volcano – in La Rioja Province, Argentina. It is part of the southernmost volcanic centre in the Andean Central Volcanic Zone (CVZ). Subduction of the Nazca Plate beneath the South American Plate is responsible for most of the volcanism in the CVZ. Volcanism commenced in the Incapillo region 6.5 million years ago, forming the high volcanic edifices of Monte Pissis, Cerro Bonete Chico and Sierra de Veladero. Incapillo is known to have erupted the Incapillo ignimbrite 0.52 ± 0.03 and 0.51 ± 0.04 million years ago; this has a total volume of about 20.4 cubic kilometres (4.9 cu mi). A caldera with dimensions of 5 by 6 kilometres (3.1 mi × 3.7 mi) formed during the eruptions. Later volcanism generated more lava domes within the caldera and a debris flow in the Sierra de Veladero. The lake within the caldera may overlie an area of ongoing hydrothermal activity. (Full article...)

June 12: First day of Shavuot (Judaism, 2024); Dia dos Namorados in Brazil; Loving Day in the United States (1967)

Boeing 777

• 1798 – Following the successful French invasion of Malta, the Knights Hospitaller surrendered Malta to Napoleon, initiating two years of occupation.
• 1864 – Union general Ulysses S. Grant pulled his troops out of the Battle of Cold Harbor in Hanover County, Virginia, ending one of the bloodiest, most lopsided battles in the American Civil War.
• 1914 – As part of the Ottoman Empire's policies of ethnic cleansing, Turkish irregulars began a six-day massacre in the predominantly Greek town of Phocaea.
• 1954 – Dominic Savio, who was 14 years old at his death in 1857, was canonized by Pope Pius XII, making him one of the youngest non-martyred saints in the Catholic Church.
• 1994 – The Boeing 777 (pictured), the world's largest twinjet, made its maiden flight.

June 12

The green kingfisher (Chloroceryle americana) is a species of bird in the kingfisher family, Alcedinidae. It is found from the southern United States, south through Central America, and in every mainland South American country except Chile. The green kingfisher is about 20 cm (7.9 in) long and weighs about 35 to 40 g (1.2 to 1.4 oz), with females being larger and heavier than males. It has various vocalisations, including one described as resembling "the striking of two pebbles together" and another as "a harsh, buzzy scold". This male green kingfisher, a member of the subspecies C. a. americana, was spotted close to the Cristalino River in the Pantanal, Brazil. Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp Recently featured: Zhou Fang Oblique shock Euchloe penia Archive More featured pictures

June 13

Wreckage from the Battle of Villers-Bocage

The Battle of Villers-Bocage took place on 13 June 1944 during World War II. Following the D-Day landings on 6 June, the Germans established defences in front of Caen. The British attacked in an attempt to exploit a gap in the German defences west of the city. They reached Villers-Bocage without incident in the morning but were ambushed by Tiger I tanks as they left the town and numerous tanks, anti-tank guns and transport vehicles were destroyed. The Germans then attacked the town but were repulsed. The British withdrew west of Villers-Bocage that evening and repulsed another attack the next day. The British conduct in the battle was controversial because their withdrawal marked the end of the post–D-Day "scramble for ground" and the start of an attritional battle for Caen. Some historians wrote that the British attack was a failure caused by a lack of conviction among some senior commanders; others judged the British force to be insufficiently strong for the task. (Full article...)

June 13

USS Jeannette

• 1881 – The Jeannette expedition to reach the North Pole from the Pacific Ocean via the Bering Strait came to an end when the USS Jeannette (pictured) was finally crushed and sank after having been trapped in ice for almost two years.
• 1952 – Soviet aircraft shot down a Swedish military plane carrying out signals-intelligence gathering operations, followed three days later by the shootdown of a second plane searching for the first one.
• 1969 – Preston Smith, Governor of Texas, signed a law converting a research arm of Texas Instruments into the University of Texas at Dallas.
• 1996 – After an 81-day standoff sparked by their refusal to be evicted from their foreclosed property in Jordan, Montana, the Christian Patriot group Montana Freemen surrendered to the FBI.
• 2013 – Some of the closest advisors and collaborators of Czech prime minister Petr Nečas were arrested for corruption.

June 13

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June 14

Cover of the November 1933 issue

The Spider was an American pulp magazine published by Popular Publications from 1933 to 1943. Every issue included a lead novel featuring the Spider, a heroic crime-fighter. The novels in the first two issues were written by R. T. M. Scott; thereafter every lead novel was credited to "Grant Stockbridge", a house name. Norvell Page, a prolific pulp author, wrote most of these. Unlike some contemporary pulp heroes, The Spider was willing to kill criminals, and when he did so he left a red spider inked on his victims. Page in particular wrote stories with violent storylines, often with science-fiction plot devices. Continuity from novel to novel was often disregarded, with characters killed in one issue appearing unscathed in later issues. Each magazine also featured short stories, occasionally including elements of horror fiction. Most of the cover art was painted by John Newton Howitt or Rafael de Soto. The magazine was cancelled in 1943 due to a paper shortage caused by World War II. (Full article...)

June 14

Killing of Sudbury and Hales

• 1381 – During the Peasants' Revolt in England, rebels stormed the Tower of London, killing Simon Sudbury, Lord Chancellor, and Robert Hales, Lord High Treasurer (both pictured).
• 1644 – First English Civil War: Prince Maurice abandoned his siege of Lyme Regis in Dorset after learning of the approach of a Parliamentarian relief force.
• 1934 – The landmark Australian Eastern Mission concluded after a three-month diplomatic tour of East and South-East Asia.
• 1944 – Second World War: The British Army abandoned its attempt to capture the German-occupied city of Caen.
• 2014 – War in Donbas: An Ilyushin Il-76 transport aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force was shot down by forces of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic, killing all 49 people on board.

June 14

St Catherine's College Bicycle Store

In England, buildings of particular architectural and/or historic interest can be given special protection through listing. Around 500,000 buildings are listed, at one of three grades; Grade I, the most important and applying to only 2.5% of all listed buildings, Grade II*, the next highest, and Grade II. The age of a building is relevant, very few buildings built less than 30 years ago are considered suitable for listing. Thus, no buildings completed in the 21st century have yet been listed. Those completed in the 20th century and given Grade I listing include cathedrals, churches, chapels, war memorials, houses, bridges, factories, galleries, university structures, animal enclosures and a bike shed. The most recent building to be designated Grade I is Colin St John Wilson's British Library, constructed between 1982 and 1999 and the newest designation is for the New House, Wadhurst Park by John Outram, listed in July 2020. The architect with most Grade I 20th-century buildings to their name is Edwin Lutyens, followed by Arne Jacobsen. (Full list...)

June 14

Al-Hajj is the 22nd chapter (sūrah) of the Quran, describing the pilgrimage to Mecca known as the Hajj. This Chinese scroll from the Khalili Collections includes the full text of the chapter as well as an illustration of the pilgrims' destination, the Kaaba. Scroll by unknown artist; restored/photographed by Khalili Collections Recently featured: Green kingfisher Zhou Fang Archive More featured pictures

June 15

Conway Hall, London

Kevin Gately died on 15 June 1974 as the result of a head injury received in the Red Lion Square public disorder in London while protesting against the National Front, a far-right, British fascist party. Gately, a 20-year-old student, was not a member of any organisation. On 15 June, the National Front held a march through central London in support of the expulsion of immigrants. A counter-demonstration was planned by Liberation, an anti-colonial pressure group. When the Liberation march reached Red Lion Square, the International Marxist Group twice charged the police cordon blocking access to Conway Hall (pictured). Police reinforcements forced the demonstrators out of the square. Gately was found unconscious on the ground. He was taken to hospital and died later that day. A public inquiry into the events was conducted by Lord Scarman, who found no evidence that Gately had been killed by the police, although he found fault with some police actions. There was further violence associated with National Front marches and the counter-demonstrations they faced, including in Birmingham, Manchester, and the East End of London (all in 1977), and in Southall in 1979, which led to the death of Blair Peach. (Full article...)

June 15: Day of Arafah (Islam, 2024); King's Official Birthday in the United Kingdom (2024)

Bessie Coleman

• 1215 – King John of England and a group of rebel barons agreed on the text of Magna Carta, an influential charter of rights.
• 1520 – Pope Leo X issued the papal bull Exsurge Domine, censuring 41 propositions from Martin Luther's Ninety-five Theses and subsequent writings, and threatening him with excommunication unless he recanted.
• 1921 – Bessie Coleman (pictured) became the first Black person to earn an international pilot's license from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale.
• 1995 – Western Greece was struck by an earthquake registering 6.4–6.5 M_w that killed 26 people.
• 2006 – US president George W. Bush designated 140,000 square miles (360,000 km²) around the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands as the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, now one of the world's largest protected areas.

June 15

Trithemis annulata, commonly known as the violet dropwing, is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is found in most of Africa, the Middle East, and southern Europe. Males of this species are violet-red with red veins in the wings, while females are yellow and brown. Both sexes have red eyes. This female violet dropwing was photographed near Kalopanagiotis in Cyprus. Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp Recently featured: Al-Hajj Green kingfisher Archive More featured pictures

June 16

Compton Mackenzie

Whisky Galore! is a British comedy film produced by Ealing Studios and released on 16 June 1949, starring Basil Radford, Bruce Seton, Joan Greenwood and Gordon Jackson. The directorial debut of Alexander Mackendrick, it was based on the 1947 novel Whisky Galore by Compton Mackenzie (pictured), and written by Mackenzie and Angus MacPhail. Inspired by the 1941 wreck of the SS Politician, the story concerns a shipwreck off a fictional Scottish island. The islanders, who have run out of whisky because of wartime rationing, salvage cases of it from the ship, against the opposition of the local Customs and Excise men. Like other Ealing comedies, Whisky Galore! explores the actions of a small group facing and overcoming a more powerful opponent. The film was well received on release; renamed Tight Little Island, it became the first film from the studios to achieve box office success in the US. It was followed by Rockets Galore!, a sequel. A remake was released in 2016. (Full article...)

June 16: First day of Eid al-Adha (Islam, 2024)

Valentina Tereshkova

• 1407 – Ming forces conquered Đại Ngu in modern-day northern Vietnam, capturing Hồ dynasty emperor Hồ Quý Ly and bringing the country under Chinese rule.
• 1632 – The Plymouth Company granted a land patent to Thomas Purchase, who became the first permanent European settler of Pejepscot, Maine.
• 1936 – A Junkers Ju 52 aircraft of Norwegian Air Lines crashed into a mountainside near Hyllestad, Norway, killing all seven people on board.
• 1963 – Aboard Vostok 6, Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova (pictured) became the first woman in space.
• 2016 – Jo Cox, a British Member of Parliament, was murdered in her constituency.

June 16

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June 17

Icelandic horse performing the tölt

The Icelandic horse is a breed of horse developed in Iceland. Developed from ponies brought to Iceland by Norse settlers in the 9th and 10th centuries, the breed is mentioned in Icelandic literature and historical records. They are long-lived, hardy, and have few diseases in their native country. In addition to the gaits typical of other horse breeds, many Icelandic horses can also do the tölt (pictured) and the flying pace. The only breed of horse in Iceland, sizable populations exist in Europe and North America. They are used for sheepherding work in Iceland, leisure, showing, and racing. Selective breeding and natural selection with the Icelandic climate developed them into their current form. In the 1780s, much of the breed was killed after a volcanic eruption at Laki. The first breed society for the Icelandic horse was created in Iceland in 1904; the breed is now represented by organizations in 19 nations organized under the International Federation of Icelandic Horse Associations. (Full article...)

June 17:

Mumtaz Mahal

• 653 – Pope Martin I was arrested in the Lateran Palace, Rome, and taken to Constantinople.
• 1631 – Mumtaz Mahal (pictured), wife of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, died in childbirth; Jahan spent the next seventeen years constructing her mausoleum, the Taj Mahal.
• 1913 – In Detroit, autoworkers for car manufacturer Studebaker went on strike in the American auto industry's first major strike action.
• 1963 – Riots broke out in Saigon one day after the signing of the Joint Communiqué, an attempt to resolve the Buddhist crisis in South Vietnam.
• 2017 – Wildfires erupted across central Portugal, eventually causing the deaths of 66 people.

June 17

Michael Arndt

Toy Story 3, a 2010 animated comedy-drama film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures, won 41 awards from 96 nominations, with particular recognition for Michael Arndt's (pictured) writing. It received five nominations at the 83rd Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The film won Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song ("We Belong Together"). At the 64th British Academy Film Awards, Toy Story 3 was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Special Visual Effects, and won Best Animated Film. It won Best Animated Feature Film at the 68th Golden Globe Awards. (Full list...)

June 17

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June 18

Planets of the Solar System

A planet is a large, rounded astronomical body that is neither a star nor a stellar remnant. The archetypal examples are eight planets in the Solar System (all pictured): the four terrestrials, Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars; and the four giant planets, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. The term was initially used to denote the Sun, the Moon, and the five naked-eye planets that move across the background of the stars: they historically were seen as having associations with the gods. As scientific knowledge advanced, human perception of the planets changed. Copernicus suggested that the planets orbited the Sun and that the Earth was itself a planet, and the development of the telescope led to a broadening of the definition to accommodate other discoveries within and beyond the Solar System. Many extrasolar planets display features unseen in the Solar System. The International Astronomical Union defines a planet in the Solar System to have cleared its neighbourhood of other bodies, and that extrasolar planets should orbit stars and not be large enough to support deuterium fusion; however, many planetary scientists continue to apply the word "planet" more broadly, including dwarf planets, planetary-mass moons, rogue planets, and brown dwarfs. (Full article...)

June 18: Autistic Pride Day

Li Yuan

• 618 – Sui–Tang transition: Chinese governor Li Yuan (pictured) declared himself emperor, establishing the Tang dynasty.
• 860 – Rus' forces sailed into the Bosporus in a fleet of about 200 vessels and started pillaging the suburbs of Constantinople.
• 1858 – Charles Darwin received a manuscript by fellow naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace on natural selection, which encouraged him to publish his own theory of evolution.
• 1953 – A Douglas C-124 Globemaster II aircraft crashed just after takeoff from Tachikawa, Japan, killing all 129 people on board.
• 1983 – Iranian teenager Mona Mahmudnizhad and nine other women were hanged in Shiraz because of their membership in the Baháʼí Faith.

June 18

The copper sunbird (Cinnyris cupreus) is a species of passerine bird in the family Nectariniidae. It is native to tropical Africa, its range extending from Senegal and Guinea in the west to South Sudan and Kenya in the east, and southwards to Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. It feeds on nectar that it extracts from selected flowers, such as Calliandra spp., Leonotis leonurus, Syzygium spp., and Senegalia polyacantha. It also takes fruits, spiders and insects, some of which are caught while in flight. This female copper sunbird was photograped in Kakum National Park, Ghana. Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp Recently featured: Trithemis annulata Archive More featured pictures

June 19

Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in 2009

The 1964 European Nations' Cup final in football was held at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium (pictured) in Madrid on 21 June 1964, to decide the winner of the 1964 European Nations' Cup (now the UEFA European Football Championship). The match was contested by Spain and the Soviet Union, the defending champions. En route to the final, Spain defeated Romania, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland over two-legged ties before beating Hungary in the semi-final. The Soviet Union received a bye in the qualifying round before beating Italy, Sweden and Denmark. In the sixth minute, Marcelino dispossessed Valentin Ivanov and crossed for Chus Pereda, who scored to give Spain a 1–0 lead. Two minutes later, Viktor Anichkin passed to Galimzyan Khusainov, who equalised. With six minutes remaining, Pereda beat Anichkin and played in a cross which Viktor Shustikov failed to clear, before Marcelino headed the winning goal inside the near post. Spain won 2–1 to claim their first European Championship title. (Full article...)

June 19: Juneteenth in the United States (1865)

Ethel and Julius Rosenberg

• 1718 – An earthquake on the Tibetan Plateau led to the deaths of more than 73,000 people.
• 1838 – The Jesuits' Maryland province contracted to sell 272 slaves to buyers in Louisiana in one of the largest slave sales in American history.
• 1953 – Americans Julius and Ethel Rosenberg (pictured) were executed as spies for passing nuclear weapons secrets to the Soviet Union.
• 1965 – Nguyễn Cao Kỳ, the commander of the South Vietnam Air Force, was appointed prime minister at the head of a military regime.
• 1987 – Basque separatist group ETA detonated a car bomb at the Hipercor shopping centre in Barcelona, killing 21 people and injuring 45 others.

June 19

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