Once again, it should be reiterated, that this does not pretend to be a very extensive history of what happened on this day (nor is it the most original - the links can be found down below). If you know something that I am missing, by all means, shoot me an email or leave a comment, and let me know!
Jun 22, 1941: Germany launches Operation Barbarossa—the invasion of Russia
On this day in 1941, over 3 million German troops invade Russia in three parallel offensives, in what is the most powerful invasion force in history. Nineteen panzer divisions, 3,000 tanks, 2,500 aircraft, and 7,000 artillery pieces pour across a thousand-mile front as Hitler goes to war on a second front.
Despite the fact that Germany and Russia had signed a "pact" in 1939, each guaranteeing the other a specific region of influence without interference from the other, suspicion remained high. When the Soviet Union invaded Rumania in 1940, Hitler saw a threat to his Balkan oil supply. He immediately responded by moving two armored and 10 infantry divisions into Poland, posing a counterthreat to Russia. But what began as a defensive move turned into a plan for a German first-strike. Despite warnings from his advisers that Germany could not fight the war on two fronts (as Germany's experience in World War I proved), Hitler became convinced that England was holding out against German assaults, refusing to surrender, because it had struck a secret deal with Russia. Fearing he would be "strangled" from the East and the West, he created, in December 1940, "Directive No. 21: Case Barbarossa"–the plan to invade and occupy the very nation he had actually asked to join the Axis only a month before!
On June 22, 1941, having postponed the invasion of Russia after Italy's attack on Greece forced Hitler to bail out his struggling ally in order to keep the Allies from gaining a foothold in the Balkans, three German army groups struck Russia hard by surprise. The Russian army was larger than German intelligence had anticipated, but they were demobilized. Stalin had shrugged off warnings from his own advisers, even Winston Churchill himself, that a German attack was imminent. (Although Hitler had telegraphed his territorial designs on Russia as early as 1925–in his autobiography, Mein Kampf.) By the end of the first day of the invasion, the German air force had destroyed more than 1,000 Soviet aircraft. And despite the toughness of the Russian troops, and the number of tanks and other armaments at their disposal, the Red Army was disorganized, enabling the Germans to penetrate up to 300 miles into Russian territory within the next few days.
Exactly 129 years and one day before Operation Barbarossa, another "dictator" foreign to the country he controlled, invaded Russia–making it all the way to the capital. But despite this early success, Napoleon would be escorted back to France–by Russian troops.
June 22, 1944: FDR signs G.I. Bill
On this day in 1944, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the G.I. Bill, an unprecedented act of legislation designed to compensate returning members of the armed services--known as G.I.s--for their efforts in World War II.
As the last of its sweeping New Deal reforms, Roosevelt's administration created the G.I. Bill--officially the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944--hoping to avoid a relapse into the Great Depression after the war ended. FDR particularly wanted to prevent a repeat of the Bonus March of 1932, when 20,000 unemployed veterans and their families flocked in protest to Washington. The American Legion, a veteran's organization, successfully fought for many of the provisions included in the bill, which gave returning servicemen access to unemployment compensation, low-interest home and business loans, and--most importantly--funding for education.
By giving veterans money for tuition, living expenses, books, supplies and equipment, the G.I. Bill effectively transformed higher education in America. Before the war, college had been an option for only 10-15 percent of young Americans, and university campuses had become known as a haven for the most privileged classes. By 1947, in contrast, vets made up half of the nation's college enrollment; three years later, nearly 500,000 Americans graduated from college, compared with 160,000 in 1939.
As educational institutions opened their doors to this diverse new group of students, overcrowded classrooms and residences prompted widespread improvement and expansion of university facilities and teaching staffs. An array of new vocational courses were developed across the country, including advanced training in education, agriculture, commerce, mining and fishing--skills that had previously been taught only informally.
The G.I. Bill became one of the major forces that drove an economic expansion in America that lasted 30 years after World War II. Only 20 percent of the money set aside for unemployment compensation under the bill was given out, as most veterans found jobs or pursued higher education. Low interest home loans enabled millions of American families to move out of urban centers and buy or build homes outside the city, changing the face of the suburbs. Over 50 years, the impact of the G.I. Bill was enormous, with 20 million veterans and dependents using the education benefits and 14 million home loans guaranteed, for a total federal investment of $67 billion. Among the millions of Americans who have taken advantage of the bill are former Presidents George H.W. Bush and Gerald Ford, former Vice President Al Gore and entertainers Johnny Cash, Ed McMahon, Paul Newman and Clint Eastwood.
Jun 22, 1775: Congress issues Continental currency
On this day in 1775, Congress issues $2 million in bills of credit.
By the spring of 1775, colonial leaders, concerned by British martial law in Boston and increasing constraints on trade, had led their forces in battle against the crown. But, the American revolutionaries encountered a small problem on their way to the front: they lacked the funds necessary to wage a prolonged war.
Though hardly the colonies' first dalliance with paper notes--the Massachusetts Bay colony had issued its own bills in 1690--the large-scale distribution of the revolutionary currency was fairly new ground for America. Moreover, the bills, known at the time as "Continentals," notably lacked the then de rigueur rendering of the British king. Instead, some of the notes featured likenesses of Revolutionary soldiers and the inscription "The United Colonies." But, whatever their novelty, the Continentals proved to be a poor economic instrument: backed by nothing more than the promise of "future tax revenues" and prone to rampant inflation, the notes ultimately had little fiscal value. As George Washington noted at the time, "A wagonload of currency will hardly purchase a wagonload of provisions." Thus, the Continental failed and left the young nation saddled with a hefty war debt.
A deep economic depression followed the Treaty of Paris in 1783. Unstable currency and unstable debts caused a Continental Army veteran, Daniel Shays, to lead a rebellion in western Massachusetts during the winter of 1787. Fear of economic chaos played a significant role in the decision to abandon the Articles of Confederation for the more powerful, centralized government created by the federal Constitution. During George Washington's presidency, Alexander Hamilton struggled to create financial institutions capable of stabilizing the new nation's economy.
Duly frustrated by the experience with Continental currency, America resisted the urge to again issue new paper notes until the dawn of the Civil War.
Jun 22, 1945: Battle of Okinawa ends
During World War II, the U.S. 10th Army overcomes the last major pockets of Japanese resistance on Okinawa Island, ending one of the bloodiest battles of World War II. The same day, Japanese Lieutenant General Mitsuru Ushijima, the commander of Okinawa's defense, committed suicide with a number of Japanese officers and troops rather than surrender.
On April 1, 1945, the 10th Army, under Lieutenant General Simon Bolivar Buckner, launched the invasion of Okinawa, a strategic Pacific island located midway between Japan and Formosa. Possession of Okinawa would give the United States a base large enough for an invasion of the Japanese home islands. There were more than 100,000 Japanese defenders on the island, but most were deeply entrenched in the island's densely forested interior. By the evening of April 1, 60,000 U.S. troops had come safely ashore. However, on April 4, Japanese land resistance stiffened, and at sea kamikaze pilots escalated their deadly suicide attacks on U.S. vessels.
During the next month, the battle raged on land and sea, with the Japanese troops and fliers making the Americans pay dearly for every strategic area of land and water won. On June 18, with U.S. victory imminent, General Buckner, the hero of Iwo Jima, was killed by Japanese artillery. Three days later, his 10th Army reached the southern coast of the island, and on June 22 Japanese resistance effectively came to an end.
The Japanese lost 120,000 troops in the defense of Okinawa, while the Americans suffered 12,500 dead and 35,000 wounded. Of the 36 Allied ships lost, most were destroyed by the 2,000 or so Japanese pilots who gave up their lives in kamikaze missions. With the capture of Okinawa, the Allies prepared for the invasion of Japan, a military operation predicted to be far bloodier than the 1944 Allied invasion of Western Europe. The plan called for invading the southern island of Kyushu in November 1945, and the main Japanese island of Honshu in March 1946. In July, however, the United States successfully tested an atomic bomb and after dropping two of these devastating weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August, Japan surrendered.
Jun 22, 1989: Cease-fire established in Angolan civil war
After nearly 15 years of civil war, opposing factions in Angola agree to a cease-fire to end a conflict that had claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. The cease-fire also helped to defuse U.S.-Soviet tensions concerning Angola.
Angola was a former Portuguese colony that had attained independence in 1975. Even before that date, however, various factions had been jockeying for power. The two most important were the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), which was favored by the United States, and the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), which was supported by the Soviets. Once independence became a reality in November 1975, the two groups began a brutal contest for control, with the Soviet-supported MPLA eventually seizing control of the nation's capital. UNITA found support from Zaire and South Africa in the form of funds, weapons, and, in the case of South Africa, troops. The United States provided covert financial and arms support to both Zaire and South Africa to assist those nations' efforts in Angola. The Soviets responded with increasingly heavy support to the MPLA, and Cuba began to airlift troops in to help fight against UNITA. The African nation quickly became a Cold War hotspot. President Ronald Reagan began direct U.S. support of UNITA during his term in office in the 1980s. Angola suffered through a debilitating civil war, with thousands of people killed. Hundreds of thousands more became refugees from the increasingly savage conflict.
In 1988, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev set into motion a series of events that would lead to a cease-fire the following year. Gorbachev was desperately seeking to better Soviet relations with the United States and he was facing a Soviet economy that could no longer sustain the expenses of supporting far-flung "wars of national liberation" like in Angola. He therefore announced that the Soviet Union was cutting its aid to both the MPLA and Cuba. Cuba, which depended on the Soviet subsidy to maintain its troops in Angola, made the decision to withdraw, and its forces began to depart in early 1989. South Africa thereupon suspended its aid to UNITA. The United States continued its aid to UNITA, but at a much smaller level. UNITA and the MPLA, exhausted from nearly 15 years of conflict, agreed to talks in 1989. These resulted in a cease-fire in June of that year. It was a short-lived respite. In 1992, national elections resulted in an overwhelming victory for the MPLA, and UNITA went back on the warpath.
In 1994, a peace accord was signed between the MPLA government and UNITA and in 1997, a government with representatives from both sides was established. Still, in 1998 fighting again broke out and democracy was suspended. In 2002, the leader of UNITA, Jonas Savimbi, was murdered; afterwards a cease-fire was reached, in which UNITA agreed to give up its arms and participate in the government. Observors are still waiting, however, for democracy to be reinstated.
Jun 22, 1876: General Santa Anna dies in Mexico City
Embittered and impoverished, the once mighty Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna dies in Mexico City.
Born in 1792 at Jalapa, Vera Cruz, Mexico, Santa Anna was the son of middle-class parents. As a teen, he won a commission in the Spanish army and might have been expected to live out an unspectacular career as a middle-level army officer. However, the young Santa Anna quickly distinguished himself as a capable fighter and leader, and after 1821, he gained national prominence in the successful Mexican war for independence from Spain. In 1833, he won election to the presidency of the independent republic of Mexico by an overwhelming popular majority. His dedication to the ideal of a democratic role proved weak, though, and he proclaimed himself dictator in 1835.
Santa Anna's assumption of dictatorial power over Mexico brought him into direct conflict with a growing movement for independence in the Mexican state of Texas. During the 1820s and 1830s, large numbers of Euro-Americans had settled in the area of Texas, and many of them remained more loyal to the United States than to their distant rulers in Mexico City. Some viewed Santa Anna's overthrow of the Mexican Republic as an opportunity to break away and form an independent Republic of Texas that might one day become an American state.
Determined to crush the Texas rebels, Santa Anna took command of the Mexican army that invaded Texas in 1836. His forces successfully defeated the Texas rebels at the Alamo, and he personally ordered the execution of 400 Texan prisoners after the Battle of Goliad. However, these two victories planted the seeds for Santa Anna's defeat. "Remember the Alamo" and "Remember Goliad" became the rallying cries for a reinvigorated Texan army. Lulled into overconfidence by his initial easy victories, Santa Anna was taken by surprise at San Jacinto, and his army was annihilated on April 21, 1836. The captured Santa Anna, fearing execution, willingly signed an order calling for all Mexican troops to withdraw. Texas became an independent republic.
Deposed during his captivity with the Texan rebels, Santa Anna returned to Mexico a powerless man. During the next two decades, however, the highly unstable political situation in Mexico provided him with several opportunities to regain-and again lose-his dictatorial power. All told, he became the head of the Mexican government 11 times. Overthrown for the last time in 1855, he spent the remaining two decades of his life scheming with elements in Mexico, the United States, and France to stage a comeback.
Although he was clearly a brilliant political opportunist, Santa Anna was ultimately loyal only to himself and he had an insatiable lust for power. While Santa Anna played an important role in achieving Mexican independence, his subsequent governments were also at least partially responsible for the loss of the Southwest to the United States. He died in poverty and squalor in Mexico City at the age of 82, no doubt still dreaming of a return to power.
Jun 22, 1964: Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown is born
On this day in 1964, Dan Brown, author of the international blockbuster “The Da Vinci Code” as well as other best-selling thrillers, is born in New Hampshire. Brown’s extensively researched novels are known for involving symbols, conspiracies and secret societies.
Brown was raised in New Hampshire, where his father taught math at Phillips Exeter Academy and his mother was a musician. He graduated from Amherst College in 1986 then tried to make it as a singer-songwriter in Los Angeles. When his music career failed to take off, Brown moved back to his home state in 1993 and became an English teacher at Phillips Exeter. He eventually started writing fiction and his first novel, “Digital Fortress,” a techno-thriller about a National Security Agency cryptographer, was published in 1998. It was followed by “Angels & Demons” (2000), in which Brown introduced the fictional Harvard University symbologist and future “Da Vinci Code” protagonist Robert Langdon, and “Deception Point” (2001), which centers on NASA and a meteor found in the Arctic Circle.
The three books initially met with modest commercial success and Brown remained a little-known author until the 2003 debut of his fourth novel, “The Da Vinci Code,” which became one of the world’s top-selling novels. The book, which has been translated into more than 40 languages, follows Langdon and police cryptologist Sophie Neveu as they investigate the murder of a Louvre museum curator. The plot also involves hidden messages in Leonardo Da Vinci’s art, the fabled Holy Grail, and the theory that Jesus had a child with Mary Magdalene and the Roman Catholic Church later covered it up.
A publishing phenomenon, “The Da Vinci Code” inspired fans to flock to its various real-life locations in Europe. The novel also stirred up controversy, and some Catholic Church officials labeled it anti-Christian and protested its negative portrayal of the conservative Catholic organization Opus Dei. A big-screen adaptation of “The Da Vinci Code,” directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon, was released in 2006. Hanks reprised his role for the movie version of “Angels & Demons,” which opened in 2009.
Highly anticipated by fans, Brown’s fifth novel, “The Lost Symbol,” which is set in Washington, D.C., and again features Robert Langdon, debuted in 2009. Its first-day sales topped more than 1 million copies.
Jun 22, 1986: Hand of God helps out Maradona
On this day in 1986, Argentine midfielder Diego Maradona scores two goals to lead Argentina past England and into the semifinals of the World Cup.
The game was watched the world over, as Argentina and England had not yet normalized relations after a war over the Malvina Islands, also known as the Falklands. On April 2, 1982, General Leopold Galtieri led the Argentine military 300 miles off the Argentine coast to the British-occupied Falkland Islands, which Argentines believed rightfully belonged to them. British Prime Minster Margaret Thatcher responded by sending 110 ships and 28,000 soldiers to the island. The ensuing two-month war left 907 people dead, most of them Argentines. Argentina surrendered on June 14.
Argentina fielded a more talented team in the 1986 World Cup than the English, and they were determined to defeat their rivals. The first goal Maradona scored has come to be known as the "Hand of God" goal, or "Mano de Dios." The ball appeared to be hit into the goal off of Maradona’s head, but was in fact punched in with his left hand, a violation that the referees failed to call. When asked about the goal after the game, Maradona said the goal was scored "a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God." Five minutes later, Maradona scored what was voted in 2002 to be the greatest goal in World Cup history, when he dribbled past five English defenders before scoring to give Argentina a 2-0 lead. Argentina went on to defeat West Germany 3-2 to win its second ever World Cup championship.
England and Argentina did not re-establish diplomatic relations until 1990. In 2005, admitting he had committed a hand ball, Maradona said on his television show La Noche Del Diez, "Whoever robs a thief gets a 100-year pardon."
Also on this day: On June 22, 1938, heavyweight champion Joe Louis defeats Max Schmelling, avenging an earlier loss. The knockout came in the first round of their Yankee Stadium rematch.
Among the important events that transpired on this date in history, there is the return of Bilbo Baggins to his home at Bag End. Not sure why this is there or if it is a joke (I'm guessing it is).
Among some of the other notable events on this date, England abolished slavery. Henry Hudson and his ship disappeared and were never seen or heard from again. Galileo was forced to take back the notion that the Earth revolved around the sun (although the Vatican did acknowledge and apologize for this mistake in 1992). The English Parliament passed the Quebec Act. The Continental Congress issued currency. Napoleon invaded Russia on this day in 1812. Interestingly, this was also the date that Hitler chose to invade the same place, on a massive front. A year before Operation Barbarrosa, France fell to the Germans, and I remember William Shirer (at least I believe it was him) suggesting that Napoleon had surely turned in his grave. Later on during the war, President Franklin Roosevelt established the GI Bill, and later still, the Battle of Okinawa ended on this date.
Lawn tennis was founded on this day late in the nineteenth century, an interesting fact that is particularly relevant since Wimbledon, the most famous and prestigious of tennis tournaments, is about to kick off. The Beatles recorded a live performance in Hamburg, Germany, and more than a decade later, George Harrison released "Living in the Material World" during his solo career, not long after the breakup of the Beatles. Richard Nixon signed the 26th amendment, which lowered the voting age to 18. Neo-Nazis called off their planned march in Skokie, Illinois, which became a famous Supreme Court case. Pluto's moon, Charon, was discovered (it was later discovered that Charon was actually almost as big as Pluto, a fact that would relegate Pluto from the ranks of being the ninth planet). The Soviet Union announced it would withdraw from Afghanistan. A truce ending the civil war of fourteen years in Angola was agreed to on this date. An underground volcano erupted in the Philippines, and the Supreme Court ruled that "hate crimes" violated first amendment guarantees of free speech.
The NBA Finals just ended a couple of nights ago, but in 1994, a series I remember and enjoyed very much ended with the Houston Rockets outlasting the New York Knicks in the pivotal Game 7, thus securing the city of Houston's first ever major sports championship.
Here are more detailed accounts of events that transpired on this day in history:
• 217 BCE - Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom.
431 - Council of Ephesus (3rd ecumenical council) opens
816 - Pope Stephen IV, [V] elected to succeed Leo III
1342 - Bilbo Baggins returns to his home at Bag End, (Shire Reconning)
1377 - Richard II succeeds Edward III as king of England
1476 - Battle at Morat/Murten: Charles the Stout invades Switzerland
1533 - Ferdinand of Austria and Sultan Suleiman sign peace treaty
1559 - Jewish quarter of Prague burned and looted
1593 - Battle of Sisak: Allied Christian troops defeat the Turks.
1596 - Cornelis de Houtmans fleet reaches Banten Java
1611 - English explorer Henry Hudson, his son and several other people were set adrift on his ship Discovery in present-day Hudson Bay by mutineers. They were never seen from again.
Replica of the statue of Galileo Galilei outside of Carnegie Museums of Natural History
• 1633 - Galileo Galilei forced to recant Earth orbits Sun by Pope (on Oct 31, 1992, Vatican admits it was wrong)
1675 - Royal Greenwich Observatory established in England by Charles II
1679 - Battle at Bothwell Bridge on Clyde: Duke of Monmouth beats Scottish
1740 - King Frederik II of Prussia ends torture & guarantees religion & freedom of the press
1745 - Bonnie Prince Charles sails to Scotland
1799 - England and Russia decide to invade Bataafse Republic
1807 - British seamen board the USS Chesapeake, a provocation leading to the War of 1812.
1808 - Zebulon Pike reaches his peak
1814 - First match at the present Lord's, MCC v Herefordshire
French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte
• 1815 - Second abdication of Napoleon (after Waterloo)
• 1825 - British Parliament abolishes feudalism and the seigneurial system in British North America.
1832 - John I. Howe patented the pin machine.
1844 - Influential North American fraternity Delta Kappa Epsilon is founded at Yale University.
1847 - Doughnut created
1848 - Barnburners (anti-slavery) party nominated Martin Van Buren for President.
1848 - Beginning of the June Days Uprising in Paris.
1849 - Stephen C Massett opens concert at San Francisco courthouse using only piano in Calif
1851 - Fire destroys part of SF
1864 - Battle of Ream's Station, VA (Wilson's Raid)
1864 - Skirmish at Culp's (Kulp's) House, Georgia
1865 - First class cricket debut of Dr W G Grace
1868 - Arkansas was re-admitted to the Union.
1870 - The U.S. Congress created the Department of Justice.
1870 - First Boardwalk in America invented
• 1873 - Prince Edward Island joins Canada
1874 - Dr. Andrew Taylor Still began the first known practice of osteopathy.
• 1874 - Game of lawn tennis introduced
1875 - Garonne Flood: great damage in Verdun & Toulouse, kills about 1,000
1889 - Louisville Colonels set ML baseball record with 26th consecutive loss
1893 - British fleet under vice-admiral George Tryon leaves Beirut
1906 - Hakon VII crowned king of Norway
1909 - The first transcontinental auto race ended in Seattle, WA.
1910 - First airship with passengers sets afloat-Zeppelin Deutscheland
1911 - King George V of England was crowned
• 1915 - Austro-German forces occupied Lemberg on the Eastern Front as the Russians retreat.
1915 - BMT, then Brooklyn Rapid Transit, begins subway service
1918 - 32nd US Womens Tennis: Molla Bjurstedt Mallory beats E E Goss (64 63)
1918 - Circus train rammed by troop train kills 68 (Ivanhoe Illinois)
1921 - Paavo Nurmi runs world record 10,000m (30:40.2)
1922 - Herrin massacre, 19 strikebreakers and 2 union miners are killed in Herrin, Illinois.
• 1925 - France and Spain agreed to join forces against Abd el Krim in Morocco.
1926 - Cardinals pick up 39-year-old Grover Alexander on waivers from Cubs
1929 - Mel Ott (Giants) homers off Leo Sweetland (Phillies) in doubleheader
1930 - Lou Gehrig hits 3 HRs in a game, Ruth hits 3 in doubleheader
1931 - RVU, Radio-Volks-University, forms
1932 - NL, finally approves players wearing numbers
• 1933 - German social-democratic party (SPD) forbidden. Germany became a one political party country when Hitler banned parties other than the Nazis.
1936 - Harry Froboess dives 110 m from airship into Bodensee & survives
1936 - Virgin Islands receives a constitution from US (Organic Act)
1937 - Joe Louis KOs James J Braddock in 18 for heavyweight boxing title
1938 - Joe Louis KOs Max Schmeling at 2:04 of 1st round at Yankee Stadium
1939 - Future Queen Elizabeth of England meets future husband Philip
1939 - The first U.S. water-ski tournament was held at Jones Beach, on Long Island, New York.
1940 - SS rounds up 31 German/Polish/Dutch Jews in Roermond Neth
1941 - Estonians started armed resistance against Soviet occupation
1941 - Finland invades Karelia
• 1941 - Under the codename Barbarossa, Germany invaded the Soviet Union.; occupied the Baltic states
• 1941 - Germany, Italy and Romania declare war on the Soviet Union during WW II
1941 - Michael Gerasimov opens grave of Tamerlan "Lenk"
Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, D.C.
• 1941 - President Franklin Roosevelt signs "GI Bill of Rights"
1941 - The Lithuanian 1941 independence begins.
1941 - Various Communist and Socialist French Resistance movements merge to one group.
1942 - A Japanese submarine shelled Fort Stevens at the mouth of the Columbia River, Oregon.
• 1942 - In France, Pierre Laval declared "I wish for a German victory".
1942 - V-Mail, or Victory-Mail, was sent for the first time.
1942 - Jewish Brigade attached by British Army in WW II, forms
1943 - WEB DuBois became the first Black member of National Institute of Letters
1944 - British 14th army frees Imphal Assam
Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, D.C.
• 1944 - FDR signs "GI Bill of Rights" (Servicemen's Readjustment Act) to provide broad benefits for veterans of the war.
1944 - Longest shut out in Phillies history, Phils beat Braves 1-0 in 15 inn
1944 - Boston Brave Jim Tobin 2nd no-hitter of yr beats Phils, 7-0 in 5 inn
1944 - Opening day of the Soviet Union's Operation Bagration against Army Group Centre.
1945 - During World War II, the battle for Okinawa officially ended after 81 days.
1946 - Jet airplanes were used to transport mail for the first time.
1946 - Alec Bedser takes 7-49 v India on 1st day of his 1st Test cricket
1946 - Bill Veeck purchases Cleveland Indians
1947 - 12" rain in 42 mins (Holt, MO)
1947 - Ewell Blackwell just misses pitching back-to-back no-hitters (9th inn)
1949 - Ezzard Charles beats Jersey Joe Walcott in 15 for hw boxing title
1951 - Gene Rayburn & Dee Finch show premieres on NBC radio
1954 - Congress passes revised organic act for Virgin Islands
1955 - Antonio Segni forms government in Italy
1955 - US air patrol plane shot down above Bering sea
Flag of Algeria
• 1956 - The battle for Algiers began as three buildings in Casbah were blown up.
1957 - KC stops using streetcars in it's transit system
1958 - Game in KC between A's & Red Sox delayed 29 minutes due to tornado
1958 - Patty Berg wins LPGA Western Golf Open
1959 - "Along Came Jones" by Coasters peaks at #9
1959 - "Class" by Chubby Checker peaks at #38
1959 - Eddie Lubanski bowls 2 consecutive perfect games (24 consecutive strikes) in a bowling tournament in Miami, FL.
1959 - Most Phillies strike out in a game (16 by Sandy Koufax)
1959 - Shunryu Suzuki completes his historical Japan to SF voyage
1959 - Vanguard SLV-6 launched for Earth orbit (failed)
• 1961 - Beatles recorded Aint She Sweet, Cry for a Shadow, When the Saints Go Marching In, Why, Nobody's Child and My Bonnie, in Hamburg
1962 - First test flight of Hoovercraft
1962 - French Boeing 707 crashes at Guadeloupe, 113 killed
1963 - "Little" Stevie Wonder (13) releases "Fingertips"
1964 - The U.S. Supreme Court voted that Henry Miller’s book, "Tropic of Cancer", could not be banned.
1965 - Freddie Trueman ends his Test cricket career, v NZ at Lord's
1966 - "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" opens
1968 - "Here Come Da Judge" by The Buena Vistas peaks at #88
1969 - Aretha Franklin arrested in Detroit for creating a disturbance
1969 - Cleveland's Cuyahgo River catches fire
1969 - Singer-actress Judy Garland died.
1969 - Susie Berning wins LPGA Pabst Ladies' Golf Classic
1970 - Supreme Court ruled juries of less than 12 are constitutional
1970 - U.S. President Richard Nixon signed 26th amendment, lowering the voting age to 18.
1970 - WSWO TV channel 26 in Springfield, OH (ABC) suspends broadcasting
1972 - "Man of La Mancha" opens at Beaumont Theater NYC for 140 performances
1973 - Dutch High Council stops fluorine addition to drink water
1973 - George Harrison releases "Living in the Material World"
1973 - Skylab 2's astronauts splashed down safely in the Pacific after a record 28 days in space.
1975 - Betsy Cullen wins LPGA Hoosier Golf Classic
1976 - "Godspell" opens at Broadhurst Theater NYC for 527 performances
1976 - SD Padre pitcher Randy Jones ties record of 68 innings without a walk
1977 - Former AG John Mitchell starts 19 months in Alabama prison
1977 - Walt Disney's "Rescuers" released
1978 - James Christy's discovery of Pluto's moon Charon announced
• 1978 - Neo-Nazis call off plans to march in Jewish community of Skokie, Ill
1978 - Pluto's satelite Charon, is discovered
1978 - James W. Christy and Robert S. Harrington discovered the only known moon of Pluto. The moon is named Charon.
1979 - Larry Holmes TKOs Mike Weaver in 12 for heavyweight boxing title
1979 - Little Richard quits rock & roll for religious pursuit
1979 - Pro Football Researchers Association forms (Canton Ohio)
The flag of the USSR (Soviet Union)
• 1980 - The Soviet Union announced a partial withdrawal of its forces from Afghanistan.
1980 - Jim King begins riding Miracle Strip Roller coaster 368 hours
1980 - Joanne Carner wins LPGA Lady Keystone Golf Open
1981 - 2 Habash terrorists attack a travel agency in Greece killing 2
1981 - Iran president Bani Sadr deposed
1981 - John McEnroe exhibits a disgraceful act of misbehavior at Wimbledon
Ran into this image of John Lennon, and just thought it was cool, as well as appropriate for the day, given that Paul McCartney was in town.
• 1981 - Mark David Chapman pleads guilty to killing John Lennon
1982 - Manhattan institutes bus-only lanes
1982 - Pete Rose gets his 3,772nd hit, moves past Aaron into 2nd place
1982 - Prince Charles & Lady Diana take Prince William home from hospital
1982 - Susan Lea Hammett, of Miss, 18, crowned 25th America's Junior Miss
1983 - "Monty Python's The Meaning of Life," released in France
1983 - 1st time a satellite is retrieved from orbit, by Space Shuttle
1983 - NHL institutes a 5 minute sudden death overtime period
1984 - Calvin Griffith signs letter of intent to sell ownership of Twins
1984 - Carl Pohlad becomes CEO of Minnesota Twins
1984 - Jolande van de Meer swims Dutch record 800 m freestyle (8:39.30)
1984 - Joseph Luns resigns as secretary-general of NATO
1985 - "Grind" closes at Mark Hellinger Theater NYC after 79 performances
1985 - "Smuggler's Blues" by Glenn Frey peaks at #12
1986 - Judy Dickinson wins LPGA Rochester Golf International
1986 - Pirate Radio Euro Weekend (Holland) begins transmitting
1986 - Spain's premier Gonzalez' Socialist Party wins elections
1987 - Tom Seaver retires after 3rd try with NY Mets
1987 - Actor-dancer-singer Fred Astaire died.
• 1989 - The government of Angola and the anti-Communist rebels of the UNITA movement agreed to a formal truce in their 14-year-old civil war.
1990 - Billy Joel performs a concert at Yankee Stadium
1990 - Braves replace manager Russ Nixon with GM Bobby Cox
1990 - Florida passes a law prohibits wearing a throng bathing suit
1990 - Longest game in Toronto, Yanks beat Blue Jays 8-7 in 15 inns
1991 - "I Hate Hamlet" closes at Walter Kerr Theater NYC after 88 perfs
1991 - Quebec Nordiques pick Eric Lindros #1 at NHL entry draft
1991 - Underwater volcano, Mount Didicas, erupts in Philippines
1992 - 2 skeletons excavated in Yekaterinburg IDed as Czar Nicholas II & wife
1992 - The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that hate-crime laws that ban cross-burning and similar expressions of racial bias violated free-speech rights.
1992 - Supreme Court rules "hate crime" laws violated free-speech rights
1993 - NY Met Anthony Young ties record of 23rd straight lose
1993 - Wilson Pickett plead guilty to auto assault due to drunk driving
1994 - 48th NBA Championship: Houston Rockets beat NY Knicks, 4 games to 3
1994 - Ken Griffey Jr breaks Ruth's record for most HRs by end of June (31)
1994 - Mets reliever John Franco sets lefty save mark at 253
1994 - US beats Colombia 2-1 in 1994 soccer world cup (1st win since 1950)
1996 - 29th Curtis Cup: Great Britain & Ireland wins 11-6
1996 - Michael Moorer beats Axel Shultz in 11 for IBF heavyweight boxing title
1996 - Saurav Ganguly scores 131 at Lord's on Test cricket debut
1997 - Ernie Els wins golf's Buick Classic
1997 - Nationwide Senior Golf Championship
1997 - Penny Hammel wins LPGA Rochester International
1997 - World Bowl: Barcelona Dragon beat Rhein Fire, 38-24
1998 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that evidence illegally obtained by authorities could be used at revocation hearings for a convicted criminal's parole.
1998 - The 75th National Marbles Tournament began in Wildwood, NJ.
1999 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that persons with remediable handicaps cannot claim discrimination in employment under the Americans with Disability Act.
2002 - An earthquake in western Iran measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale kills more than 261 people.
2009 - 2009 Washington Metro subway crash: Two Metro trains collide in Washington, D.C., USA, killing 9 and injuring over 80.
2011 - Legendary Boston crime boss,James "Whitey" Bulger is found and arrested by federal authorities in Santa Monica, Calif.
• 2012 - Two Baghdad market bombings kill 14 people and injure 106
The following links are to web sites that were used to complete this blog entry:
http://www.historyorb.com/today/events.php
http://on-this-day.com/onthisday/thedays/alldays/jun22.htm
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history
http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory
