1411
615 years ago
UK story
King Charles VI of France granted a monopoly to the people of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon for the ripening of Roquefort cheese (example pictured).
On this day: 4 June
133 things happened on 4 June, from AD 590 to 2023. UK stories come first, then the rest of the world.
In the UK 10
UK history first: stories from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
1561
465 years ago
UK story
The spire of Old St Paul's Cathedral in London was destroyed by fire.
1561
465 years ago
UK story
The steeple of St Paul's, the medieval cathedral of London, is destroyed in a fire caused by lightning, and is never rebuilt.
1745
281 years ago
UK story
Battle of Hohenfriedberg: Frederick the Great's Prussian army decisively defeat an Austrian army under Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine during the War of the Austrian Succession.
1760
266 years ago
UK story
Great Upheaval: New England planters arrive to claim land in Nova Scotia, Canada, taken from the Acadians.
1792
234 years ago
UK story
Captain George Vancouver of the Royal Navy claimed the land around Puget Sound in the Pacific Northwest for Great Britain.
1802
224 years ago
UK story
King Charles Emmanuel IV of Sardinia abdicates his throne in favor of his brother, Victor Emmanuel.
1878
148 years ago
UK story
Cyprus Convention: The Ottoman Empire cedes Cyprus to the United Kingdom but retains nominal title.
1940
86 years ago
UK story
Second World War: The remaining Allied forces protecting the Dunkirk evacuation surrendered, ending the Battle of Dunkirk; in response, British prime minister Winston Churchill gave a speech in which he declared "We shall fight on the beaches".
1961
65 years ago
UK story
Cold War: In the Vienna summit, the Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev sparks the Berlin Crisis by threatening to sign a separate peace treaty with East Germany and ending American, British and French access to East Berlin.
Around the world 32
AD 713
1,313 years ago
The imperial official Artemius is chosen as Byzantine emperor the day after the blinding of previous emperor Philippicus. Artemisius chooses the name of Anastasius II and announces his adherence to Chalcedonian Christianity.
1615
411 years ago
Siege of Osaka: Forces under Tokugawa Ieyasu take Osaka Castle in Japan.
1783
243 years ago
The Montgolfier brothers publicly demonstrate their montgolfière (hot air balloon).
1784
242 years ago
Élisabeth Thible became the first woman to fly in an untethered hot air balloon, covering a distance of 4 km (2.5 mi) and reaching an estimated altitude of 1,500 m (4,900 ft).
1796
230 years ago
The siege of Mantua begins when Napoleon Bonaparte lays siege to the fortress of Mantua, the last Austrian stronghold in Northern Italy. It will become the main focus of Napoleon's army for eight months during the Italian campaign of 1796-1797.
1812
214 years ago
Following Louisiana's admittance as a U.S. state, the Louisiana Territory is renamed the Missouri Territory.
1825
201 years ago
General Lafayette, a French officer in the American Revolutionary War, speaks at what would become Lafayette Square in Buffalo, New York, during his visit to the United States.
1855
171 years ago
Major Henry C. Wayne departs New York aboard the USS Supply to procure camels to establish the U.S. Camel Corps.
1859
167 years ago
Italian Independence wars: In the Battle of Magenta, the French army, under Louis-Napoleon, defeat the Austrian army.
1862
164 years ago
American Civil War: Confederate troops evacuate Fort Pillow on the Mississippi River, leaving the way clear for Union troops to take Memphis, Tennessee.
1876
150 years ago
An express train called the Transcontinental Express arrives in San Francisco via the first transcontinental railroad, 83 hours and 39 minutes after leaving New York City.
1896
130 years ago
Henry Ford completes the Ford Quadricycle, his first gasoline-powered automobile, and also gives it a successful test run.
1912
114 years ago
Massachusetts becomes the first state of the United States to set a minimum wage.
1916
110 years ago
World War I: Russia opens the Brusilov Offensive with an artillery barrage of Austro-Hungarian lines in Galicia.
1917
109 years ago
The first Pulitzer Prizes are awarded: Laura E. Richards, Maude H. Elliott, and Florence Hall receive the first Pulitzer for biography (for Julia Ward Howe). Jean Jules Jusserand receives the first Pulitzer for history for his work With Americans of Past and Present Days. Herbert B. Swope receives the first Pulitzer for journalism for his work for the New York World.
1919
107 years ago
Women's rights: The U.S. Congress approves the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which guarantees suffrage to women, and sends it to the U.S. states for ratification.
1920
106 years ago
Hungary loses 71% of its territory and 63% of its population when the Treaty of Trianon is signed in Paris.
1932
94 years ago
Marmaduke Grove and other Chilean military officers lead a coup d'état establishing the short-lived Socialist Republic of Chile.
1942
84 years ago
World War II: The Battle of Midway, a major battle of the Pacific War, began with a massive Japanese offensive on American forces on Midway Atoll.
1943
83 years ago
A military coup in Argentina ousts Ramón Castillo.
1944
82 years ago
World War II: A United States Navy task group captured German submarine U-505 (pictured).
1944
82 years ago
World War II: The United States Fifth Army captures Rome, although much of the German Fourteenth Army is able to withdraw to the north.
1946
80 years ago
in Argentina assumes its first presidency Juan Domingo Perón.
1970
56 years ago
Tonga gains independence from the British Empire.
1975
51 years ago
Governor Jerry Brown signed the California Agricultural Labor Relations Act, one of the first laws in the United States guaranteeing collective bargaining rights to farmworkers.
1977
49 years ago
JVC introduces its VHS videotape at the Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago. It will eventually prevail against Sony's rival Betamax system in a format war to become the predominant home video medium.
1979
47 years ago
Jerry Rawlings came to power in Ghana as chairman of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council.
1989
37 years ago
Solidarity's victory in the 1989 Polish legislative election occurs, the first election since the Communist Polish United Workers' Party abandoned its monopoly of power. It sparks off the Revolutions of 1989 in Eastern Europe.
1996
30 years ago
The first flight of Ariane 5 explodes after roughly 37 seconds. It was a Cluster mission.
2005
21 years ago
The Civic Forum of the Romanians of Covasna, Harghita and Mureș was founded to represent and promote the interests of ethnic Romanians in areas with large Hungarian populations.
2010
16 years ago
Falcon 9 Flight 1 is the maiden flight of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which launches from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Space Launch Complex 40.
2023
3 years ago
Protests begin in Poland against the PiS government.
Quick quiz
Every answer is somewhere on this page. Have a go, then check!
-
In which year did this happen: “Second World War: The remaining Allied forces protecting the Dunkirk”?
- 1940
- 1792
- 1738
Show the answer
A: 1940. 1940 — that’s 86 years ago. Find it on the page
-
In which year did this happen: “King Charles VI of France granted a monopoly to the people of”?
- 1802
- 1940
- 1411
Show the answer
C: 1411. 1411 — that’s 615 years ago. Find it on the page
-
Which of these happened first?
- Captain George Vancouver of the Royal Navy claimed the land around Puget Sound
- King Charles VI of France granted a monopoly to the people of
- Second World War: The remaining Allied forces protecting the Dunkirk
Show the answer
B: King Charles VI of France granted a monopoly to the people of. 1792: Captain George Vancouver of the Royal Navy claimed the land around Puget Sound · 1411: King Charles VI of France granted a monopoly to the people of · 1940: Second World War: The remaining Allied forces protecting the Dunkirk Find it on the page
-
“Captain George Vancouver of the Royal Navy claimed the land around Puget Sound” happened in 1792. How many years ago was that?
- 234 years
- 224 years
- 244 years
Show the answer
A: 234 years. 2026 − 1792 = 234. Find it on the page
Born on this day 40
Famous people whose birthday is 4 June.
- 1975 Angelina Jolie — American actress, filmmaker, humanitarian, and activist Read more about Angelina Jolie on Wikipedia
- 1738 George III UK Read more about George III on Wikipedia
- 1976 Alexei Navalny — Russian lawyer and politician (died 2024) Read more about Alexei Navalny on Wikipedia
- 1985 Lukas Podolski — German footballer Read more about Lukas Podolski on Wikipedia
- 1975 Russell Brand — English comedian and actor UK Read more about Russell Brand on Wikipedia
- 1867 Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim — Finnish general and politician, 6th President of Finland (died 1951) Read more about Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim on Wikipedia
- 1952 Bronisław Komorowski — Polish historian and politician, 5th President of Poland Read more about Bronisław Komorowski on Wikipedia
- 1971 Joseph Kabila — Congolese soldier and politician, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Read more about Joseph Kabila on Wikipedia
- 1998 Central Cee — British rapper and songwriter UK Read more about Central Cee on Wikipedia
- 2021 Princess Lilibet of Sussex UK Read more about Princess Lilibet of Sussex on Wikipedia
- 1394 Philippa of England — Queen of Denmark, Norway and Sweden (died 1430) UK Read more about Philippa of England on Wikipedia
- 1910 Christopher Cockerell — English engineer, invented the hovercraft (died 1999) UK Read more about Christopher Cockerell on Wikipedia
- 1955 Val McDermid — Scottish author UK Read more about Val McDermid on Wikipedia
- 1964 Sean Pertwee — English actor UK Read more about Sean Pertwee on Wikipedia
- 1929 Karolos Papoulias — Greek lawyer and politician, 5th President of Greece (died 2021) Read more about Karolos Papoulias on Wikipedia
- 1996 Oli McBurnie — Scottish footballer UK Read more about Oli McBurnie on Wikipedia
- 1970 Richie Hawtin — English-Canadian DJ and producer UK Read more about Richie Hawtin on Wikipedia
- 1991 Ben Stokes — New Zealand-English cricketer UK Read more about Ben Stokes on Wikipedia
- 1694 François Quesnay — French economist and physician (died 1774) Read more about François Quesnay on Wikipedia
- 1877 Heinrich Otto Wieland — German chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1957) Read more about Heinrich Otto Wieland on Wikipedia
- 1991 Lorenzo Insigne — Italian footballer Read more about Lorenzo Insigne on Wikipedia
- 1960 Bradley Walsh — English television presenter, comedian, singer and former footballer UK Read more about Bradley Walsh on Wikipedia
- 1927 Geoffrey Palmer — English actor (died 2020) UK Read more about Geoffrey Palmer on Wikipedia
- 2001 Takefusa Kubo — Japanese footballer Read more about Takefusa Kubo on Wikipedia
- 1953 Jimmy McCulloch — Scottish musician and songwriter (died 1979) UK Read more about Jimmy McCulloch on Wikipedia
- 1982 Matt Gilks — Scottish footballer UK Read more about Matt Gilks on Wikipedia
- 1987 Mollie King — English singer, former member of The Saturdays UK Read more about Mollie King on Wikipedia
- 1954 Raphael Ravenscroft — English saxophonist and composer (died 2014) UK Read more about Raphael Ravenscroft on Wikipedia
- 1981 Gary Taylor-Fletcher — English footballer UK Read more about Gary Taylor-Fletcher on Wikipedia
- 1907 Rosalind Russell — American actress (died 1976) Read more about Rosalind Russell on Wikipedia
- 1979 Naohiro Takahara — Japanese footballer Read more about Naohiro Takahara on Wikipedia
- 1985 Bar Refaeli — Israeli model and actress Read more about Bar Refaeli on Wikipedia
- 1704 Benjamin Huntsman — English inventor and businessman (died 1776) UK Read more about Benjamin Huntsman on Wikipedia
- 1923 Elizabeth Jolley — English-Australian author and academic (died 2007) UK Read more about Elizabeth Jolley on Wikipedia
- AD 590 Harsha — Maharajadhiraja of Kannauj (died 647) Read more about Harsha on Wikipedia
- 1936 Bruce Dern — American actor Read more about Bruce Dern on Wikipedia
- 1928 Ruth Westheimer — German-American sex therapist, talk show host, professor, author, and Holocaust survivor (died 2024) Read more about Ruth Westheimer on Wikipedia
- 1970 Izabella Scorupco — Polish-Swedish actress and model Read more about Izabella Scorupco on Wikipedia
- 1983 Emmanuel Eboué — Ivorian footballer Read more about Emmanuel Eboué on Wikipedia
- 1971 Noah Wyle — American actor and producer Read more about Noah Wyle on Wikipedia
Remembering 16
Well-known people who died on 4 June.
- 1941 Wilhelm II — German Emperor (born 1859) Read more about Wilhelm II on Wikipedia
- 1798 Giacomo Casanova — Italian adventurer and author (born 1725) Read more about Giacomo Casanova on Wikipedia
- 1246 Isabella of Angoulême UK Read more about Isabella of Angoulême on Wikipedia
- 1876 Abdulaziz — 32nd Sultan of the Ottoman Empire (born 1830) Read more about Abdulaziz on Wikipedia
- 1394 Mary de Bohun — wife of Henry IV of England (bornc. 1368) UK Read more about Mary de Bohun on Wikipedia
- 1971 György Lukács — Hungarian historian and philosopher (born 1885) Read more about György Lukács on Wikipedia
- 1997 Ronnie Lane — English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (born 1946) UK Read more about Ronnie Lane on Wikipedia
- 1830 Antonio José de Sucre — Venezuelan general and politician, 2nd President of Bolivia (born 1795) Read more about Antonio José de Sucre on Wikipedia
- 1922 W. H. R. Rivers — English anthropologist, neurologist, ethnologist, and psychiatrist (born 1864) UK Read more about W. H. R. Rivers on Wikipedia
- 1039 Conrad II — Holy Roman Emperor (born 990) Read more about Conrad II on Wikipedia
- 1663 William Juxon — English archbishop and academic (born 1582) UK Read more about William Juxon on Wikipedia
- 1875 Eduard Mörike — German pastor and poet (born 1804) Read more about Eduard Mörike on Wikipedia
- 1931 Hussein bin Ali — Sharif of Mecca, Sharif and Emir of Mecca, King of the Hejaz (born 1853–54) Read more about Hussein bin Ali on Wikipedia
- 2004 Nino Manfredi — Italian actor (born 1921) Read more about Nino Manfredi on Wikipedia
- 1206 Adela of Champagne Read more about Adela of Champagne on Wikipedia
- 1809 Nicolai Abildgaard — Danish neoclassical and history painter, sculptor and architect (born 1743) Read more about Nicolai Abildgaard on Wikipedia
Special days 11
Festivals, holidays and saints’ days celebrated on 4 June somewhere in the world.
- Emancipation Day or Independence Day, commemorates the abolition of serfdom in Tonga by King George Tupou in 1862, and the independence of Tonga from the British protectorate in 1970. (Tonga) Read more about Emancipation Day on Wikipedia
- The Flag Day of the Finnish Defence Forces, also known as the birthday of C. G. E. Mannerheim, Marshal of Finland (Finland) Read more about Flag Day of the Finnish Defence Forces on Wikipedia
- Trianon Treaty Day (Romania) Read more about Trianon Treaty Day on Wikipedia
- Christian saints’ and feast days: Petroc of Cornwall, Blessed Antoni Zawistowski, Optatus, Francis Caracciolo, Quirinus of Sescia, Filippo Smaldone, Saturnina, June 4 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics).
For older readers 24 Show stories about war, disasters, crime and other difficult history
Content note: these entries mention things like war, violence, deaths, disasters or crime. They are part of history, but they can be upsetting. Grown-ups and teachers: you may want to read them first. They come straight from Wikipedia and have not been rewritten for children.
- 1913 Emily Davison, an activist for women's suffrage in the United Kingdom, was fatally injured after being trampled by a horse owned by King George V at the Epsom Derby. Read more about Emily Davison on Wikipedia
- 1967 A chartered British Midland Airways aircraft crashed near Stockport, England, killing 72 of the 84 people on board. Read more about British Midland International on Wikipedia
- 2025 A crowd crush outside M. Chinnaswamy Stadium during celebrations of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Indian Premier League title killed 11 people and injured 56 others. Read more about 2025 Bengaluru crowd crush on Wikipedia
- 1525 Bayham Abbey riot: Villagers from Kent and Sussex, England riot and occupy Bayham Old Abbey for a week in protest against Cardinal Thomas Wolsey's order to suppress the monastery in order to fund two colleges founded by him. Read more about 1525 Bayham Abbey riot on Wikipedia
- 1989 Following the death of Ruhollah Khomeini, the Assembly of Experts elected Ali Khamenei to be Supreme Leader of Iran. Read more about Ruhollah Khomeini on Wikipedia
- 1989 The People's Liberation Army suppressed the Tiananmen Square protests in Beijing, leaving hundreds of people dead and wounded. Read more about People's Liberation Army on Wikipedia
- 1974 Major League Baseball's Cleveland Indians hosted Ten-Cent Beer Night, but had to forfeit the game to the Texas Rangers due to rioting by drunken fans. Read more about Major League Baseball on Wikipedia
- 1919 Leon Trotsky bans the planned Fourth Regional Congress of Peasants, Workers and Insurgents. Read more about Leon Trotsky on Wikipedia
- 1939 The Holocaust: The MS St. Louis, a ship carrying 973 German Jewish refugees, is denied permission to land in Florida, in the United States, after already being turned away from Cuba. Forced to return to Europe, more than 200 of its passengers later die in Nazi concentration camps. Read more about The Holocaust on Wikipedia
- 1987 American intelligence analyst Jonathan Pollard pleaded guilty to charges of spying for Israel. Read more about Intelligence assessment on Wikipedia
- 2004 In Granby, Colorado, U.S., Marvin Heemeyer went on a rampage with a modified bulldozer over a zoning dispute, destroying several buildings before dying by suicide. Read more about Marvin Heemeyer on Wikipedia
- 1989 Ufa train disaster: A natural gas explosion near Ufa, Russia, kills 575 as two trains passing each other throw sparks near a leaky pipeline. Read more about Natural gas on Wikipedia
- 1998 Terry Nichols was sentenced to life in prison for his role in the Oklahoma City bombing. Read more about Terry Nichols on Wikipedia
- 1977 The Humboldt Park riot began in Chicago, resulting in three deaths, three cars in the Humboldt Park lagoon, and increased tension between the Chicago Police Department and the Puerto Rican community. Read more about Humboldt Park riot on Wikipedia
- 1942 World War II: Gustaf Mannerheim, the Commander-in-Chief of the Finnish Army, is granted the title of Marshal of Finland by the government on his 75th birthday. On the same day, Adolf Hitler arrives in Finland for a surprise visit to meet Mannerheim. Read more about Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim on Wikipedia
- 1988 Three cars on a train carrying hexogen to Kazakhstan explode in Arzamas, Gorky Oblast, USSR, killing 91 and injuring about 1,500. Read more about RDX on Wikipedia
- 1928 The President of the Republic of China, Zhang Zuolin, is assassinated by Japanese agents. Read more about President of the Republic of China on Wikipedia
- 1986 Jonathan Pollard pleads guilty to espionage for selling top secret United States military intelligence to Israel. Read more about Jonathan Pollard on Wikipedia
- 2023 Four people are killed when a Cessna Citation V crashes into Mine Bank Mountain in Augusta County, Virginia. Read more about Cessna Citation V on Wikipedia
- 2020 Death of Giovanni López: Protests over the death of Giovanni López Ramírez, who had died on 4 May while in custody, begin in Jalisco following the release of a video of his arrest going viral on social media, and inspired by the George Floyd protests. Later, these spread across Mexico. Read more about Death of Giovanni López on Wikipedia
- 1983 Gordon Kahl, who killed two US Marshals in Medina, North Dakota on February 13, is killed in a shootout in Smithville, Arkansas, along with a local sheriff, after a four-month manhunt. Read more about Gordon Kahl on Wikipedia
- — International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression (International) Read more about International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression on Wikipedia
- — Memorials for the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre (International) Read more about Memorials for the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre on Wikipedia
- 1942 Died: Reinhard Heydrich, German SS officer and a principle architect of the Holocaust (born 1904) Read more about Reinhard Heydrich on Wikipedia
Where these facts come from
Stories with a heading have been written for young readers by A Day in the Past, using the linked articles as sources. Other entries show text from Wikipedia’s “June 4” page and its “On this day” feed, written by Wikipedia contributors and shared under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. Each “Read more” link goes to the article an entry is based on. Photos are credited under each picture. Spotted a mistake? Please tell us.