On this day: 24 June

Mursili II launches a campaign against the Kingdom of Azzi-Hayasa.

Roman emperor Trajan inaugurates the Aqua Traiana, an aqueduct that channels water from Lake Bracciano, 40 kilometres (25 miles) northwest of Rome.

Western Roman emperor Glycerius, who was not recognized by his Eastern counterpart Leo I, was forced to abdicate.

The Vikings sack the French city of Nantes.

Battle of Cedynia, the first documented victory of Polish forces, takes place.

Battle of São Mamede, near Guimarães: Forces led by Afonso I defeat forces led by his mother Teresa of León and her lover Fernando Pérez de Traba.

The Siege of Jaén begins, in the context of the Spanish Reconquista.

An outbreak of dancing mania, in which crowds of people danced themselves to exhaustion, began in Aachen (in present-day Germany) before spreading to other parts of Europe.

John Cabot lands in North America at Newfoundland leading the first European exploration of the region since the Vikings.

The Anabaptist state of Münster is conquered and disbanded.

Miguel López de Legazpi conquers Manila for Spain, modern day capital of the Philippines.

Samuel de Champlain encounters the mouth of the Saint John River, site of Reversing Falls and the present-day city of Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada.

Battle of Macau: The Dutch make a failed attempt to capture Macau.

The Spanish garrison of Évora capitulates, following the Portuguese victory at the Battle of Ameixial.

The treaty of Adrianople ends the Russo-Turkish War of 1710–1713, which restores territory to the Ottomans while allowing the Russians to focus on their war against the Swedes.

On the Feast of St. John the Baptist, Bach led the first performance of Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam, BWV 7, the third cantata of his chorale cantata cycle.

American Revolutionary War: The Great Siege of Gibraltar begins.

The first Republican constitution in France is adopted.

Napoleonic Wars: Led by Napoleon, the French Grande Armée crossed the Neman, beginning their invasion of Russia.

Battle of Carabobo: Decisive battle in the war of independence of Venezuela from Spain.

An Egyptian army under Ibrahim Pascha routs an Ottoman army under Hafiz Pasha in the battle of Nezib.

Battle of Solferino (Battle of the Three Sovereigns): Sardinia and France defeat Austria in Solferino, northern Italy.

Austro-Prussian War: In the Battle of Custoza an Austrian army defeats the Italian army.

"O Canada", the present-day national anthem of Canada, was first performed in Quebec City during a Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day banquet.

Greece and Serbia annul their alliance with Bulgaria.

Mary Pickford becomes the first female film star to sign a million-dollar contract.

First airmail service in Canada from Montreal to Toronto.

The American Professional Football Association is renamed the National Football League.

The U.S. Navy's first two fast battleships, North Carolina and Washington, of the North Carolina class, were respectively ordered from the New York and Philadelphia Naval Shipyards.

The first of the Thai cultural mandates was issued, officially changing the country's name from Siam to Thailand.

Siam is renamed Thailand by Plaek Phibunsongkhram, the country's third prime minister.

Kenneth Arnold makes the first widely reported UFO sighting near Mount Rainier, Washington.

Cold War: Start of the Berlin Blockade: The Soviet Union makes overland travel between West Germany and West Berlin impossible.

The first television western, Hopalong Cassidy, starring William Boyd, is aired on NBC.

Apartheid: In South Africa, the Group Areas Act is passed, formally segregating races.

First Indochina War: Battle of Mang Yang Pass: Viet Minh troops belonging to the 803rd Regiment ambush G.M. 100 of France in An Khê.

In Roth v. United States, the U.S. Supreme Court rules that obscenity is not protected by the First Amendment.

Rugby World Cup: South Africa defeats New Zealand and Nelson Mandela presents Francois Pienaar with the Webb Ellis Cup in an iconic post-apartheid moment.

Julia Gillard was sworn in as the first female prime minister of Australia after incumbent Kevin Rudd declined to contest a leadership spill in the Labor Party.

John Isner defeated Nicolas Mahut at the Wimbledon Championships, concluding the longest match in tennis history, which lasted 11 hours and 5 minutes over three days.

The Wagner Group led by Yevgeny Prigozhin launches an insurrection against the Russian government.