1598
428 years ago
UK story
Anglo-Spanish War: After a 15-day siege Spanish troops in San Juan, modern-day Puerto Rico, surrendered to an English force under Sir George Clifford.
On this day: 30 June
142 things happened on 30 June, from AD 296 to 2025. UK stories come first, then the rest of the world.
In the UK 4
UK history first: stories from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
1643
383 years ago
UK story
Royalists loyal to King Charles I led by the Earl of Newcastle defeat Parliamentarian troops commanded by Lord Fairfax in the battle of Adwalton Moor, allowing them to capture Bradford and Leeds.
1860
166 years ago
UK story
The 1860 Oxford evolution debate at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History takes place.
1894
132 years ago
UK story
Tower Bridge (pictured), a combined bascule and suspension bridge over the River Thames in London, was inaugurated.
Around the world 40
AD 296
1,730 years ago
Pope Marcellinus begins his papacy.
AD 763
1,263 years ago
The Byzantine army of emperor Constantine V defeats the Bulgarian forces in the Battle of Anchialus.
1398
628 years ago
Zhu Yunwen ascended the throne to the Ming dynasty to become the Jianwen Emperor.
1422
604 years ago
Battle of Arbedo between the duke of Milan and the Swiss cantons.
1521
505 years ago
Spanish forces defeat a combined French and Navarrese army at the Battle of Noáin during the Spanish conquest of Iberian Navarre.
1632
394 years ago
The University of Tartu is founded.
1651
375 years ago
The Deluge: Khmelnytsky Uprising: The Battle of Berestechko ends with a Polish victory.
1688
338 years ago
The Immortal Seven issue the Invitation to William, which would culminate in the Glorious Revolution.
1691
335 years ago
A Williamite army under Godert de Ginkell takes the city of Athlone from the Jacobites after a short siege.
1703
323 years ago
The Battle of Ekeren between a Dutch force and a French force.
1794
232 years ago
Northwest Indian War: Native American forces under Blue Jacket attack Fort Recovery.
1805
221 years ago
Under An act to divide the Indiana Territory into two separate governments, adopted by the U.S. Congress on January 11, 1805, the Michigan Territory is organized.
1859
167 years ago
French acrobat Charles Blondin crossed Niagara Gorge, making him one of the world's most famous tightrope walkers.
1864
162 years ago
U.S. President Abraham Lincoln grants Yosemite Valley to California for "public use, resort and recreation".
1876
150 years ago
Serbia declares war on the Ottoman Empire, leading to the Serbian Wars for Independence.
1886
140 years ago
The first transcontinental train trip across Canada departs from Montreal, Quebec. It arrives in Port Moody, British Columbia on July 4.
1892
134 years ago
The Homestead Strike begins near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
1905
121 years ago
Albert Einstein sends the article On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies, in which he introduces special relativity, for publication in Annalen der Physik.
1921
105 years ago
U.S. President Warren G. Harding appoints former President William Howard Taft as Chief Justice of the United States.
1922
104 years ago
In Washington D.C., U.S. Secretary of State Charles Evans Hughes and Dominican Ambassador Francisco J. Peynado sign the Hughes–Peynado agreement, which ends the United States occupation of the Dominican Republic.
1936
90 years ago
Emperor Haile Selassie of Abyssinia appeals for aid to the League of Nations against Italy's invasion of his country.
1937
89 years ago
The world's first emergency telephone number, 999, is introduced in London.
1944
82 years ago
World War II: The Battle of Cherbourg ends with the fall of the strategically valuable port to American forces.
1953
73 years ago
The first Chevrolet Corvette rolls off the assembly line in Flint, Michigan.
1960
66 years ago
The Belgian Congo gained independence from colonial rule, beginning a period of instability that would lead to the dictatorship of Joseph-Désiré Mobutu.
1963
63 years ago
The coronation of Pope Paul VI took place, the last such ceremony before its abandonment by later popes.
1966
60 years ago
The National Organization for Women, a leading United States feminist organization, was founded in Washington, D.C.
1968
58 years ago
Pope Paul VI issues the Credo of the People of God.
1972
54 years ago
The first leap second is added to the UTC time system.
1973
53 years ago
Concorde 001 intercepts the path of a total solar eclipse and follows the moon's shadow, experiencing the longest total eclipse observation.
1974
52 years ago
Municipal workers in Baltimore, Maryland, went on strike seeking higher wages and better conditions.
1977
49 years ago
The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization disbands.
1986
40 years ago
The U.S. Supreme Court rules in Bowers v. Hardwick that states can outlaw homosexual acts between consenting adults.
1989
37 years ago
A coup d'état in Sudan deposes the democratically elected government of Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi and President Ahmed al-Mirghani.
1990
36 years ago
East and West Germany merge their economies.
1993
33 years ago
Malta is officially subdivided into 68 local councils by the Local Councils Act.
2013
13 years ago
Protests begin around Egypt against President Mohamed Morsi and the ruling Freedom and Justice Party, leading to their overthrow during the 2013 Egyptian coup d'état.
2019
7 years ago
Donald Trump becomes the first sitting US President to visit the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea).
2020
6 years ago
The Hong Kong National Security Law is passed by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and immediately comes into effect after gazettal.
2021
5 years ago
The Tiger Fire ignites near Black Canyon City, Arizona, and goes on to burn 16,278 acres (6,587 ha) of land before being fully contained on July 30.
Quick quiz
Every answer is somewhere on this page. Have a go, then check!
-
In which year did this happen: “Tower Bridge, a combined bascule and suspension bridge over the River Thames”?
- 1894
- 1643
- 1954
Show the answer
A: 1894. 1894 — that’s 132 years ago. Find it on the page
-
In which year did this happen: “Anglo-Spanish War: After a 15-day siege Spanish troops in San Juan, modern-day”?
- 1860
- 1643
- 1598
Show the answer
C: 1598. 1598 — that’s 428 years ago. Find it on the page
-
Which of these happened first?
- Royalists loyal to King Charles I led by the Earl of Newcastle defeat
- Anglo-Spanish War: After a 15-day siege Spanish troops in San Juan, modern-day
- Tower Bridge, a combined bascule and suspension bridge over the River Thames
Show the answer
B: Anglo-Spanish War: After a 15-day siege Spanish troops in San Juan, modern-day. 1643: Royalists loyal to King Charles I led by the Earl of Newcastle defeat · 1598: Anglo-Spanish War: After a 15-day siege Spanish troops in San Juan, modern-day · 1894: Tower Bridge, a combined bascule and suspension bridge over the River Thames Find it on the page
-
“Royalists loyal to King Charles I led by the Earl of Newcastle defeat” happened in 1643. How many years ago was that?
- 383 years
- 393 years
- 373 years
Show the answer
A: 383 years. 2026 − 1643 = 383. Find it on the page
Born on this day 36
Famous people whose birthday is 30 June.
- 1911 Czesław Miłosz — Polish novelist, essayist, and poet, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2004) Read more about Czesław Miłosz on Wikipedia
- 1966 Mike Tyson — American boxer and actor Read more about Mike Tyson on Wikipedia
- 1985 Michael Phelps — American swimmer Read more about Michael Phelps on Wikipedia
- 1954 Serzh Sargsyan — Armenian politician, 3rd President of Armenia Read more about Serzh Sargsyan on Wikipedia
- 1983 Cheryl — English singer and TV personality UK Read more about Cheryl on Wikipedia
- 1817 Joseph Dalton Hooker — English botanist and explorer (died 1911) UK Read more about Joseph Dalton Hooker on Wikipedia
- 1685 John Gay — English poet and playwright (died 1732) UK Read more about John Gay on Wikipedia
- 1954 Stephen Barlow — English organist, composer, and conductor UK Read more about Stephen Barlow on Wikipedia
- 1470 Charles VIII of France Read more about Charles VIII of France on Wikipedia
- 1893 Walter Ulbricht — German soldier and politician, chief decision maker and head of state of the GDR (East Germany) (died 1973) Read more about Walter Ulbricht on Wikipedia
- 1963 Rupert Graves — English actor, director, and screenwriter UK Read more about Rupert Graves on Wikipedia
- 1965 Gary Pallister — English footballer and sportscaster UK Read more about Gary Pallister on Wikipedia
- 1998 Tom Davies — English footballer UK Read more about Tom Davies on Wikipedia
- 1926 Paul Berg — American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2023) Read more about Paul Berg on Wikipedia
- 1959 Brendan Perry — English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer UK Read more about Brendan Perry on Wikipedia
- 1908 Winston Graham — English author (died 2003) UK Read more about Winston Graham on Wikipedia
- 1891 Stanley Spencer — English painter (died 1959) UK Read more about Stanley Spencer on Wikipedia
- 1936 Assia Djebar — Algerian-French author and translator (died 2015) Read more about Assia Djebar on Wikipedia
- 1960 Jack McConnell — Scottish educator and politician, 3rd First Minister of Scotland UK Read more about Jack McConnell on Wikipedia
- 1843 Ernest Mason Satow — English orientalist and diplomat (died 1929) UK Read more about Ernest Mason Satow on Wikipedia
- 1917 Susan Hayward — American actress (died 1975) Read more about Susan Hayward on Wikipedia
- 1956 David Lidington — English historian, academic, and politician, Minister of State for Europe UK Read more about David Lidington on Wikipedia
- 1917 Lena Horne — American actress, singer, and activist (died 2010) Read more about Lena Horne on Wikipedia
- 1955 Egils Levits — Latvian judge, jurist, 10th President of Latvia Read more about Egils Levits on Wikipedia
- 1884 Georges Duhamel — French author and critic (died 1966) Read more about Georges Duhamel on Wikipedia
- 1953 Hal Lindes — American-English guitarist and film score composer UK Read more about Hal Lindes on Wikipedia
- 1803 Thomas Lovell Beddoes — English poet, playwright, and physician (died 1849) UK Read more about Thomas Lovell Beddoes on Wikipedia
- 1975 Ralf Schumacher — German race car driver Read more about Ralf Schumacher on Wikipedia
- 1939 Tony Hatch — English pianist, composer, and producer UK Read more about Tony Hatch on Wikipedia
- 1949 Andy Scott — Welsh singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer UK Read more about Andy Scott on Wikipedia
- 1967 David Busst — English footballer and manager UK Read more about David Busst on Wikipedia
- 1983 Katherine Ryan — UK-based Canadian comedian and presenter UK Read more about Katherine Ryan on Wikipedia
- 1959 Vincent D'Onofrio — American actor Read more about Vincent D'Onofrio on Wikipedia
- 1982 Lizzy Caplan — American actress Read more about Lizzy Caplan on Wikipedia
- 1986 Fredy Guarín — Colombian footballer Read more about Fredy Guarín on Wikipedia
- 1906 Anthony Mann — American actor and director (died 1967) Read more about Anthony Mann on Wikipedia
Remembering 18
Well-known people who died on 30 June.
- AD 888 Æthelred — archbishop of Canterbury UK Read more about Æthelred on Wikipedia
- 1919 John William Strutt — 3rd Baron Rayleigh, English physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1842) UK Read more about John William Strutt on Wikipedia
- 1660 William Oughtred — English minister and mathematician (born 1575) UK Read more about William Oughtred on Wikipedia
- 1670 Henrietta of England UK Read more about Henrietta of England on Wikipedia
- 1973 Nancy Mitford — English journalist and author (born 1904) UK Read more about Nancy Mitford on Wikipedia
- 2012 Yitzhak Shamir — Israeli politician, 7th Prime Minister of Israel (born 1915) Read more about Yitzhak Shamir on Wikipedia
- 1966 Margery Allingham — English author of detective fiction (born 1904) UK Read more about Margery Allingham on Wikipedia
- 2017 Simone Veil — French lawyer and politician (born 1927) Read more about Simone Veil on Wikipedia
- 1785 James Oglethorpe — English general and politician, 1st Colonial Governor of Georgia (born 1696) UK Read more about James Oglethorpe on Wikipedia
- 1934 Kurt von Schleicher — German general and politician, 23rd Chancellor of Germany (born 1882) Read more about Kurt von Schleicher on Wikipedia
- 2025 Kenneth Colley — English actor (born 1937) UK Read more about Kenneth Colley on Wikipedia
- 1709 Edward Lhuyd — Welsh botanist, linguist, and geographer (born 1660) UK Read more about Edward Lhuyd on Wikipedia
- 1538 Charles II — Duke of Guelders (born 1467) UK Read more about Charles II on Wikipedia
- 1966 Giuseppe Farina — Italian race car driver (born 1906) Read more about Giuseppe Farina on Wikipedia
- 1337 Eleanor de Clare — English noblewoman (born 1290) UK Read more about Eleanor de Clare on Wikipedia
- 1961 Lee de Forest — American inventor, invented the audion tube (born 1873) Read more about Lee de Forest on Wikipedia
- 2009 Pina Bausch — German dancer, choreographer, and director (born 1940) Read more about Pina Bausch on Wikipedia
- 1984 Lillian Hellman — American author and playwright (born 1905) Read more about Lillian Hellman on Wikipedia
Special days 17
Festivals, holidays and saints’ days celebrated on 30 June somewhere in the world.
- Teachers' Day (Dominican Republic) Read more about List of Teachers' Days on Wikipedia
- Asteroid Day (International observance) Read more about Asteroid Day on Wikipedia
- Armed Forces Day (Guatemala) Read more about Public holidays in Guatemala on Wikipedia
- Independence Day (Democratic Republic of the Congo), celebrates the independence of Democratic Republic of the Congo from Belgium in 1960. Read more about Public holidays in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Wikipedia
- Navy Day (Israel) Read more about Navy Day (Israel) on Wikipedia
- Revolution Day (Sudan) Read more about Public holidays in Sudan on Wikipedia
- General Prayer Day (Central African Republic) Read more about Public holidays in the Central African Republic on Wikipedia
- Philippine–Spanish Friendship Day (Philippines) Read more about Philippine–Spanish Friendship Day on Wikipedia
- Christian saints’ and feast days: St. Paul the Apostle (solo feast day), St. Otto of Bamberg, St. Martial, St. Adolf of Osnabrück, St. Theobald of Provins, Blessed Philip Powell, Our Lady of Good Help (Quebec, Canada), June 30 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics), Feast of the 12 Apostles.
For older readers 27 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.
- 1559 During a jousting match, King Henry II of France was mortally wounded when fragments of Gabriel Montgomery's lance pierced his eye. Read more about Jousting on Wikipedia
- 2007 A Jeep Cherokee filled with propane canisters drives into the entrance of Glasgow Airport, Scotland in a failed terrorist attack. This was linked to the 2007 London car bombs that had taken place the day before. Read more about Jeep Cherokee on Wikipedia
- 1916 World War I: In "the day Sussex died", elements of the Royal Sussex Regiment take heavy casualties in the Battle of the Boar's Head at Richebourg-l'Avoué in France. Read more about Royal Sussex Regiment on Wikipedia
- 1934 German chancellor Adolf Hitler began a purge of the paramilitary wing of the Nazi Party and other political rivals, executing at least 85 people. Read more about Adolf Hitler on Wikipedia
- 2023 A Tajik citizen with ISIS connections, wanted in Tajikistan for murder and kidnapping, kills two people at Chișinău International Airport in Moldova, after being denied entry to the country. Read more about Islamic State on Wikipedia
- 1985 Ryan White, an HIV/AIDS patient in the US, was denied re-admission to his school after he had contracted the disease from hemophilia treatments. Read more about Ryan White on Wikipedia
- 2009 Yemenia Flight 626 crashed into the Indian Ocean near the Comoros, killing 152 people, with French schoolgirl Bahia Bakari the sole survivor. Read more about Yemenia Flight 626 on Wikipedia
- 2015 An Indonesian Air Force military transport aircraft (pictured) crashed near a residential neighborhood in Medan, killing 139 people. Read more about Indonesian Air Force on Wikipedia
- 1905 Nadir of American race relations: A mob of white Americans killed eight people in Oconee County, Georgia, as part of a mass lynching. Read more about Nadir of American race relations on Wikipedia
- 1989 A building fire in Atlanta killed five people. Read more about Peachtree 25th Building fire on Wikipedia
- 1758 Seven Years' War: Habsburg Austrian forces destroy a Prussian reinforcement and supply convoy in the Battle of Domstadtl, helping to expel Prussian King Frederick the Great from Moravia. Read more about Seven Years' War on Wikipedia
- 1908 The Tunguska Event, the largest impact event on Earth in human recorded history, resulting in a massive explosion over Eastern Siberia. Read more about Tunguska event on Wikipedia
- 1994 An Airbus A330-300 crashes during a test flight at Toulouse–Blagnac Airport, killing all seven people on board. Read more about Airbus A330 on Wikipedia
- 1971 The crew of the Soviet Soyuz 11 spacecraft are killed when their air supply escapes through a faulty valve. Read more about Soyuz 11 on Wikipedia
- 1956 A TWA Super Constellation and a United Airlines DC-7 collide above the Grand Canyon in Arizona and crash, killing all 128 on board both airliners. Read more about Trans World Airlines on Wikipedia
- 1959 A United States Air Force F-100 Super Sabre from Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, crashes into a nearby elementary school, killing 11 students plus six residents from the local neighborhood. Read more about North American F-100 Super Sabre on Wikipedia
- 1882 Charles J. Guiteau is hanged in Washington, D.C. for the assassination of U.S. President James Garfield. Read more about Charles J. Guiteau on Wikipedia
- 1985 Thirty-nine American hostages from the hijacked TWA Flight 847 are freed in Beirut after being held for 17 days. Read more about TWA Flight 847 on Wikipedia
- 2013 Nineteen firefighters die controlling a wildfire near Yarnell, Arizona. Read more about Yarnell Hill Fire on Wikipedia
- 1963 Ciaculli bombing: a car bomb, intended for Mafia boss Salvatore Greco, kills seven police officers and military personnel near Palermo. Read more about Ciaculli massacre on Wikipedia
- 1912 The Regina Cyclone, Canada's deadliest tornado event, kills 28 people in Regina, Saskatchewan. Read more about Regina Cyclone on Wikipedia
- 1900 A savage fire wrecked three steamships docked at a pier in Hoboken, New Jersey. Over 200 crew members and passengers are killed, and hundreds injured. Read more about 1900 Hoboken Docks fire on Wikipedia
- 1906 The United States Congress passes the Meat Inspection Act and Pure Food and Drug Act. Read more about Federal Meat Inspection Act on Wikipedia
- — Christian feast day: First Martyrs of the Church of Rome Read more about First Martyrs of the Church of Rome on Wikipedia
- — Christian feast day: Blessed Vasyl Velychkovsky Read more about Vasyl Velychkovsky on Wikipedia
- — Christian feast day: Erentrude Read more about Erentrude on Wikipedia
- — Christian feast day: Blessed Zynoviy Kovalyk Read more about Zynoviy Kovalyk 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 30” 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.