12 History Lessons + 5 Births & 6 Deaths for June 30, 2025
Today’s History:
- 1520 – Spanish conquistadors under Hernán Cortés flee the Aztec capital during “La Noche Triste” after heavy losses.
- 1859 – Charles Blondin crosses Niagara Falls on a tightrope for the first time.
- 1860 – The famous debate on evolution between Thomas Huxley and Bishop Samuel Wilberforce takes place at Oxford University.
- 1908 – A massive explosion from a meteor airburst flattens 800 square miles of forest in Tunguska, Siberia.
- 1934 – Adolf Hitler carries out the “Night of the Long Knives,” executing SA leaders and consolidating power.
- 1953 – The first Chevrolet Corvette rolls off the assembly line in Flint, Michigan.
- 1960 – Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) gains independence from Belgium.
- 1971 – The crew of Soviet Soyuz 11 die during re-entry, becoming the only humans to die in space.
- 1972 – The first leap second is added to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
- 1986 – The U.S. Supreme Court rules in Bowers v. Hardwick, upholding a Georgia sodomy law (later overturned).
- 1997 – The UK transfers sovereignty over Hong Kong to China after 156 years of British rule.
- 2015 – U.S. and Cuba announce plans to reopen embassies after over 50 years of severed diplomatic ties.
Today’s Birthdays:
- 1933 – Lea Massari, Italian actress known for L’avventura (92)
- 1959 – Vincent D’Onofrio, actor known for Full Metal Jacket and Law & Order: Criminal Intent (66)
- 1966 – Mike Tyson, former heavyweight boxing champion (59)
- 1982 – Lizzy Caplan, actress known for Mean Girls and Masters of Sex (43)
- 1985 – Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time (40)
Today’s Deaths:
- 1919 – John William Strutt (Lord Rayleigh), Nobel-winning physicist and discoverer of argon (Age 76)
- 1934 – Ernst Röhm, leader of the Nazi SA, executed during the Night of the Long Knives (Age 46)
- 1984 – Lillian Hellman, American playwright and political activist (Age 79)
- 1995 – Phyllis Hyman, R&B singer and actress (Age 45)
- 2001 – Chet Atkins, influential country music guitarist and producer (Age 77)
- 2012 – Yitzhak Shamir, former Prime Minister of Israel (Age 96)
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