12 History Lessons + 6 Births & 6 Deaths for June 17, 2025
Today’s History:
- 1631 – Mumtaz Mahal, wife of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, dies in childbirth—her death inspires the construction of the Taj Mahal.
- 1775 – The Battle of Bunker Hill takes place during the American Revolutionary War; technically a British victory, but with heavy losses.
- 1789 – The French Third Estate declares itself a National Assembly, marking a pivotal moment in the French Revolution.
- 1885 – The Statue of Liberty arrives in New York City aboard the French ship Isère.
- 1928 – Amelia Earhart becomes the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean (as a passenger).
- 1940 – France requests an armistice with Germany during World War II.
- 1944 – Iceland is formally declared a republic, ending its union with Denmark.
- 1953 – East German workers revolt against the government, a major Cold War-era protest against Soviet control.
- 1972 – The Watergate break-in occurs, eventually leading to President Nixon’s resignation.
- 1991 – South Africa repeals the last of its apartheid laws.
- 1994 – O.J. Simpson leads police on a low-speed chase in a white Ford Bronco watched by millions live on TV.
- 2021 – President Joe Biden and President Vladimir Putin meet in Geneva for a high-stakes summit.
Today’s Birthdays:
- 1943 – Barry Manilow, singer and songwriter known for “Mandy” and “Copacabana” (82)
- 1945 – Eddy Merckx, Belgian cycling legend and five-time Tour de France winner (80)
- 1960 – Thomas Haden Church, actor (Sideways, Spider-Man 3) (65)
- 1973 – Venus Williams, American tennis champion (52)
- 1980 – Ryan Bailey Howard (fictional character from The Office) (45)
- 1987 – Kendrick Lamar, Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper and songwriter (38)
Today’s Deaths:
- 1904 – William Hooper Young, American Mormon figure and convicted murderer (Age 33)
- 1940 – Arthur Harden, British chemist and Nobel laureate (Age 74)
- 1961 – Jeff Chandler, American actor and singer (Age 42)
- 1986 – Kate Smith, American singer best known for “God Bless America” (Age 79)
- 2012 – Rodney King, African-American man whose beating by LAPD officers was caught on video (Age 47)
- 2020 – Jean Kennedy Smith, U.S. Ambassador to Ireland and sister of JFK (Age 92)
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