On This Day — 24 June

2023

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

Wagner Group

2022

In Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the U.S. Supreme Court rules that the U.S. Constitution does not assign the authority to regulate abortions to the federal government, thereby returning such authority to the individual states. This overturns the prior decisions in Roe v. Wade (1973) and Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992).

Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization

2021

The Champlain Towers South condominium in Surfside, Florida suffers a sudden partial collapse, killing 98 people inside.

Surfside, Florida

2013

Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is found guilty of abusing his power and engaging in sex with an underage prostitute, and is sentenced to seven years in prison.

Prime Minister of Italy

2012

Death of Lonesome George, the last known individual of Chelonoidis nigra abingdonii, a subspecies of the Galápagos tortoise.

Lonesome George

2010

At Wimbledon, John Isner of the United States defeats Nicolas Mahut of France, in the longest match in professional tennis history.

Wimbledon Championships

2010

Julia Gillard assumes office as the first female Prime Minister of Australia.

Julia Gillard

2004

In New York, capital punishment is declared unconstitutional.

Capital punishment

2002

The Igandu train disaster in Tanzania kills 281, the worst train accident in African history.

Igandu train collision

1995

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.

1995 Rugby World Cup

1994

A Boeing B-52 Stratofortress crashes at Fairchild Air Force Base near Spokane, Washington, killing four.

Boeing B-52 Stratofortress

1989

Jiang Zemin succeeds Zhao Ziyang to become the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party after the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre.

Jiang Zemin

1982

"The Jakarta Incident": British Airways Flight 009 flies into a cloud of volcanic ash thrown up by the eruption of Mount Galunggung, resulting in the failure of all four engines.

British Airways Flight 009

1981

The Humber Bridge opens to traffic, connecting Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. It remained the world's longest bridge span for 17 years.

Humber Bridge

1975

Eastern Air Lines Flight 66 encounters severe wind shear and crashes on final approach to New York's JFK Airport killing 113 of the 124 passengers on board, making it the deadliest U.S. plane crash at the time. This accident led to decades of research into downburst and microburst phenomena and their effects on aircraft.

Eastern Air Lines Flight 66

1973

The UpStairs Lounge arson attack takes place at a gay bar located on the second floor of the three-story building at 141 Chartres Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, US. Thirty-two people die as a result of fire or smoke inhalation.

UpStairs Lounge arson attack

1963

The United Kingdom grants Zanzibar internal self-government.

Zanzibar

1960

Venezuelan President Rómulo Betancourt is injured in an assassination attempt.

Venezuela

1957

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

Roth v. United States

1954

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.

First Indochina War

1950

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

Apartheid

1949

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

Westerns on television

1948

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

Cold War

1947

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

Kenneth Arnold

1945

The first Victory Day Parade takes place on Red Square in Moscow, Soviet Union, symbolizing the victory of the Soviet Union over Nazi Germany.

Victory Day parades

1943

US military police attempt to arrest a black soldier in Bamber Bridge, England, sparking the Battle of Bamber Bridge mutiny that leaves one dead and seven wounded.

Bamber Bridge

1940

World War II: Operation Collar, the first British Commando raid on occupied France, by No 11 Independent Company.

World War II

1939

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

Plaek Phibunsongkhram

1938

Pieces of a meteorite land near Chicora, Pennsylvania. The meteorite is estimated to have weighed 450 metric tons when it hit the Earth's atmosphere and exploded.

Meteorite

1932

A bloodless revolution instigated by the People's Party ends the absolute power of King Prajadhipok of Siam (now Thailand).

Siamese revolution of 1932

1922

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

National Football League

1918

First airmail service in Canada from Montreal to Toronto.

Airmail

1916

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

Mary Pickford

1913

Greece and Serbia annul their alliance with Bulgaria.

Serbia

1894

Assassination of the French President, Sadi Carnot by Sante Caserio during the Ère des attentats (1892–1894).

Assassination of Sadi Carnot

1880

First performance of O Canada at the Congrès national des Canadiens-Français. The song would later become the national anthem of Canada.

O Canada

1866

Battle of Custoza: An Austrian army defeats the Italian army during the Austro-Prussian War.

Battle of Custoza (1866)

1859

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

Battle of Solferino

1821

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

Battle of Carabobo

1813

Battle of Beaver Dams: A British and Indian combined force defeats the United States Army.

Battle of Beaver Dams

1812

Napoleonic Wars: Napoleon's Grande Armée crosses the Neman river beginning the invasion of Russia.

Napoleonic Wars

1793

The first Republican constitution in France is adopted.

French Constitution of 1793

1779

American Revolutionary War: The Great Siege of Gibraltar begins.

American Revolutionary War

1762

Battle of Wilhelmsthal: The British-Hanoverian army of Ferdinand of Brunswick defeats French forces in Westphalia.

Battle of Wilhelmsthal

1724

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

Nativity of John the Baptist

1717

The Premier Grand Lodge of England is founded in London, the first Masonic Grand Lodge in the world (now the United Grand Lodge of England).

Premier Grand Lodge of England

1663

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

Évora

1622

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

Battle of Macau

1604

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.

Samuel de Champlain

1593

The Dutch city of Geertruidenberg held by the Spanish, capitulates to a besieging Dutch and English army led by Maurice of Nassau.

Geertruidenberg

1571

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

Miguel López de Legazpi

1540

English King Henry VIII commands his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, to leave the court.

Henry VIII

1535

The Anabaptist state of Münster is conquered and disbanded.

Anabaptism

1509

Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon are crowned King and Queen of England.

Henry VIII

1497

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

John Cabot

1374

A sudden outbreak of St. John's Dance causes people in the streets of Aachen, Germany, to experience hallucinations and begin to jump and twitch uncontrollably until they collapse from exhaustion.

Dancing mania

1340

Hundred Years' War: Battle of Sluys: The French fleet is almost completely destroyed by the English fleet commanded personally by King Edward III.

Hundred Years' War

1314

First War of Scottish Independence: The Battle of Bannockburn concludes with a decisive victory by Scottish forces led by Robert the Bruce.

First War of Scottish Independence

1230

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

Siege of Jaén (1230)

1128

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.

Battle of São Mamede

972

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

Battle of Cedynia

843

The Vikings sack the French city of Nantes.

Vikings in Brittany

637

The Battle of Moira is fought between the High King of Ireland and the Kings of Ulster and Dál Riata. It is claimed to be the largest battle in the history of Ireland.

Battle of Moira

474

Julius Nepos forces Roman usurper Glycerius to abdicate the throne and proclaims himself Emperor of the Western Roman Empire.

Julius Nepos

109

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

AD 109

-1312

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

Muršili II