It was one of a group of nuclear explosions set off in space
1540 – King Henry VIII of England annuls his marriage to his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves.
1776 – George Washington orders the Declaration of Independence to be read out to members of the Continental Army in Manhattan, while thousands of British troops on Staten Island prepare for the Battle of Long Island.
1790 – The Swedish Navy captures one third of the Russian Baltic fleet.
1816 – Argentina declares independence from Spain.
1863 – The Siege of Port Hudson ends, giving the Union complete control of the Mississippi River.
1868 – The 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified,guaranteeing African Americans full citizenship and all persons in the United States due process of law.
1918 – In Nashville, Tennessee, an inbound local train collides with an outbound express, killing 101 and injuring 171 people, making it the deadliest rail accident in United States history.
1962 – Starfish Prime tests the effects of a nuclear test at orbital altitudes.
The initial Starfish launch attempt on June 20 was aborted in flight due to failure of the Thor launch vehicle. The Thor missile flew a normal trajectory for 59 seconds; then the rocket engine stopped, and the missile began to break apart. The range safety officer ordered the destruction of the missile and warhead. The missile was between 30,000 and 35,000 feet in altitude when it was destroyed. (wiki)
Births
1577 – Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr, English-American soldier and politician, Colonial Governor of Virginia (d. 1618)
1578 – Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1637)
1686 – Philip Livingston, American merchant and politician (d. 1749)
1819 – Elias Howe, inventor, invented the sewing machine (d. 1867)
1908 – Minor White, American photographer, critic, and educator (d. 1976)
1933 – Oliver Sacks, neurologist, author, and academic (d. 2015)
1937 – David Hockney, English painter and photographer
1956 – Tom Hanks, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
1964 – Courtney Love, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress
Deaths
715 – Naga, Japanese prince
1850 – Zachary Taylor, 12th President of the United States (b. 1784)
1974 – Earl Warren, 14th Chief Justice of the United States (b. 1891)