The planet Venus passed directly between Earth and the Sun for the last time until 2117
This rare Venus transit lasted nearly seven hours and was visible from parts of all seven continents. Astronomers won't see another one until December...
June 6 in History
Significant events that happened on this day.
Historical Events
2012
2002
An asteroid the size of a soccer field missed Earth by just 75,000 miles, the closest recorded near-miss
Asteroid 2002 MN wasn't detected until three days after it whizzed past Earth at a third of the distance to the moon. Had it struck, the 120-meter roc...
1986
A federal jury found that the NFL violated antitrust laws in its dealings with the USFL, but awarded only $1 in damages
The United States Football League sued the NFL for $1.7 billion, claiming monopolistic practices destroyed their league. Though the jury agreed the NF...
1984
Tetris was officially released by Soviet programmer Alexey Pajitnov
The iconic puzzle game featuring falling blocks was first published by the Soviet Academy of Sciences, though Pajitnov wouldn't earn royalties for ano...
1978
A 15-year-old Swedish tennis player named Björn Borg won his third consecutive French Open title
Borg dominated clay court tennis with his unusual two-handed backhand and incredible baseline consistency. He would go on to win 11 Grand Slam titles...
1971
The Ed Sullivan Show aired its final episode after 23 years on CBS
Sullivan's variety show had introduced America to Elvis Presley, The Beatles, and countless other stars, but changing tastes finally caught up with th...
1946
The Basketball Association of America (which became the NBA) held its first draft
The New York Knicks selected Clifton McNeely from Texas Wesleyan as the first overall pick, but he never played a game in the league. Instead, he beca...
1944
Allied forces launched D-Day, the largest amphibious invasion in history on the beaches of Normandy
MajorOver 156,000 American, British, and Canadian troops stormed five beaches in Nazi-occupied France, marking the beginning of the liberation of Western E...
1933
The first drive-in movie theater opened in Camden, New Jersey
Richard Hollingshead Jr. opened his outdoor cinema charging 25 cents per car plus 25 cents per person. The featured film was "Wives Beware," and the t...
1882
Cyclone struck Bombay, India, killing an estimated 100,000 people
The devastating storm remains one of the deadliest tropical cyclones in recorded history. It destroyed thousands of homes and ships in the harbor, wit...
1844
The YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association) was founded in London by George Williams
What started as a prayer group for 12 young men working in drapers' shops became a global movement. Today, the YMCA serves over 64 million people in 1...
1809
Sweden adopted a new constitution that stripped the monarchy of most of its power
Following the forced abdication of King Gustav IV Adolf, Sweden created a constitutional monarchy that balanced power between the king and parliament....
1683
The Ashmolean Museum opened at Oxford University, becoming the world's first university museum
MajorFounded by antiquarian Elias Ashmole, the museum displayed his collection of curiosities, scientific instruments, and archaeological finds. It predate...