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This Year in History

Our Selections From June

December 28, 2015
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All year, we've been highlighting historical news events—and Foreign Affairs articles about those events—as part of our "This Day in History" series. Here are our collected selections for June.

Click here to see all months.

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June 1, 1990: Chemical Weapons Accord

At a summit meeting in Washington, U.S. President George H.W. Bush and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev sign a historic agreement to end production of chemical weapons. Read more about it in the Foreign Affairs archive. 

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June 2, 1954: CIA Communist Infiltration

Joseph McCarthy claimed that communists had infiltrated the CIA and nuclear bomb-making plants. These accusations were later dismissed. Read more about it in the Foreign Affairs archive. 

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June 3, 1989: Ruhollah Khomeini Dies

Iran's Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, passes away at age 87. He coined the term "Great Satan" to refer to the U.S. government. Read more about it in the Foreign Affairs archive. 

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June 4, 1989: Tiananmen Square Massacre

The Beijing government sends troops to clear Tiananmen Square of protestors, violently crushing the pro-democracy movement. Read more about it in the Foreign Affairs archive. 

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June 5, 2004: Ronald Reagan Dies at 93

Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States, dies in California. He served from 1981 to 1989 and saw the end of the Cold War. Read more about it in the Foreign Affairs archive. 

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June 6, 1944: D-Day

On Jun 6, the day the Allied powers landed on the beaches of Normandy, France, beginning the liberation of Western Europe from the Nazis. Read more about it in the Foreign Affairs archive. 

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June 7, 1948: Eduard Benes Resigns

Benes says he would rather leave his post at the head of Czechoslovakia than sign a new constitution that would make his nation into a communist state. Read more about it in the Foreign Affairs archive. 

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June 8, 632 AD: The Prophet Muhammad Dies

The founder of Islam dies in Medina in 632 A.D. Read more about it in the Foreign Affairs archive. 

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June 9, 1999: NATO and Yugoslavia Sign Kumanovo Agreement

After the agreement is signed, NATO Secretary General Javier Solana instructs General Wesley Clark, Supreme Allied Commander Europe, to temporarily suspend NATO's air operations against Yugoslavia. Read more about it in the Foreign Affairs archive. 

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June 10, 1967: Six Day War Ends

The Six-Day War ends with a UN-mediated cease-fire. Read more about it in the Foreign Affairs archive.

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June 11, 2001: Execution of Timothy McVeigh

Timothy McVeigh is put to death for carrying out the Oklahoma City bombing on April 19, 1995, an attack that killed 168 people. Read more about it in the Foreign Affairs archive. 

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June 12, 1964: Mandela Recieves Life Prison Sentence

Nelson Mandela, then an anti-apartheid activist and a leader in the African National Congress, is sentenced to life in prison. Read more about it in the Foreign Affairs archive. 

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June 13, 1966: The Miranda Rights Introduced

They establishing the rule that all criminal suspects must be informed of their rights before interrogation. Read more about it in the Foreign Affairs archive.  

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June 14, 1985: TWA Flight 847 Hijacked

Shiite Hezbollah terrorists force the plane to land in Beirut. Read more about it in the Foreign Affairs archive.  

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June 15, 1917: Espionage Act Passed

Shortly after the United States entered World War I, Congress passed the Espionage Act. Anyone found guilty of committing espionage would be fined $10,000 and given a 20 year prison sentence. Read more about it in the Foreign Affairs archive. 

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June 16, 1976: The Soweto Uprising

Around 20,000 students from schools in the Soweto area of Johannesburg protested against a mandate that local schools teach in Afrikaans. The government responded by deploying 1,500 armed policemen who killed somewhere between 170 and 700 demonstrators and wounded thousands. Read more about it in the Foreign Affairs archive. 

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June 17, 1972: Arrests at Watergate

Five men are arrested for burglarly at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office in Washington, D.C. One of them is a member of President Richard Nixon's re-election committee. Read more about it in the Foreign Affairs archive. 

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June 18, 1979: SALT II Treaty Signed

U.S. President Jimmy Carter and Russian leader Leonid Brezhnev sign the second nuclear arms control agreement known as the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty. The United States never ratifies the treaty, however, and it expires in 1985. Read more about it in the Foreign Affairs archive. 

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June 19, 1961: Kuwait Gains Independence

With the Anglo-Kuwait agreement of 1899, the United Kingdom ends its protectorate and Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah becomes Kuwait's emir. Read more about it in the Foreign Affairs archive. 

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June 20, 1963: United States and Soviet Union Agree to Create Hotline

The communication system is supposed to lessen the threat of an accidental nuclear war. Read more about it in the Foreign Affairs archive. 

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June 21, 1963: France Withdraws Its Navy from NATO

The West interpreted the move to mean that France would be pursuing its own nuclear policy. Read more about it in the Foreign Affairs archive.

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June 22, 1941: Hitler Initiates Operation Barbarossa

Nazi Germany deploys over 3 million troops to invade Russia. Read more about it in the Foreign Affairs archive. 

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June 23, 1961: Antarctic Treaty Enters Into Force

Drafted in 1959, the treaty established the peaceful use of Antarctica as a scientific preserve. Read more about it in the Foreign Affairs archive. 

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June 24, 2012: Lonesome George Dies

George was a Pinta Island tortoise. As the last of his subspecies, he became a symbol of conservation efforts worldwide. Read more about it in the Foreign Affairs archive. 

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June 25, 1950: Korean War Begins

North Korea sends armed forces into South Korea, triggering the Korean War. Read more about it in the Foreign Affairs archive. 

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June 26, 1963: JFK Declares, "I Am a Berliner"

John F. Kennedy shows his support for West Berlin by stating, in a speech in the city, "Ich bin ein Berliner." Read more about it in the Foreign Affairs archive. 

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June 27, 1950: President Truman Sends Forces to Korea

Air and naval forces are meant to stop the invasion by communist North Korea. Read more about it in the Foreign Affairs archive. 

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June 28, 1914: Archduke Ferdinand Assassinated

Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife are shot to death by a Bosnian Serb nationalist, setting in motion a chain of events that let to World War I. Read more about it in the Foreign Affairs archive. 

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June 29, 1930: Simon Commission Publishes Report on India

The Simon Commission, composed of a group of British parliamentarians, publishes recommendations for India's future. Read more about it in the Foreign Affairs archive. 

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June 30, 1966: National Organization for Women Founded

 The United States' largest feminist organization is founded by 49 people, including Betty Friedan and Pauli Murray. Read more about it in the Foreign Affairs archive. 

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