ON THIS DAY
On this day in history June 4-10 2017
June 4, 2017 - June 10, 2017 -
This week features the pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square, the Six Day War, Persil washing powder, the Grumman Avenger torpedo bomber, the architect Frank Lloyd Wright, the first flight across the Pacific Ocean and the first ballpoint pen.
June 4, 1989: Chinese army tanks entered Tiananmen Square in Beijing to oust pro-democracy protesters. Death toll estimates range from a few hundred into the thousands
June 5, 1967: The Six Day War began between Israel and its Arab neighbours. Israel captured the West Bank, East Jerusalem, the Golan Heights and the Sinai Peninsula
June 6, 1907: Persil went on sale in Germany as the world’s first “self-acting” washing powder, combining washing and bleaching agents in one product
June 7, 1942: The Grumman Avenger torpedo bomber (above) played a key role in the U.S. victory at the Battle of Midway, Japan’s first major naval defeat of World War II
June 8, 1867: American architect Frank Lloyd Wright was born. The Gulbenkian art gallery in New York is a famous example of his unorthodox approach to building design
June 9, 1928: Australian aviators Charles Kingsford-Smith and Charles Ulm completed the first flight across the Pacific Ocean, from California to Brisbane
June 10, 1943: Hungarian journalist Laszlo Biro patented his ballpoint pen, consisting of a ball that turned freely in a socket and deposited smudge-free ink