June 22nd in History
Galileo Galilei at his trial by the Inquisition in Rome in 1633. (Wellcome Images)
Today in History
- Galileo Galilei is forced to recant his view that the Sun, not the Earth, is the center of the Universe (1633)
- Spanish-American War: US Marines land in Cuba (1898)
- World War II: Nazi Germany launches Operation Barbarossa, an invasion of the Soviet Union (1941)
- The US Congress adopts the Pledge of Allegiance (1942)
- FDR signs the G.I. Bill into law (1944)
- The Cuyahoga River catches fire in Cleveland, Ohio (1969)
- The Hand of God goal and the Goal of the Century, both by Diego Maradona, take place in the quarter-finals of the 1986 FIFA World Cup (1986)
- Checkpoint Charlie is dismantled in Berlin (1990)
Birthdays
- H. Rider Haggard, author (1856)
- Maximilian von Spee, admiral, namesake of the heavy cruiser Admiral Graf Spee (1986)
- Julian Huxley, biologist (1887)
- Erich Maria Remarque, author (1898)
- John Dillinger, bank robber (1903)
- Anne Morrow Lindbergh, aviator and author (1906)
- Billy Wilder, filmmaker (1906)
- Mike Todd, filmmaker (1909)
- Gower Champion, dancer and choreographer (1919)
- Paul Frees, actor and cartoon voice (1920)
- Joseph Papp, impressario (1921)
- Bill Blass, fashion designer (1922)
- Ralph Waite, actor (1928)
- Diane Feinstein, politician (1933)
- Kris Kristofferson, singer-songwriter (1936)
- Ed Bradley, television journalist (1941)
- Brit Hume, television journalist (1943)
- Octavia E. Butler, science fiction writer (1947)
- Todd Rundgren, singer-songwriter (1948)
- Meryl Streep, actress (1949)
- Lindsay Wagner, actress (1949)
- Elizabeth Warren, academic and US Senator (1949)
- Cyndi Lauper, singer-songwriter (1953)
- Freddie Prinze, comedian and actor (1954)
- Bruce Campbell, actor and director (1958)
- Erin Brockovich, environmentalist (1960)
- Dan Brown, author (1964)
- Mary Lynn Rajskub, actress (1971)
- Carson Daly, television host (1973)
Deaths
- Walter de la Mare, author and poet (1956)
- David O. Selznick, producer (1965)
- Judy Garland, actress and singer (1969)
- Fred Astaire, dancer, actor, and singer (1987)
- Dennis Day, singer and actor (1988)
- Pat Nixon, first lady (1993)
- George Carlin, comedian (2008)
- Felix Dennis, publisher (2014)
Holidays and Celebrations
- Anti-Fascist Struggle Day (Croatia)
- Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Great Patriotic War (Belarus)
- Father’s Day (Guernsey, Isle of Man, and Jersey)
- Global Surfs Day
- Teacher’s Day (El Salvador)
June 22 is the 173rd day of the year (174th in leap years). There are 192 days remaining until the end of the year.