On This Day - What Happened On June 24 | Britannica

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1812 Russia invaded by Napoleon and his Grand Army On this day in 1812, French Emperor Napoleon—who had massed his troops in Poland in the spring to intimidate Russian Tsar Alexander I—and 600,000 troops of his Grand Army launched an ill-fated invasion of Russia. How much do you know about Napoleon? Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. Samuel H. Kress Collection, 1961.9.15

Featured Biography

Jack Dempsey American boxer bornJune 24, 1895Manassa, ColoradodiedMay 31, 1983 (aged 87)New York City, New YorkUPI/Bettmann Archive 1987 Lionel Messi Argentine-born football player 1979 Mindy Kaling American actress, comedian, and author 1895 Jack Dempsey American boxer 1842 Ambrose Bierce American author 1542 St. John of the Cross Spanish mystic See All Biographies On This Day

More Events On This Day

2022 In Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade (1973), ending the constitutional right to an abortion. Why are there nine justices on the U.S. Supreme Court?© mark reinstein/Shutterstock.com 2010 Australian politician Julia Gillard was sworn in as Australia's first female prime minister. Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about AustraliaShutterstock.com 1987 Football (soccer) player Lionel Messi, one of the game's premier players, was born in Argentina. Take our quiz about all things footballDavid Ramos/Getty Images 1948 The Berlin blockade intensified when the Soviet Union announced that the Western Allied powers no longer had any rights in Berlin. Watch an overview of the Soviet Union's blockade of West BerlinAir Force Historical Research Agency 1947 American businessman Kenneth Arnold saw a number of objects “flying like saucers” while piloting a small plane over Mount Rainier in Washington; it was considered the first modern sighting of UFOs and gave rise to the term flying saucer.© Chronicle/Alamy 1932 The Promoters Revolution, a bloodless coup, overthrew Prajadhipok, the king of Thailand, ending the absolute monarchy in that country and initiating the so-called Constitutional Era. Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about Thailand© Telegraph Colour Library—FPG International 1859 The Battle of Solferino, the last engagement of the second War of Italian Independence, was fought in Lombardy. Match the battle with the war in our quiz 1821 South American patriots under Simón Bolívar defeated Spanish royalists on the plains near Caracas, Venezuela, in the Battle of Carabobo. Test your knowledge of Latin American historyNorth Wind Picture Archives 1795 William Smellie, the Scottish compiler of the first edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica, died at age 55.Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 1519 Theodore Beza, an author, translator, educator, and theologian who assisted and later succeeded John Calvin as a leader of the Protestant Reformation centred at Geneva, was born. Take our quiz about ChristianityArchiv für Kunst und Geschichte, Berlin 1497 John Cabot became the first European to set foot in North America since the Vikings. Take our quiz about exploration and discovery© North Wind Picture Archives SIGN UP FOR History's Biggest Headlines Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors. SIGN UP Thanks for signing up for Today in History. Your first newsletter will arrive soon! SIGN UP By clicking "Sign Up" you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.