June 4

Events

Pre-1600

*1411 – King Charles VI granted a monopoly for the ripening of Roquefort cheese to the people of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon as they had been doing for centuries.
* 1561 – The steeple of St Paul's, the medieval cathedral of London, is destroyed in a fire caused by lightning and is never rebuilt.

1601–1900

* 1615 – Siege of Osaka: Forces under Tokugawa Ieyasu take Osaka Castle in Japan.
* 1745 – Battle of Hohenfriedberg: Frederick the Great's Prussian army decisively defeated an Austrian army under Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine during the War of the Austrian Succession.
*1760 – Great Upheaval: New England planters arrive to claim land in Nova Scotia, Canada, taken from the Acadians.
*1783 – The Montgolfier brothers publicly demonstrate their ''montgolfière'' (hot air balloon).
* 1784 – Élisabeth Thible becomes the first woman to fly in an untethered hot air balloon. Her flight covers four kilometres in 45 minutes, and reached 1,500 metres altitude (estimated).
*1792 – Captain George Vancouver claims Puget Sound for the Kingdom of Great Britain.
* 1802 – King Charles Emmanuel IV of Sardinia abdicates his throne in favor of his brother, Victor Emmanuel.
*1812 – Following Louisiana's admittance as a U.S. state, the Louisiana Territory is renamed the Missouri Territory.
* 1825 – General Lafayette, a French officer in the American Revolutionary War, speaks at what would become Lafayette Square, Buffalo, during his visit to the United States.
* 1855 – Major Henry C. Wayne departs New York aboard the to procure camels to establish the U.S. Camel Corps.
* 1859 – Italian Independence wars: In the Battle of Magenta, the French army, under Louis-Napoleon, defeat the Austrian army.
*1862 – American Civil War: Confederate troops evacuate Fort Pillow on the Mississippi River, leaving the way clear for Union troops to take Memphis, Tennessee.
*1876 – An express train called the ''Transcontinental Express'' arrives in San Francisco, via the First transcontinental railroad only 83 hours and 39 minutes after leaving New York City.
*1878 – Cyprus Convention: The Ottoman Empire cedes Cyprus to the United Kingdom but retains nominal title.
*1896 – Henry Ford completes the Ford Quadricycle, his first gasoline-powered automobile, and gives it a successful test run.

1901–present

*1912 – Massachusetts becomes the first state of the United States to set a minimum wage.
*1913 – Emily Davison, a suffragist, runs out in front of King George V's horse at The Derby. She is trampled, never regains consciousness, and dies four days later.
*1916 – World War I: Russia opens the Brusilov Offensive with an artillery barrage of Austro-Hungarian lines in Galicia.
* 1917 – The first Pulitzer Prizes are awarded: Laura E. Richards, Maude H. Elliott, and Florence Hall receive the first Pulitzer for biography (for ''Julia Ward Howe''). Jean Jules Jusserand receives the first Pulitzer for history for his work '' With Americans of Past and Present Days''. Herbert B. Swope receives the first Pulitzer for journalism for his work for the ''New York World''.
*1919 – Women's rights: The U.S. Congress approves the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which guarantees suffrage to women, and sends it to the U.S. states for ratification.
*1920 – Hungary loses 71% of its territory and 63% of its population when the Treaty of Trianon is signed in Paris.
*1928 – The President of the Republic of China, Zhang Zuolin, is assassinated by Japanese agents.
*1932 – Marmaduke Grove and other Chilean military officers lead a coup d'état establishing the short-lived Socialist Republic of Chile.
*1939 – The Holocaust: The , a ship carrying 963 German Jewish refugees, is denied permission to land in Florida, in the United States, after already being turned away from Cuba. Forced to return to Europe, more than 200 of its passengers later die in Nazi concentration camps.
*1940 – World War II: The Dunkirk evacuation ends: the British Armed Forces completes evacuation of 338,000 troops from Dunkirk delivers, only to the House of Commons, his famous "We shall fight on the beaches" speech.
*1942 – World War II: The Battle of Midway begins. The Japanese Admiral Chūichi Nagumo orders a strike on Midway Island by much of the Imperial Japanese Navy.
* 1942 – World War II: Gustaf Mannerheim, the Commander-in-Chief of the Finnish Army, is granted the title of Marshal of Finland by the government on his 75th birthday. On the same day, Adolf Hitler arrives in Finland for a surprise visit to meet Mannerheim.
*1943 – A military coup in Argentina ousts Ramón Castillo.
*1944 – World War II: A hunter-killer group of the United States Navy captures the German Kriegsmarine submarine ''U-505'': The first time a U.S. Navy vessel had captured an enemy vessel at sea since the 19th century.
* 1944 – World War II: The United States Fifth Army captures Rome, although much of the German Fourteenth Army is able to withdraw to the north.
*1961 – Cold War: In the Vienna summit, the Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev sparks the Berlin Crisis by threatening to sign a separate peace treaty with East Germany and ending American, British and French access to East Berlin.
*1967 – Seventy-two people are killed when a Canadair C-4 Argonaut crashes at Stockport in England.
*1970 – Tonga gains independence from the British Empire.
*1975 – The Governor of California Jerry Brown signs the California Agricultural Labor Relations Act into law, the first law in the United States giving farmworkers collective bargaining rights.
*1977 – JVC introduces its VHS videotape at the Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago. It will eventually prevail against Sony's rival Betamax system in a format war to become the predominant home video medium.
*1979 – Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings takes power in Ghana after a military coup in which General Fred Akuffo is overthrown.
*1983 – Gordon Kahl, who killed two US Marshals in Medina, North Dakota on February 13, is killed in a shootout in Smithville, Arkansas, along with a local sheriff, after a four-month manhunt.
*1986 – Jonathan Pollard pleads guilty to espionage for selling top secret United States military intelligence to Israel.
*1988 – Three cars on a train carrying hexogen to Kazakhstan explode in Arzamas, Gorky Oblast, USSR, killing 91 and injuring about 1,500.
*1989 – In the 1989 Iranian Supreme Leader election, Ali Khamenei is elected as the new Supreme Leader of Iran after the death and funeral of Ruhollah Khomeini.
* 1989 – The Tiananmen Square protests are suppressed in Beijing by the People's Liberation Army, with between 241 and 10,000 dead (an unofficial estimate).
* 1989 – Solidarity's victory in the 1989 Polish legislative election, the first election since the Communist Polish United Workers Party abandoned its monopoly of power. It sparks off the Revolutions of 1989 in Eastern Europe.
* 1989 – Ufa train disaster: A natural gas explosion near Ufa, Russia, kills 575 as two trains passing each other throw sparks near a leaky pipeline.
*1996 – The first flight of Ariane 5 explodes after roughly 37 seconds. It was a Cluster mission.
*1998 – Terry Nichols is sentenced to life in prison for his role in the Oklahoma City bombing.
*2005 – The Civic Forum of the Romanians of Covasna, Harghita and Mureș is founded.
*2010 – Falcon 9 Flight 1 is the maiden flight of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which launches from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Space Launch Complex 40.

Births

Pre-1600

* 1394 – Philippa of England, Queen of Denmark, Norway and Sweden (d. 1430)
*1489 – Antoine, Duke of Lorraine (d. 1544)
* 1563 – George Heriot, Scottish goldsmith (d. 1624)

1601–1900

* 1604 – Claudia de' Medici, Italian daughter of Christina of Lorraine (d. 1648)
* 1665 – Zacharie Robutel de La Noue, Canadian captain (d. 1733)
* 1694 – François Quesnay, French economist and physician (d. 1774)
*1704 – Benjamin Huntsman, English inventor and businessman (d. 1776)
* 1738 – George III of the United Kingdom (d. 1820)
*1744 – Patrick Ferguson, Scottish soldier, designed the Ferguson rifle (d. 1780)
* 1754 – Miguel de Azcuénaga, Argentinian soldier (d. 1833)
* 1754 – Franz Xaver von Zach, Slovak astronomer and academic (d. 1832)
*1787 – Constant Prévost, French geologist and academic (d. 1856)
* 1801 – James Pennethorne, English architect, designed Victoria Park (d. 1871)
*1821 – Apollon Maykov, Russian poet and playwright (d. 1897)
* 1829 – Jinmaku Kyūgorō, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 12th Yokozuna (d. 1903)
*1854 – Solko van den Bergh, Dutch target shooter (d. 1916)
*1860 – Alexis Lapointe, Canadian runner (d. 1924)
*1861 – William Propsting, Australian politician, 20th Premier of Tasmania (d. 1937)
*1866 – Miina Sillanpää, Finnish journalist and politician (d. 1952)
* 1867 – Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, Finnish general and politician, 6th President of Finland (d. 1951)
* 1873 – Nictzin Dyalhis, American author (d.1942)
* 1877 – Heinrich Otto Wieland, German chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1957)
* 1879 – Mabel Lucie Attwell, English author and illustrator (d. 1964)
*1880 – Clara Blandick, American actress (d. 1962)
*1885 – Arturo Rawson, Argentinian general and politician, 26th President of Argentina (d. 1952)
*1889 – Beno Gutenberg, German-American seismologist (d. 1960)

1901–present

* 1903 – Yevgeny Mravinsky, Russian conductor (d. 1988)
*1904 – Bhagat Puran Singh, Indian publisher, environmentalist, and philanthropist (d. 1992)
* 1907 – Jacques Roumain, Haitian journalist and politician (d. 1944)
* 1907 – Rosalind Russell, American actress (d. 1976)
* 1907 – Patience Strong, English poet and journalist (d. 1990)
* 1910 – Christopher Cockerell, English engineer, invented the hovercraft (d. 1999)
*1912 – Robert Jacobsen, Danish sculptor and painter (d. 1993)
*1915 – Walter Hadlee, New Zealand cricketer (d. 2006)
* 1915 – Modibo Keïta, Malian educator and politician, 1st President of Mali (d. 1977)
* 1915 – Nils Kihlberg, Swedish actor, singer, and director (d. 1965)
*1916 – Robert F. Furchgott, American biochemist and pharmacologist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2009)
* 1916 – Fernand Leduc, Canadian painter (d. 2014)
* 1917 – Robert Merrill, American actor and singer (d. 2004)
*1921 – Milan Komar, Slovenian-Argentinian philosopher and academic (d. 2006)
* 1921 – Bobby Wanzer, American basketball player and coach (d. 2016)
* 1923 – Elizabeth Jolley, English-Australian author and academic (d. 2007)
* 1923 – Masutatsu Ōyama, Japanese karateka (d. 1994)
*1924 – Tofilau Eti Alesana, Samoan politician, 5th Prime Minister of Samoa (d. 1999)
* 1924 – Dennis Weaver, American actor and director (d. 2006)
*1925 – Antonio Puchades, Spanish footballer (d. 2013)
*1926 – Robert Earl Hughes, American who was the heaviest human being recorded in the history of the world during his lifetime (d. 1958)
* 1926 – Ain Kaalep, Estonian poet, playwright, and critic (d. 2020)
* 1926 – Judith Malina, German-American actress and director, co-founded The Living Theatre (d. 2015)
* 1927 – Henning Carlsen, Danish director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2014)
* 1927 – Geoffrey Palmer, English actor (d. 2020)
*1928 – Ruth Westheimer, German-American sex therapist, talk show host, professor, author, and Holocaust survivor
*1929 – Karolos Papoulias, Greek lawyer and politician, 5th President of Greece (d. 2021)
*1930 – George Chesworth, English air marshal and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Moray (d. 2017)
* 1930 – Morgana King, American singer and actress (d. 2018)
* 1930 – Viktor Tikhonov, Russian ice hockey player and coach (d. 2014)
*1931 – Gustav Nossal, Austrian-Australian biologist and academic
*1932 – John Drew Barrymore, American actor (d. 2004)
* 1932 – Oliver Nelson, American saxophonist and composer (d. 1975)
* 1932 – Maurice Shadbolt, New Zealand author and playwright (d. 2004)
*1934 – Monica Dacon, Vincentian educator and politician, 6th Governor-General of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
* 1934 – Daphne Sheldrick, Kenyan-British conservationist and author (d. 2018)
*1935 – Colette Boky, Canadian soprano and actress
* 1935 – Berhanu Dinka, Ethiopian economist and diplomat (d. 2013)
*1936 – Vince Camuto, American fashion designer and businessman, co-founded Nine West (d. 2015)
* 1936 – Bruce Dern, American actor
*1937 – Freddy Fender, American singer and guitarist (d. 2006)
* 1937 – Mortimer Zuckerman, Canadian-American businessman and publisher, founded Boston Properties
*1938 – John Harvard, Canadian journalist and politician, 23rd Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba (d. 2016)
* 1938 – Art Mahaffey, American baseball player
*1939 – Jeremy Browne, 11th Marquess of Sligo, Anglo-Irish peer (d. 2014)
* 1939 – Denis de Belleval, Canadian civil servant and politician
* 1939 – Henri Pachard, American director and producer (d. 2008)
* 1939 – George Reid, Scottish journalist and politician, 2nd Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament
*1940 – Ludwig Schwarz, Slovak-Austrian bishop
*1941 – Kenneth G. Ross, Australian playwright and screenwriter
*1942 – Louis Reichardt, American mountaineer
* 1942 – Bill Rowe, Canadian lawyer and politician
*1943 – John Burgess, Australian radio and television host
* 1943 – Sandra Haynie, American golfer
* 1943 – Tom Jaine, English author
*1944 – Roger Ball, Scottish saxophonist and songwriter
* 1944 – Michelle Phillips, American singer-songwriter and actress
*1945 – Anthony Braxton, American saxophonist, clarinet player, and composer
* 1945 – Daniel Topolski, English rower and coach (d. 2015)
* 1945 – Gordon Waller, Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2009)
*1947 – Viktor Klima, Austrian businessman and politician, 25th Chancellor of Austria
*1948 – Bob Champion, English jockey
* 1948 – Sandra Post, Canadian golfer and sportscaster
* 1948 – Jürgen Sparwasser, German footballer and manager
*1949 – Gabriel Arcand, Canadian actor
* 1949 – Mark B. Cohen, American lawyer and politician
*1950 – Raymond Dumais, Canadian bishop (d. 2012)
*1951 – Leigh Kennedy, American author
* 1951 – Bronisław Malinowski, Polish runner (d. 1981)
* 1951 – Melanie Phillips, English journalist and author
* 1951 – Wendy Pini, American author and illustrator
* 1951 – David Yip, English actor and playwright
* 1952 – Bronisław Komorowski, Polish historian and politician, 5th President of Poland
* 1952 – Dambudzo Marechera, Zimbabwean author and poet (d. 1987)
*1953 – Linda Lingle, American journalist and politician, 6th Governor of Hawaii
* 1953 – Jimmy McCulloch, Scottish musician and songwriter (d. 1979)
* 1953 – Susumu Ojima, Japanese businessman, founded Huser
* 1953 – Paul Samson, English guitarist and producer (d. 2002)
*1954 – Raphael Ravenscroft, English saxophonist and composer (d. 2014)
* 1954 – Kazuhiro Yamaji, Japanese actor and voice actor
*1955 – Val McDermid, Scottish author
* 1955 – Mary Testa, American singer and actress
*1956 – Keith David, American actor
* 1956 – John Hockenberry, American journalist and author
* 1956 – Terry Kennedy, American baseball player and manager
* 1956 – Joyce Sidman, American author and poet
*1957 – Neil McNab, Scottish footballer
*1959 – Juan Camacho, Bolivian runner
* 1959 – Georgios Voulgarakis

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