1953: Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II
On this day,
Elizabeth II is crowned queen of England in a ceremony that dates back over a
millennium. Princess Elizabeth was 25 when she inherited the British throne upon the death of her father, King
George IV. After mourning him for a year, a lavish
coronation celebration was held for her at
Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953. A thousand dignitaries and guests attended the ceremony, and millions listened on radio and, for the first time, watched the proceedings on live television. A very popular queen, Elizabeth traveled more extensively than any other reigning British monarch and had four children with her husband, Philip Mountbatten--Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward.
1997
Timothy McVeigh is found guilty of planting the bomb at the federal building in Oklahoma City, USA in 1995 which killed 168 people when it exploded.1994
25 senior intelligence officers, involved in counter terrorism in
Northern Ireland, are killed when their
Chinook helicopter crashes on the Mull of Kintyre in Scotland.
1988
Australian High Court rejects Britain's bid to ban further publication of the 'Spycatcher' memoirs of former British secret agent
Peter Wright. 1985
Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) announce an indefinite ban on English football clubs from taking part in any of the European competitions after continued hooliganism by their fans when travelling abroad.1979
Polish-born Pope
John Paul II arrives in
Poland - the first visit by a Pope to a Communist country.
1976
British jockey Lester Piggott wins his 7th Epsom Derby.1969
74 American sailors are killed when the Australian
aircraft carrier Melbourne collides with the US
destroyer Frank E.Evans in the South
China Sea.
1966
US spacecraft Surveyor I makes a successful soft landing on the
Moon and begins sending detailed pictures back to Earth.
1965
First Australian combat troops arrive in
Vietnam. 1954
British jockey Lester Piggott, aged 18, becomes the youngest jockey to win the Derby at Epsom riding 33-1 outsider Never Say Die.1949
In the Middle East, Transjordan is renamed the Kingdom of
Jordan. 1946
Italy abolishes its monarchy and proclaims itself a republic.1938
Robert and Edward Kennedy, the youngest sons of the American Ambassador to London,
Joseph Kennedy, open the Children's Zoo in Regents Park, London.
1932
New Zealand engineer Major Frank Holmes finds oil in
Bahrain. 1924
US Congress confers
citizenship on all American Indians.
1916
World War I: Start of the Second Battle of Ypres.1896
Scientist and inventor Guglielmo Marconi patents broadcasting by electromagnetic waves. 1944
American composer Marvin Hamlisch, born in New York.1941
American
actor Stacy Keach.
1941
Rolling Stones' drummer Charlie Watts.1924
Constantine, King of
Greece. Becomes King in 1964 - leaves Greece in 1967 following a military coup. The military regime officially abolishes the monarchy in 1973.
1904
Hollywood actor and Olympic swimming gold medalist Johnny Weissmuller. Famous for his portrayal of
Tarzan in early films of 20th Century. Dies in 1984.
1857
English composer Sir Edward Elgar born in Worcestershire.1840
British writer
Thomas Hardy - author of Tess of the D'Urbilles and Jude the Obscure - born in
Dorset, the son of a stonemason.
1740
French writer Marquis de Sade. Becomes famous for his enthusiasm for sexual perversion subsequently labelled 'Sadism'.1997
US tennis player
Helen Jacobs dies aged 88. Won four successive US titles between 1932-1935 and won Wimbledon in 1936.
1990
British
actor Sir
Rex Harrison - Professor Higgins in the musical My Fair Lady - dies of cancer aged 82.
1987
Spanish classical guitarist Andres Segovia.1977
Actor Stephen Boyd aged 48. Films included Ben Hur and Fantastic Voyage.1961
American playwright George Kaufman, winner of two Pulitzer Prizes
