This Day In History : June 24

1947 United States

The first widely reported UFO sighting is made by Kenneth Arnold near Mount Rainier, Washington

The first widely reported UFO sighting was made by Kenneth Arnold on June 24, 1947, near Mount Rainier in Washington, USA. Arnold, a private pilot, reported seeing nine high-speed objects flying in a "V" formation at incredible speeds.

Also on This Day in History June 24

Discover what happened on June 24 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries,
famous births and notable deaths.

Births on This Day, June 24
  • 1771 E.I. du Pont

    French chemist and industrialist, who founded the gunpowder manufacturing company E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, now just called Du Pont

  • 1883 Victor Francis Hess

    American physicist who discovered cosmic rays (1936, Nobel Prize)

  • 1909 William Penney

    British physicist who invented the first British atom bomb

  • 1915 Fred Hoyle

    English cosmologist who proposed steady-state universe theory

  • 1927 Martin Lewis Perl

    American physicist who discovered the tau lepton (Nobel Prize, 1995)

Deaths on This Day, June 24
  • 1908 Grover Cleveland

    American lawyer and politician who was the 22nd and 24th President of the United States, the only President to have served two non-consecutive terms

  • 1817 Thomas McKean

    American attorney and politician (signed US Declaration of Independence)

  • 1994 Leon MacLaren

    British philosopher and founder of the LSE

  • 2018 Frank Evans Heart

    American computer engineer (worked on first routing computer for ARPANET, the Internet's predecessor)

  • 2012 Lonesome George

    Pinta giant tortoise and rarest creature in the world

1717

The first Masonic Grand Lodge, the Premier Grand Lodge of England is founded in London

The organisation now known as the Premier Grand Lodge of England was founded on 24 June 1717 as the Grand Lodge of London and Westminster. Originally concerned with the practice of Freemasonry in London and Westminster, it soon became known as the Grand Lodge of England.
1902

Target Corporation is founded

Target Corporation, originally founded as the Dayton Dry Goods Company, was established on June 24, 1902, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. The company was founded by George Dayton and initially operated under the name Goodfellow Dry Goods before being renamed the Dayton Company in 1910.
1963

1st demonstration of home video recorder, at BBC Studios, London

The first demonstration of a home video recorder took place at BBC Studios in London on June 24, 1963. This demonstration showcased the potential of video recording technology for home use, paving the way for future advancements in consumer electronics and home entertainment systems.
1967

Zaire adopts constitution

Zaire (now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo) adopted its constitution on June 24, 1967. This marked a significant step in the country's post-independence political development, establishing a framework for governance and law in the newly named nation under the leadership of President Mobutu Sese Seko.
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