1528 ~ Maria of Austria, Holy Roman Empress was born on the 21st June 1528 (died 1603).
1749 ~ Halifax in Nova Scotia was founded on the 21st June 1749.
1854 ~ The Victoria Cross was awarded for the 1st time on the 21st June 1854, during the bombardment of Bomarsund in the Åland Islands.
1859 ~ Henry Ossawa Tanner the American painter was born on the 21st June 1859 (died 1937).
1905 ~ Jean-Paul Sartre the French philosopher and author was born on the 21st June 1905 (died 1980).
1942 ~ Tobruk fell to Italian and German forces on the 21st June 1942, during World War II.
1944 ~ Ray Davies the English singer-songwriter and guitarist from The Kinks was born on the 21st June 1944. YouTube video: The Kinks ~ Sunny Afternoon (1966) written by Ray Davies, this song was No. 1 on the UK singles charts and No. 1 in Ireland in July 1966…
1948 ~ LiONEL ROSE (MBE) the Australian bantamweight boxer was born on the 21st June 1948 (died 8th May 2011 aged 62). Lionel Rose was the 1st Indigenous Australian to win a world title. Lionel was born and raised in hardship at Jacksons Track and Warragul, where learned to box from his father, Roy. When he was 10 his teacher Ian Hawkins gave Lionel a pair of boxing gloves when he saw him shadow boxing. When he was about 15, he trained under Frank Oakes a Warragul trainer, whose daughter Jenny he later married). Lionel won the Australian amateur flyweight title at 15.
On the 26th February 1968 in Tokyo, Lionel Rose made history by becoming the 1st Aboriginal Australian to be a world champion boxer when he defeated Masahiko Harada aka Fighting Harada. YouTube video: Lionel Rose vs Fighting Harada (Colour) 27 Feb 1968 Tokyo, Japan (see the whole fight on video)…
The world title win made Lionel Rose an instant national hero and icon in Australia, with more than 100,000 people coming to see him at a reception at Melbourne Town Hall. In 1969 Elvis Presley requested to see Lionel Rose. (see photo below)…
Lionel Rose started a singing career during his time off boxing, and had a nationwide hit in 1970 with I Thank You (1969) (written by Johnny Young). Lionel also recorded Please Remember Me (1970) and Good Old Country Song (1970). YouTube video: Lionel Rose singing I Thank You…
YouTube video: Lionel (2008) Lionel Rose Documentary…
1950 ~ Joey Kramer the American drummer and songwriter from Aerosmith was born on the 21st June 1950.
1951 ~ Nils Lofgren the American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist was born on the 21st June 1951. Nils Lofgren is best known for his 25 years as a member of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, as well as a former member of Crazy Horse. YouTube video: Because The Night Nils Lofgren and Bruce Springsteen at Asbury Park 12 July 2003…
1959 ~ Marcella Detroit the American singer-songwriter and guitarist from Shakespears Sister was born on the 21st June 1959. Official website: www.ShakespearsSister.co.uk |YouTube video: Shakespears Sister ~ Stay (1992)…
1967 ~ Pierre Omidyar the French-American businessman and founder of eBay was born on the 21st June 1967.
1979 ~ Chris Pratt the American actor was born Christopher Michael Pratt in Virginia, Minnesota on the 21st June 1979. Chris Pratt’s verified Twitter: www.Twitter.com/PrattPrattPratt
1981 ~ Brandon Flowers the American singer-songwriter from The Killers was born on the 21st June 1981. YouTube video: The Killers ~ When You Were Young (2006)…
1982 ~ Prince William, Duke of Cambridge was born on the 21st June 1982.
1982 ~ Rob Mills the Australian singer-songwriter and actor was born on the 21st June 1982.
1986 ~ Lana Del Rey the American singer-songwriter was born on the 21st June 1986. YouTube video: Lana Del Rey ~ Summertime Sadness (2012)…
2004 ~ SpaceShipOne became the first privately funded spaceplane to achieve spaceflight on the 21st June 2004..
2006 ~ Pluto’s newest discovered moons were officially named Nix & Hydra on the 21st June 2006.
2009 ~ Greenland assumed self-rule on the 21st June 2009.
Today in History for June 21th ~ video presented by the Associated Press…