On This Day: June 4

Updated June 3, 2012, 2:28 pm

On June 4, 1989, Chinese army troops stormed Tiananmen Square in Beijing to crush the pro-democracy movement; hundreds – possibly thousands – of people died.
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On June 4, 1889, Beno Gutenberg, the American scientist who made important discoveries about the earth’s interior, was born. Following his death on Jan. 25, 1960, his obituary appeared in The Times.

Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »

On This Date

By The Associated Press

1647 The English army seized King Charles I.

1896 Henry Ford made a successful pre-dawn test run of his horseless carriage, called a quadricycle, through the streets of Detroit.

1912 Massachusetts became the first state to adopt a minimum wage law.

1919 Congress approved the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guaranteeing citizens the right to vote regardless of their gender, and sent it to the states for ratification.

1940 The Allies completed the evacuation of British troops from Dunkirk, France.

1942 The Battle of Midway began during World War II.

1944 The U.S. Fifth Army began liberating Rome during World War II.

1954 French and Vietnamese officials signed treaties in Paris according independence to Vietnam.

1984 The album “Born in the U.S.A.” by Bruce Springsteen was released.

1985 The Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling striking down an Alabama law providing for a daily minute of silence in public schools.

1986 Jonathan Jay Pollard, a former Navy intelligence analyst, pleaded guilty in Washington to spying for Israel.

1998 A federal judge sentenced Terry Nichols to life in prison for his role in the Oklahoma City bombing.

2009 President Barack Obama addressed the Muslims of the world in a speech in Cairo, saying America has a common cause with Islam and never will be at war with the faith.

2011 Li Na won the French Open’s women’s championship, becoming the first Chinese tennis player to win a Grand Slam singles title.

Current Birthdays

By The Associated Press

Actress Angelina Jolie turns 37 years old today.

AP Photo/Evan Agostini

Actor-comedian Russell Brand turns 37 years old today.

AP Photo/Evan Agostini

1936 Bruce Dern, Actor, turns 76

1944 Michelle Phillips, Singer, actress (The Mamas and the Papas), turns 68

1952 Parker Stevenson, Actor, turns 60

1961 El DeBarge, R&B singer, turns 51

1961 Julie White, Actress, turns 51

1968 Scott Wolf, Actor (“Party of Five”), turns 44

1969 Horatio Sanz, Comedian (“Saturday Night Live”), turns 43

1971 Mike Lee, U.S. senator, R-Utah, turns 41

1971 Noah Wyle, Actor (“ER”), turns 41

1985 Bar Refaeli, Model, turns 27

Historic Birthdays

Beno Gutenberg 6/4/1889 – 1/25/1960 American seismologist and geophysicist.Go to obituary »

81 George III 6/4/1738 – 1/29/1820
King of Great Britain and Ireland (1760-1820)

75 Mary Hannah Hunt 6/4/1830 – 4/24/1906
American temperance leader

83 Carl Gustaf Mannerheim 6/4/1867 – 1/27/1951
Finnish military leader and president

107 Constance M. K. Applebee 6/4/1873 – 1/26/1981
English athlete

66 Alla Nazimova 6/4/1879 – 7/13/1945
Russian-born American stage and screen actress

81 Natalya Goncharova 6/4/1881 – 10/17/1962
Russian painter, sculptor and stage designer

31 Harry Crosby 6/4/1898 – 12/10/1929
American poet

60 Richard Whorf 6/4/1906 – 12/14/1966
American actor and director

68 Charles Collingwood 6/4/1917 – 10/3/1985
American newscaster, commentator and journalist

1647	The English army seized King Charles I.
1896	Henry Ford made a successful pre-dawn test run of his horseless carriage, called a quadricycle, through the streets of Detroit.
1912	Massachusetts became the first state to adopt a minimum wage law.
1919	Congress approved the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guaranteeing citizens the right to vote regardless of their gender, and sent it to the states for ratification.
1940	The Allies completed the evacuation of British troops from Dunkirk, France.
1942	The Battle of Midway began during World War II.
1944	The U.S. Fifth Army began liberating Rome during World War II.
1954	French and Vietnamese officials signed treaties in Paris according independence to Vietnam.
1984	The album “Born in the U.S.A.” by Bruce Springsteen was released.
1985	The Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling striking down an Alabama law providing for a daily minute of silence in public schools.
1986	Jonathan Jay Pollard, a former Navy intelligence analyst, pleaded guilty in Washington to spying for Israel.
1998	A federal judge sentenced Terry Nichols to life in prison for his role in the Oklahoma City bombing.
2009	President Barack Obama addressed the Muslims of the world in a speech in Cairo, saying America has a common cause with Islam and never will be at war with the faith.
2011	Li Na won the French Open’s women’s championship, becoming the first Chinese tennis player to win a Grand Slam singles title.

1936	Bruce Dern, Actor, turns 76
1944	Michelle Phillips, Singer, actress (The Mamas and the Papas), turns 68
1952	Parker Stevenson, Actor, turns 60
1961	El DeBarge, R&B singer, turns 51
1961	Julie White, Actress, turns 51
1968	Scott Wolf, Actor (“Party of Five”), turns 44
1969	Horatio Sanz, Comedian (“Saturday Night Live”), turns 43
1971	Mike Lee, U.S. senator, R-Utah, turns 41
1971	Noah Wyle, Actor (“ER”), turns 41
1985	Bar Refaeli, Model, turns 27

81	George III 6/4/1738 – 1/29/1820 King of Great Britain and Ireland (1760-1820)
75	Mary Hannah Hunt 6/4/1830 – 4/24/1906 American temperance leader
83	Carl Gustaf Mannerheim 6/4/1867 – 1/27/1951 Finnish military leader and president
107	Constance M. K. Applebee 6/4/1873 – 1/26/1981 English athlete
66	Alla Nazimova 6/4/1879 – 7/13/1945 Russian-born American stage and screen actress
81	Natalya Goncharova 6/4/1881 – 10/17/1962 Russian painter, sculptor and stage designer
31	Harry Crosby 6/4/1898 – 12/10/1929 American poet
60	Richard Whorf 6/4/1906 – 12/14/1966 American actor and director
68	Charles Collingwood 6/4/1917 – 10/3/1985 American newscaster, commentator and journalist