June 15th Significant Events:
15 June: A Day of Revolution, Execution, and Novelty
Welcome to our chronicle of events that occurred on the 15th of June, through the ages. Today, we delve into stories of rebellion, justice, and progress. Let's embark on our journey to the past.
15 June 1330: The birth of Edward the Black Prince, the eldest son of King Edward III and Philippa of Hainault. This illustrious figure fought at significant battles, including Crecy and Poitiers, before his untimely death in 1376, just a year before his father. The throne was eventually inherited by his son, who reigned as Richard II.
15 June 1381: The Peasants' Rebellion meets its downfall
Wat Tyler, a relatively obscure Kentish man in the spring of 1381, would become notorious as the leader of the Peasants' Rebellion. Sparked by increasing discontent with the government's aggressive pollution tax and other social injustices, the rebellion quickly swept across various counties in England. Tyler was elected as the rebellion's leader on the 13th and stormed the capital the following day. However, on the 15th, during tense negotiations at Smithfield, Tyler's disrespect towards King Richard II led to his tragic end. Despite our limited understanding of Tyler's life, his role in the rebellion is undeniable, symbolizing the peasants' resistance against feudal oppression.
15 June 1648: Massachusetts executes Margaret Jones for witchcraft
Margaret Jones, a midwife from Charlestown, became the first victim of New England's witch-hunting mania, as documented in the journal of John Winthrop, the governor of Massachusetts. Jones was accused of causing illnesses in her patients through the "malignant touch" of witchcraft, and of possessing strange abilities, including the gift of foresight. Despite her vehement denials, and claims of repentance for previous thefts, she was found guilty and executed later that day. Jones' execution marked the beginning of a series of witchcraft accusations and executions in the region, with around 80 individuals eventually losing their lives over the subsequent century.
15 June 1843: The birth of a musical genius
Edvard Hagerup Grieg, the famous Norwegian composer and pianist, was born in Bergen on this day. Grieg is renowned for the music he composed for Henrik Ibsen's allegorical drama Peer Gynt.
15 June 1862: The greatest gold heist in Australian history
A gang led by Frank Gardiner and Ben Hall ambushed a gold escort coach near Eugowra, New South Wales, and made off with approximately 80 kilograms of gold in what remains Australia's biggest gold robbery to this day.
15 June 1878: The beginning of motion pictures
Eadweard Muybridge, the eccentric English photographer and inventor, captured the first known series of moving images on this day at Stanford's farm in Palo Alto, California. Muybridge stationed 12 cameras along a track, each triggered by a tripwire as a horse passed. His pioneering method eventually led to the creation of the world's first silent films.
15 June 1919: An aviation milestone
John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown completed a non-stop flight from Newfoundland to Ireland on the 15th of June, 1919, landing their Vickers Vimy twin engine plane in a bog near Clifden in Ireland. This groundbreaking achievement marked the first transatlantic flight undertaken by a British crew.
In our journey through history, we encounter political turmoil and general news on the 15th of June, 1381, as the Peasants' Rebellion, led by Wat Tyler, met its tragic end during negotiations with King Richard II. Fast forwarding to the 19th century, the realm of crime and justice was sketchy as Massachusetts executed Margaret Jones on this day in 1648 for witchcraft, marking the start of numerous witchcraft accusations and executions in New England.
