This Day In History, June 23rd.

Five Historical Events That Happened on June 23rd.

  • During the First War of Scottish Independence, the armies of Scottish King Robert the Bruce beat the English army headed by King Edward II in the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.

  • The British East India Company soldiers led by Robert Clive beat the Nawab of Bengal and his French allies in the Battle of Plassey, establishing British authority in India.

  • Christopher Latham Sholes patents the typewriter in 1868, revolutionizing how people write and communicate.

  • During World War I, the first American troops arrive in France, helping the Allied forces in their struggle against Germany.

  • 1985: A bomb destroys Air India Flight 182, a Boeing 747 carrying 329 passengers, off the coast of Ireland, killing everyone on board in one of the bloodiest acts of aviation terrorism at the time.

The forces of Scottish King Robert the Bruce defeat the English army led by King Edward II during the First War of Scottish Independence.

The Battle of Bannockburn was a watershed moment in Scottish history, since it represented a decisive success for the Scots in their battle for independence from England. On June 23-24, 1314, the fight took place near Stirling Castle and ended in a decisive Scottish victory over the considerably bigger English force. Scottish King Robert the Bruce was a crucial figure in the fight, leading his men to victory over the English, led by King Edward II. The fight is seen as a watershed moment in the First War of Scottish Independence, and it helped to establish Robert the Bruce as a Scottish national hero.

The British Parliament abolished the slave trade, although slavery itself was not banned until 1833.

The British Parliament approved the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act on June 22, 1807, which abolished the slave trade across the British Empire. The legislation made buying or selling slaves, transporting them over the Atlantic, or forcing them to serve as slaves unlawful. However, slavery was not abolished until 1833, with the passage of the Slavery Abolition Act. The act liberated all slaves in the British Empire, albeit full legal rights and protections were not conferred until later. The abolition of the slave trade was a significant step forward in the struggle against slavery, and it set a precedent for other countries to follow.

Christopher Latham Sholes patents the typewriter, a device that revolutionized the way people write and communicate.

Christopher Latham Sholes was a famous American inventor who invented the modern typewriter. On June 23, 1868, he was granted a patent for the first practical typewriter, which he created with the assistance of his pals Carlos Glidden and Samuel W. Soule. The typewriter changed the way people wrote and communicated by allowing them to swiftly and simply generate written text. The creation of the typewriter was also important in the development of the modern office and the clerical profession. Although typewriters are no longer widely used, they are nonetheless regarded as a significant technical achievement that helped build contemporary civilization.

The first U.S. troops arrive in France during World War I, joining the Allied forces in the fight against Germany.

The United States' admission into World War I was a watershed moment in the conflict's history. The first detachment of American troops landed in France on June 23, 1917, marking the start of the American Expeditionary Force's engagement in the war. The entrance of US soldiers, led by General John J. Pershing, was considered as a huge boost to the morale of the Allied forces. Throughout the war, the US would deploy millions of men to Europe to battle the German and Austro-Hungarian empires. The United States' entry into the war tipped the balance of power in favor of the Allies and had a key effect in the conflict's final result.

Air India Flight 182, a Boeing 747 carrying 329 people, is destroyed by a bomb off the coast of Ireland, killing all on board in one of the deadliest acts of aviation terrorism at the time.

Air India aircraft 182 was a regular passenger aircraft operated by Air India that flew from Toronto to Bombay (now Mumbai) via Montreal, London, and Delhi. The Boeing 747 airplane carrying the flight was destroyed by a bomb off the coast of Ireland on June 23, 1985, killing all 329 persons on board. Before the trip, the device was put in a suitcase and loaded aboard the plane in Vancouver, Canada. The bombing was one of the worst acts of aviation terrorism at the time, and the inquiry was one of the most extensive in Canadian history. The attack was carried out in revenge for the Indian government's military assault against Sikh extremists at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India, it was subsequently found. The tragedy had a significant impact on Air India as well as the Canadian government, which was chastised for failing to prevent the bombing.

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This Day In History, June 24th.

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This Day In History, June 22nd.