This Day In History, June 30th.
Five Historical Events That Happened on June 30th.
June 30th is the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary in 1914. This event is widely considered to be the catalyst for the start of World War I.
1860: The Oxford University Museum hosted a major discussion on the idea of evolution, with scientist Thomas Huxley defending the theory against Bishop Samuel Wilberforce.
Albert Einstein published the first version of his "Theory of Relativity" in 1905 in the German physics magazine "Annalen der Physik."
1934: Adolf Hitler initiated the "Night of the Long Knives," a political purge in which he eliminated competitors and political opponents inside the Nazi Party.
After 52 years of colonial domination, Congo obtained independence from Belgium in 1960.
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary was assassinated on June 30, 1914. This event is usually regarded as the impetus for the outbreak of World War I.
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary on June 30, 1914, by Gavrilo Princip, a member of a Serbian nationalist party, was a key incident that sparked a chain of events that led to the commencement of World War I. Following the killing, Austria-Hungary issued an ultimatum to Serbia, which was followed by the mobilization of several European countries and, eventually, a declaration of war. The battle lasted four years and killed millions of people, making it one of the worst conflicts in human history.
1860: The historic debate on the theory of evolution took place at the Oxford University Museum, with biologist Thomas Huxley defending the theory against Bishop Samuel Wilberforce.
The discussion you described occurred on June 30, 1860, and is commonly referred to as the "Huxley-Wilberforce debate" or the "Great Debate." The discussion took place in the Oxford University Museum and was based on Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection, which had been published in his book "On the Origin of Species" the previous year. Bishop Samuel Wilberforce, a distinguished Anglican theologian and scholar, rejected Darwin's hypothesis, while scientist and Darwin follower Thomas Huxley backed it. The argument is notable because it contributed to bringing evolution theory to the attention of the general public and establishing it as a viable scientific theory.
1905: The first edition of "Theory of Relativity" was published by Albert Einstein in a German physics journal "Annalen der Physik."
On June 30, 1905, Albert Einstein published the first in a series of papers titled "On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies" in the German physics journal "Annalen der Physik." This publication presented Einstein's special relativity theory, which transformed our understanding of space and time by demonstrating that they are relative entities that vary depending on the observer's point of view. The renowned equation E=mc2, which defines the link between mass and energy, was also introduced by the theory. This article, along with others released that year by Einstein, is regarded as one of the most important works in the history of physics, and it helped to establish Einstein as one of the greatest scientists of the twentieth century.
1934: Adolf Hitler launched a political purge known as the "Night of the Long Knives," in which he eliminated rivals and political opponents within the Nazi Party.
Adolf Hitler began a political purge inside the Nazi Party on June 30, 1934, which became known as the "Night of the Long Knives" or the "Röhm Purge." The purge was intended to remove potential challenges to Hitler's leadership, such as members of the SA (Sturmabteilung), a paramilitary group that had assisted Hitler's ascent to power, and its commander Ernst Röhm. Hundreds of individuals, including Röhm, were imprisoned and killed during the purge. The purge contributed to Hitler's consolidation of power and the elimination of resistance inside the Nazi Party, preparing the path for him to become Germany's absolute ruler.
1960: Congo gained independence from Belgium after 52 years of colonial rule.
After 52 years of colonial control, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (previously known as Belgian Congo) obtained independence from Belgium on June 30, 1960. Patrice Lumumba, a Congolese nationalist and independence leader, was appointed as the country's first Prime Minister. Congo's independence was a watershed moment in African history and the decolonization movement, signaling the end of Belgium's cruel and exploitative reign over the country. However, the years after independence were characterized by political instability, violence, and foreign meddling, and Congo faced severe obstacles.