On This Day in History – June 6

by hpmom June 6, 2025

June 6, 2025

1523 – Gustav Vasa is elected King of Sweden, marking the end of the Kalmar Union and the foundation of modern Sweden.
1844 – The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) is founded in London by George Williams.
1944 – D-Day: Allied forces launch the largest amphibious invasion in history on the beaches of Normandy, France, during World War II.
1968 – U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy dies from injuries sustained the previous day after being shot in Los Angeles.
1982 – Israel invades southern Lebanon, starting the 1982 Lebanon War.
2002 – A near-Earth asteroid the size of a football field narrowly misses Earth by only 75,000 miles.

Diego Velázquez (1599–1660), Spanish painter, known for his masterpiece Las Meninas.
Nathan Hale (1755–1776), American soldier and spy during the Revolutionary War, remembered for his patriotic final words.
Alexander Pushkin (1799–1837), Russian poet and author, widely considered the founder of modern Russian literature.
Björn Borg (born 1956), Swedish tennis legend and five-time Wimbledon champion.
Paul Giamatti (born 1967), American actor known for his roles in Sideways and Billions.
Megan Rapinoe (born 1985), American soccer star and Olympic gold medalist.

Patrick Henry (1736–1799), American Founding Father known for his “Give me liberty, or give me death!” speech.
Robert F. Kennedy (1925–1968), American senator, former U.S. Attorney General, and civil rights advocate.
Louis Leakey (1903–1972), British paleoanthropologist who made groundbreaking discoveries about early human origins.
J. Paul Getty (1892–1976), American oil tycoon and once the richest man in the world.

D-Day Remembrance (U.S., France, U.K.) – Honors the Allied invasion of Normandy in 1944 during World War II.
National Day of Sweden – Celebrates the election of King Gustav Vasa in 1523 and the adoption of a new constitution in 1809.
Teachers’ Day (Bolivia) – Recognizes the contributions of educators across the country.

The D-Day invasion involved over 156,000 troops from the U.S., U.K., Canada, and other Allied nations.
Gustav Vasa’s election on June 6, 1523, led to Sweden’s independence from Danish rule.
The YMCA, founded on this day in 1844, has since spread to over 120 countries.
Asteroid 2002 MN came within one-third the distance between Earth and the Moon on June 6, 2002 — and wasn’t detected until three days later.
Alexander Pushkin is so revered in Russia that June 6 is celebrated as Pushkin Day, honoring his literary legacy.