This day in history: 28 june

Europa

• Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand (1914)
  On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie were assassinated in Sarajevo by Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb nationalist. This event triggered the July Crisis among Europe’s major powers and is widely recognized as the spark that ignited World War I, leading to a conflict that caused over 37 million casualties.
• Treaty of Versailles Signed (1919)
  Exactly five years after the assassination, on June 28, 1919, the Treaty of Versailles was signed in France, formally ending World War I. The treaty imposed heavy reparations and territorial losses on Germany, reshaping the political landscape of Europe and sowing seeds for future conflicts.
• Soviet Annexation of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina (1940)
  On June 28, 1940, during World War II, the Soviet Union forced Romania to cede the eastern province of Bessarabia and the northern half of Bukovina to Soviet Ukraine. This was part of a broader Soviet campaign to expand its territory in Eastern Europe during the early years of the war.
• Queen Victoria’s Coronation (1838)
  On June 28, 1838, Queen Victoria was crowned in Westminster Abbey, London. Crowds gathered along the route to witness this significant moment in British and European history, marking the beginning of the Victorian era.

America

• The Stonewall Uprising (1969)
  On June 28, 1969, the Stonewall Uprising began in New York City when police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in Greenwich Village. The raid sparked six days of protests and clashes between the LGBTQ+ community and police, marking a turning point in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights in the United States. The events at Stonewall are widely regarded as the catalyst for the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement and are commemorated annually during Pride Month.
• Retaking of Fort Ticonderoga (1777)
  During the American Revolutionary War, British forces recaptured Fort Ticonderoga in New York on June 28, 1777. The fort, known as the “Gibraltar of North America,” changed hands multiple times during the conflict and was strategically significant for control over the region.
• Landmark Supreme Court Decision: Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)
  On June 28, 1963, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Gideon v. Wainwright that states are required to provide legal counsel to defendants who cannot afford their own attorneys, reinforcing the right to a fair trial and significantly impacting the American legal system.
• Tragic Human Smuggling Incident (2022)
  On June 28, 2022, 51 migrants were found dead in an abandoned truck in San Antonio, Texas. The victims, smuggled from Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras, died from extreme heat, highlighting ongoing humanitarian and immigration challenges at the southern U.S. border.

Asia

• Formation of the Japanese Puppet State of Mengjiang (1936)
  On June 28, 1936, the Japanese puppet state of Mengjiang was established in northern China. This marked an important step in Japan’s expansionist policy in East Asia prior to World War II, contributing to the destabilization of the region and the eventual outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War.
• Korean War Atrocities (1950)
  June 28, 1950, was a day of intense violence during the early days of the Korean War. Several tragic events occurred:
• The Bodo League Massacre began, with South Korean authorities executing tens of thousands of suspected communist sympathizers. The Hangang Bridge in Seoul was destroyed by retreating South Korean forces, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of refugees. The Korean People’s Army captured Seoul, and the Seoul National University Hospital massacre took place, with nearly a thousand doctors, nurses, patients, and wounded soldiers killed by North Korean forces.
• World War II: Nazi Germany’s Case Blue (1942)
  On June 28, 1942, Nazi Germany launched its strategic summer offensive, codenamed Case Blue, against the Soviet Union. While the main fighting was in Europe, the campaign had significant implications for the Asian front, especially for Soviet Central Asia and the broader dynamics of the Eastern Front.
• Recent Conflicts (2024)
  On June 28, 2024, heavy fighting was reported in northern Myanmar (Burma) as part of Operation 1027. The Ta’ang National Liberation Army and its allies launched attacks on military outposts in Shan State, resulting in significant civilian casualties and intensifying the ongoing civil conflict in the region.
• Indian Political and Cultural History
  June 28 marks the birth anniversary of several notable Indian figures, including former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao. It is also the death anniversary of Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis, a pioneering Indian statistician.

Africa

• Entebbe Hijacking (1976)
  On June 28, 1976, Air France Flight 139, en route from Tel Aviv to Paris, was hijacked by members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and two German accomplices. The plane was diverted first to Benghazi, Libya, and then to Entebbe, Uganda, where the pro-Palestinian government of Idi Amin supported the hijackers. Over 100 hostages, primarily Israelis and Jews, were held at Entebbe Airport. The crisis ended days later with a dramatic Israeli commando raid that rescued most hostages, but the hijacking itself began on June 28.
• Treaty of Versailles and African Mandates (1919)
  On June 28, 1919, the Treaty of Versailles was signed, ending World War I. One of its consequences for Africa was the redistribution of former German colonies. For example, German East Africa was divided, with the United Kingdom acquiring the largest section, which became Tanganyika (now part of Tanzania). This marked a significant shift in colonial administration and the political landscape of Africa.