1979
Pope John Paul II begins first official visit to Poland
The Pope returned to his homeland, Poland, on this day in 1979. It was the first time a pope had visited a Communist country, and crowds turned out in huge numbers to see him.
CC BY 3.0 plJune 2
in history
Pope John Paul II begins first official visit to Poland (1979), and Soviet Union and Yugoslavia restore diplomatic ties in Belgrade (1955). Born on this day: St. Pius X, Thomas Hardy and Leo XI. Died: Giuseppe Garibaldi, Raj Kapoor and Rex Harrison.
32 events, 52 births and 48 deaths on this date.
Events
- 1955
Soviet Union and Yugoslavia restore diplomatic ties in Belgrade
The Soviet Union and Yugoslavia signed the Belgrade Declaration, ending a rift that had begun in 1948. Relations had been broken off for years, and the declaration let both states rebuild them.
- 2022
United Nations adopts Türkiye as Turkey's official name
Turkey's government, based in Ankara, asked the United Nations to use the country's own name, Türkiye, and the organisation agreed. The change meant Türkiye replaced Turkey in UN listings, reflecting how the country wished to be known abroad.
- 1919
Galleani anarchists set off eight bombs across United States
Followers of the anarchist Luigi Galleani set off bombs in eight American cities on the same day, a wave of attacks that fed the First Red Scare. The attacks drove a national panic about radicals and left-wing groups.
- 1896
Marconi files British patent for wireless telegraphy
Marconi lodged a patent covering a way to send messages through the air without cables, a step towards the radio we use today. The Italian inventor later shared the 1909 Nobel Prize in Physics, and is often credited with inventing radio.
Pach Brothers · Public domain
- 1964
Palestine Liberation Organization formed
The Palestine Liberation Organization was founded in Jerusalem at an Arab League summit, initially aiming to create an Arab state across former Mandatory Palestine. It later became the internationally recognised representative of the Palestinian people.
- 1995In the app
US airman Scott O'Grady shot down over Bosnia
- 1740In the app
The Marquis de Sade is born in Paris
- 575In the app
Benedict I consecrated pope with imperial approval
26 more events on June 2
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1835 – 1914 · Catholic priestSt. Pius X
Giuseppe Sarto, born into a poor family in the Austrian Empire, became Pope Pius X in 1903. He is remembered for opposing modernist interpretations of Catholic teaching, lowering the age for First Communion, and being canonised as a saint.
Ernest Walter Histed · Public domain
1840 – 1928 · WriterThomas Hardy
Thomas Hardy was an English novelist and poet who set many of his books in the invented region of Wessex. He wrote tragic stories of rural people struggling against passion and social circumstance, and he is remembered for novels such as Tess of the d'Urbervilles.
Bain News Service, publisher · Public domain
1535 – 1605 · DiplomatLeo XI
Alessandro de' Medici, a Florentine diplomat and churchman, became Pope Leo XI at nearly seventy. He died of fever within a month, one of the shortest papacies in history.
Public domain
Died on June 2
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1807 – 1882 · PoliticianGiuseppe Garibaldi
Garibaldi, nicknamed the Hero of the Two Worlds, fought in South America and Europe and helped unify Italy under a single kingdom. Though a committed republican, he set aside his ideals and backed the monarchist Cavour to achieve that unity.
In album: Cartes-de-visite portraits of U.S. Army officers, children, and others, p. 15, right. · Public domain
1924 – 1988 · Film producerRaj Kapoor
Known as the Charlie Chaplin of Indian cinema, Raj Kapoor acted, directed and produced Hindi films, often playing a Tramp-style wanderer. His films Awaara and Boot Polish both competed for the Palme d'Or at Cannes.
Artem Abd · Public domain
1908 – 1990 · Film actorRex Harrison
Rex Harrison was an English stage and film actor, best remembered for playing Professor Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady, a role that won him an Academy Award. He was knighted in 1989, the year before his death.
Allan warren · CC BY-SA 3.0