1996 – Civil war ends in Guatemala
The 36-year long civil war fought between several leftist groups representing the indigenous people and poor and the government came to an end after Comandante Rolando Morán of the Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity and president Álvaro Arzú signed a peace treaty under the supervision of the UN. Morán and Arzú received the Nobel Peace Prize for their role in bringing peace to the country.
1937 – Ireland established
A new constitutionestablished by a national referendumchanged the name of the Irish Free state to Ireland. The Irish Free State was a part of the British Commonwealth and was established in 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty singed in 1921.
1916 – A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is published
The first novel of Irish writerJames Joycethe book follows the life of Stephen Dedaluswho many believe was the author's alter ego. It first came out as a series in the literary magazineThe Egoist and was then published by American publisher B. W. Huebsch. James Joyce is best known for his book Ulysseswhich is about a single day in the life of advertising agentLeopold Bloom. In honor of the bookfans of the author celebrate an unofficial holidayBloomsday on June 16.
1911 – Mongolian Independence
The landlocked North East Asian country declared its independence from the Qing Dynastyafter the Mongolian Revolution of 1911. The country had been under the Qing rule for about 200 years.
1890 – Wounded Knee Massacre
On this daythe U.S. Army’s 7th Cavalry tried to disarm the members of the Lakota tribe who were camped at the Wounded Knee Creek. During their attempta shot was fired and the cavalry massacred over 150 members of the tribe including women and children. Many historians believe that the number of people massacred was much higher. Wounded Knee is near present day Lakota Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in the state of South Dakota.
1972 – Jude Law
English actordirectorproducer
1953 – Stanley Williams
American gang leaderco-founded the Crips
1923 – Cheikh Anta Diop
Senegalese historiananthropologistphysicist
1809 – William Ewart Gladstone
English politicianPrime Minister of the United Kingdom
1808 – Andrew Johnson
American politician17th President of the United States
2009 – Akmal Shaikh
Pakistani/English businessmandrug trafficker
1986 – Harold Macmillan
English politicianPrime Minister of the United Kingdom
1929 – Wilhelm Maybach
German businessmanfounded Maybach
1916 – Grigori Rasputin
Russian monk
1170 – Thomas Becket
English archbishop
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