Teach Middle East Magazine Issue 5 Volume 2 May-June 2015 | Page 54

THIS MONTH IN HISTORY JuNE King George III Susan B. Anthony Robert F. Kennedy C Henri ‘Paul Guaguin J M Y CM une 10, 1652: Silversmith John Hull of Massachusetts opened the first mint in America in defiance of English colonial law. The first coin issued was the Pine Tree Shilling that he designed. King George III was born on June 4, 1738. He was the British King against whom the American Revolution was directed. King George III ruled England for sixty years from 1760 to 1820. He died on January 29, 1820. French painter, Eugene Henri ‘Paul Guaguin’ was born on June 7, 1848. His best known paintings include Vision After the Sermon (1888), When Shall We Be Married ((1892), Holiday (1896) and Two Tahitian Women (1899). His style inspired artists such as Henri Matisse, Edvard Munch and the young Pablo Picasso. On June 6, 1872: Feminist, Susan B. Anthony was fined for illegally voting in a presidential election in Rochester, New York. After voting rights had been granted to African American males, she attempted to extend the same rights to women. She was arrested and fined $100, which she refused to pay. After her death in 1906, after five decades of tireless work, both the Democratic and Republican parties endorsed women’s right to vote. In 54 | May - Jun 2015 | Hattie McDaniel | August of 1920 the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution was ratified to allow women to vote. African American actress, Hattie McDaniel was born in Wichita, Kansas on June 10, 1895. She won a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award in 1940 for her role as Mammy in Gone With The Wind. She is the first African American to win an Academy Award. She was also the first African American woman to sing on the radio in the US. On June 9, 1898, the British signed a 99-year lease for Hong Kong. Hong Kong was administered as a British Crown Colony until July 1, 1997, when its sovereignty reverted to the People’s Republic of China. The Philippines declared their independence from Spain on June 12, 1898. The islands were named after King Philip II. Once freed from Spain, the islands were then invaded and occupied by U.S. forces. They became an American colony and remained so until after World War II. On June 16, 1963, 26 year-old Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space as her Soviet spacecraft, Vostok 6, took off from the Tyuratam launch site. She manually controlled the spacecraft completing After The Bell 48 orbits in 71 hours before landing safely. MY CY Robert F. Kennedy was shot shortly after midnight on June 5, 1968, while leaving the Hotel Ambassador in Los Angeles. He died on June 6 at the age of 42. His body was interred near his brother and former US President John F. Kennedy (assassinated in 1963) at Arlington National Cemetery. CMY K On June 30, 1997, in Hong Kong, the flag of the British Crown Colony was officially lowered at midnight. A new flag representing China’s sovereignty and the official transfer of power replaced it. Labour Party Deputy, Julia Gillard became Australia’s first female Prime Minister on June 24, 2010. Born in Wales, she moved to Australia as a child. She worked as a lawyer before entering politics. Health Observances in June Men’s Health Month National Migraine Awareness Month Source: The History Place & Wikipedia