What’s Happening Today?

Bannockburn Day (Scotland). The Battle of Bannockburn on 23 and 24 June 1314 was a victory of the army of King of Scots Robert the Bruce over the army of King Edward II of England in the First War of Scottish Independence. Though it did not bring overall victory in the war, which would go on for 14 more years, it was a landmark in Scottish history. 

World UFO (Unidentified Flying Object) Day. World UFO Day is dedicated to the existence of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs). June 24 marks the anniversary of one of the first UFO sightings in the USA, when Kenneth Arnold reported seeing nine high-speed crescent-shaped objects near Mt. Rainier in Washington in 1947.

What Happened Today?

1.    In 1374, St. John’s dance or dancing mania broke out in Aachen in the Holy Roman Empire. Men, women and children, often thousands at a time jumped and twitched in the street until they collapsed from exhaustion. It was initially believed to be a curse sent from St. John the Baptist, hence the term “St. John’s Dance”. However, no known cause has been confirmed for the phenomenon.

2.    In 1901, one of the most influential artists of all time, Pablo Picasso opened his first exhibition. The 18-year old Spanish artist exhibited at the Ambroise Vollard gallery in Paris.

3.    In 2002, Africa’s worst-ever train disaster occurred near Msagali in Tanzania, killing 281 people. A passenger train with 1,200 passengers rolled back down the Igandu hill after its brakes failed.

Birthdays

1.    1948 - Janet Museveni, Uganda’s Minister of Education and the country’s First Lady.

2.    1987 – Lionel Messi, Barcelona F. C soccer player, reigning World Footballer of the Year and considered by many as the G.O.A.T (Greatest Of All Time) soccer player.

Sources: Wikipedia & bornglorious.com