Today in History

• 1969 A police raid of a gay tavern sparks a series of violent clashes

  The Stonewall Riots in New York City marked the beginning of the gay rights movement in the United States. The Christopher Street Day, a yearly observance for Gay Pride in some European countries, is named after the bar’s location.

• 1967 Israel annexes East Jerusalem

  From Israel’s point of view, the annexation effected the reunification of its capital city. However, the international community declared it illegal and views East Jerusalem as Palestinian territory occupied by Israel.

• 1939 The world’s first scheduled transatlantic flight takes off

  The Boeing 314 Clipper flying boat was operated by Pan Am. It took about 24 hours to reach Marseille, France. The scheduled service was soon discontinued again because of the outbreak of World War II.

• 1914 Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie are assassinated

  Gavrilo Princip’s attack effected a crisis among Europe’s major powers (July Crisis). This ultimately triggered the First World War, which with over 37 million deaths was one of the bloodiest war of all time. Five years later to the day, the Treaty of Versailles formally ended the war.

• 1846 The saxophone is patented

  Belgian musician Adolphe Sax developed the woodwind instrument typically made of brass, which in recent decades has heavily influenced the sound of the jazz, military band, rock, and pop musical genres.