Browsing: June 3

A Brief History This article presents a chronological list of notable events that happened on June 3rd.  For each date below, please click on the date to be taken to an article covering that date’s event. Digging Deeper On June 3, 1839, Chinese agents under Lin Zexu (various spellings) seized an incredible 1210 ton cache of opium (2.66 million pounds, or 1.2 million kilos), later destroying the drug. On June 3, 1861, in the first organized land battle (barely a battle in reality) of the American Civil War, the Union Army with 3000 men routed an untrained force of 800…

A Brief History On June 3, 2023, the world celebrates Chimborazo Day, a day to admire and adore the highest mountain on Earth.  You might wrongly think of Mount Everest as the highest mountain, but when measured as the furthest distance from the center of the Earth, Mount Chimborazo in Ecuador is the 1st Prize Winner. Digging Deeper An inactive volcano, Chimborazo has an altitude of 20,549 feet above sea level, much less than the 29,031 feet claimed by Mount Everest.  So why is Chimborazo King of the Hills?  Because it is located near the Equator where the Earth bulges…

A Brief History On June 3, 2017, radical Islamist terrorists once again struck London, England, with an attack that killed 8 people and injured another 48, as well as costing all 3 terrorists their lives.  The weapons used in the attack were a delivery van and knives.  The unarmed public and the 4 unarmed police officers on the scene were helpless to stop the attackers, though armed police that finally responded shot the 3 terrorists dead.  It took armed police 8 minutes to arrive, which undoubtedly seemed much longer to the victims.  All 3 terrorists were also found to be…

A Brief History On June 3, 1861, in the first organized land battle (barely a battle in reality) of the American Civil War, the Union Army with 3000 men routed an untrained force of 800 Confederate volunteers in what it now West Virginia at Philippi, a small town that today has only about 3000 residents. Touted as a huge victory for the Union, the “battle” would be fairly inconsequential except for the wounding of 2 Confederate soldiers that both required battlefield amputations, one of which fashioned his own homemade artificial leg that proved so successful the wounded soldier founded a…

A Brief History On June 3, 1969, off the coast of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War, an Australian aircraft carrier, the HMAS Melbourne, hit the port side of the US destroyer, USS Evans, cutting the smaller ship in half. Digging Deeper In the early morning darkness at 3 am (0300 hours) the ships were running without lights when the carrier changed course for air operations.  Though the message was sent to the USS Evans to take up position as rescue destroyer (traveling behind the carrier), the order was misinterpreted and the destroyer crossed in front of the turning carrier,…