June 15 in Pop Culture History

June 15 Fun Facts, Trivia and History

June 15 History Highlights

  • 1520 – Pope Leo X threatened to excommunicate Martin Luther in Exsurge Domine.
  • 1667 – The first human blood transfusion was administered by Dr. Jean-Baptiste Denys.
  • 1936 – Arkansas is admitted as the 25th US state.
  • 1934 – The Great Smoky Mountains National Park was founded.
  • If you were born on June 15th,
    You were likely conceived the week of… September 22nd (prior year)

Benjamin Franklin’s Electric Kite Experiment

The 1752 kite experiment, stated to occur on June 15, is a famous event in science. Benjamin Franklin may have been the one to conduct it, as he has claimed that this year was when he did so with success and extracted sparks from clouds using his well-known device made of wire and string. He wrote in a letter, later that year:

“When rain has wet the kite twine so that it can conduct the electric fire freely, you will find it streams out plentifully from the key at the approach of your knuckle, and with this key a phial, or Leyden jar, may be charged: and from electric fire thus obtained spirits may be kindled, and all other electric experiments [may be] performed which are usually done by the help of a rubber glass globe or tube; and therefore the sameness of the electrical matter with that of lightening completely demonstrated.”

June 15 is…

National Kiss a Wookie Day
Lobster Day
Nature Photography Day
Smile Power Day

June 15 Birthday Quotes

“I’m not someone who complains in any way about how things move forward unless somebody actually does a really crappy job.”
– Neal Adams

“What makes things exciting in life is to overcome your challenges and get creative and think outside of the box.”
– Courteney Cox

“Truth is the ultimate power. When the truth comes around, all the lies have to run and hide.”
– Ice Cube

“I regret not dancing more, just cutting loose on the dance floor. I still admire those who don’t care much about what others think of them.”
– Neil Patrick Harris

“Honesty is something you can’t wear out.”
– Waylon Jennings

“I do believe that most men live lives of quiet desperation. For despair, optimism is the only practical solution. Hope is practical. Because eliminate that and it’s pretty scary. Hope at least gives you the option of living.”
– Harry Nilsson

June 15 Birthdays

1917 – Lash LaRue, American cowboy actor (died in 1996)
1937 – Waylon Jennings, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died in 2002)
1941 – Neal Adams, American comic book illustrator
1941 – Harry Nilsson, American singer-songwriter (died in 1994)
1963 – Helen Hunt, American actress
1964 – Courteney Cox, American actress
1969 – Ice Cube, American rapper and actor
1970 – Leah Remini, American actress and producer
1973 – Neil Patrick Harris, American actor and singer
1985 – Ashley Nicole Black, American comedic actress

June 15 History

763 BC – Assyrians recorded a solar eclipse, and that detail was later used to fix the chronology of Mesopotamian history.

1215 – The signed (sealed) Magna Carta guaranteed King John would respect feudal rights and privileges, uphold the freedom of the church within his kingdom. This was probably the same King John of Robin Hood lore.

1502 – Christopher Columbus landed on the island of Martinique on his fourth voyage.

1648 – Margaret Jones was hanged in Boston for witchcraft, in the first such execution for the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

1752 – Benjamin Franklin proved that lightning is electricity (traditional date, the exact date is unknown).

1776 – Delaware Separation Day: Delaware voted to suspend government under the British Crown and officially separate from Pennsylvania.

1844 – Charles Goodyear received a patent (#3,633) for vulcanization, a process to strengthen rubber.

1846 – The Oregon Treaty established the 49th parallel as the border between the United States and Canada, from the Rocky Mountains to the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

1878 – Eadweard Muybridge took a series of photographs to prove that all four feet of a horse leave the ground when it runs; the study becomes the basis of motion pictures. The purpose of the shoot was to determine whether a galloping horse ever lifts all four feet completely off the ground during the gait since the human eye could not break down the action. It is considered by many to be the first ‘motion picture.’

1896 (Earthquake & Tsunami) Meiji-Sanriku, Japan

1916 – President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill incorporating the Boy Scouts of America, making them the only American youth organization with a federal charter.

1919 – The first US patent (#228,904) for a safety razor was issued to (brothers) Frederick and Otto Kampfe of New York.

1921 – Bessie Coleman earned her pilot’s license, becoming the first female pilot of African-American descent.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Established on June 15, 1934, in Tennessee and North Carolina, this park covers 522 square miles. Known for its diverse plant and animal life, ancient mountains, and the Appalachian Trail.

#1 Hit June 15, 1963 – July 5, 1963: Kyu Sakamoto – Sukiyaki

June 15, 1968 Birthday (fictional) Carrie Bradshaw, Sex and the City, TV

#1 Hit June 15, 1974June 28, 1974: Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods – Billy, Don’t Be a Hero

1985 – Rembrandt’s painting Danaë was attacked by Bronius Maigys (later judged insane) who threw sulfuric acid on the canvas and cut it twice with a knife.

#1 Hit June 15, 1991July 19, 1991: Paula Abdul – Rush Rush

1991 (Volcano Eruption) Mount Pinatubo

1992 – The United States Supreme Court ruled in United States v. Álvarez-Machaín that it is permissible for the United States to forcibly extradite suspects in foreign countries and bring them to the United States for trial, without approval from those other countries.

1994 – Israel and Vatican City established full diplomatic relations.

2012 – Nik Wallenda became the first person to successfully tightrope walk over Niagara Falls.

June 15, 2012 – Let It Shine aired on The Disney Channel

Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is truly Italicized.

When multiplying by 5, simply halve the number and move the decimal over. 340 x 5 = 170 x 10 = 1700

“There must be some kind of way out of here, said the Joker to the thief.” #songlyrics

Time could always be stopping and starting, but we would never know it.

“Take a look at yourself and then make that change.” #songlyrics

Rocko from the cartoon Rocko’s Modern Life was a phone sex operator.

Maybe four-leaf clovers are so rare because people keep picking them.

Notice the big letter on the face of the dollar bill? Each letter represents which Federal Reserve Bank printed it! “J” is for Kansas City

Hand Wash kills 99.9% of germs. I can’t help but wonder about the 0.01% that gets away. #supergerms

Useless Pronunciation: E as in elegant

Whenever the Flash leaves StarLabs papers fly everywhere. You would think they’d learn to use paperweights with him around.

The Capital of Seychelles is Victoria

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