10 June · Through History
This day in history.
A handful of things that happened on June 10th — from ancient Rome to the twentieth century, and a few curious stops in between.
Japan's first clock
Emperor Tenji of Japan unveiled the country's first water clock — a rōkoku — at the imperial court in Ōmi. The device struck the hours by releasing water at a measured rate. The date is still commemorated in Japan as Time Remembrance Day (Toki no Kinenbi).
Frederick Barbarossa drowns
Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I — known as Barbarossa ("Red Beard") — drowned while crossing the Saleph River in what is now southern Turkey, during the Third Crusade. His death threw the German crusading army into disarray and most of his troops turned back rather than continue to the Holy Land.
First Dutch settlers in Manhattan
A small group of Dutch traders established a seasonal trading post on the southern tip of Manhattan Island — the earliest European foothold on the site of what would eventually become New York City. Permanent Dutch settlement followed a decade later under the Dutch West India Company.
Franklin flies his kite
Benjamin Franklin reportedly conducted his famous kite-and-key experiment during a thunderstorm near Philadelphia, demonstrating that lightning is electrical in nature. The experiment — if it happened exactly as described — remains one of history's most celebrated scientific moments, and led directly to the invention of the lightning rod.
The first Oxford–Cambridge Boat Race
The inaugural Oxford–Cambridge Boat Race was rowed on the Thames at Henley-on-Thames, with Oxford winning. The race has since become one of the oldest annual sporting events in the world, moved to the tideway in London and now drawing crowds of hundreds of thousands along the riverbank.
Alcoholics Anonymous is founded
Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith met for the first time in Akron, Ohio — a meeting widely regarded as the founding moment of Alcoholics Anonymous. The date is now observed as "Dr. Bob and Bill W. Day." AA would go on to become one of the most influential mutual support movements in history.
Massacre at Oradour-sur-Glane
SS troops massacred 642 inhabitants of the French village of Oradour-sur-Glane — including 247 children — burning the church with women and children locked inside. The ruined village was preserved by French authorities as a memorial and has never been rebuilt. It stands today as a permanent reminder of Nazi war crimes in occupied France.
The Six-Day War ends
A ceasefire between Israel and Syria ended the Six-Day War — one of the most dramatic military conflicts of the twentieth century. In just six days, Israel had defeated the armed forces of Egypt, Jordan, and Syria, capturing the Sinai Peninsula, the West Bank, East Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip, and the Golan Heights. The war's consequences continue to shape Middle Eastern politics today.
NASA launches Spirit rover
NASA launched the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit from Cape Canaveral. The rover was designed for a 90-day mission; it operated for over six years, covering more than 7.7 kilometres of Martian terrain before getting stuck in soft soil in 2009. Its twin rover, Opportunity, launched three weeks later and operated until 2018.