On This Day: 24 June

The Romans, led by Gaius Flaminius, are ambushed and defeated by Hannibal at the Battle of Lake Trasimene		217 BC
Roman emperor Trajan inaugurates the Aqua Traiana, an aqueduct that channels water from Lake Bracciano, 40 kilometres (25 miles) north–west of Rome		109
The Battle of Moira – reputed to be the largest battle in the history of Ireland – is fought between the High King of Ireland and the Kings of Ulster and Dál Riata		637
The Battle of Bannockburn concludes in a decisive victory for Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland		1314
The English fleet, commanded in person by King Edward III, destroys the French fleet at the Battle of Sluys		1340
John Cabot lands in Newfoundland, leading the first European exploration of North America since the Vikings		1497
Henry VIII is crowned at Westminster Abbey, four days before his 18^th birthday – along with with his wife of two weeks, Catherine of Aragon		1509
Manila – now the capital of the Philippines – is founded by the Spanish navigator Miguel López de Legazpi		1571
The Premier Grand Lodge of England – the first Masonic Grand Lodge in the world (now the United Grand Lodge of England) is founded in London		1717
Napoleon's Grande Armée crosses the Neman river, beginning his invasion of Russia		1812
Battle of Solferino (Sardinia and France beat Austria; leads to formation of Red Cross)		1859
Training of nurses begins at St. Thomas' Hospital, London		1860
Battle of Custoza (Archduke Albert of Austria defeats the Italians)		1866
O Canada – the song that would become that country's national anthem – is performed for the first time, at the Congrès national des Canadiens-Français		1880
French President Marie François Sadi Carnot is assassinated by Sante Geronimo Caserio, an Italian anarchist		1894
Marks & Spencer's Penny Bazaar opens at Cheetham, Manchester		1894
Pablo Picasso's first exhibition opens at the Galerie Vollard in Paris		1901
Edward VII undergoes an emergency appendicectomy, two days before his planned coronation		1902
Mary Pickford becomes the first female film star to sign a million–dollar contract		1916
The Russian fleet in the Black Sea mutinies at Sebastopol		1917
A bloodless revolution instigated by the People's Party ends the absolute power of King Prajadhipok of Siam (now Thailand)		1932
Pieces of a meteorite, estimated to have weighed 450 metric tons when it hit the Earth's atmosphere and exploded, land near Chicora, Pennsylvania		1938
Siam is renamed Thailand by Plaek Phibunsongkhram, its third prime minister		1939
US businessman and aviator Kenneth Arnold spots nine disc–shaped objects over Mount Rainier, Washington – the first widely–reported UFO sighting		1947
The Soviet Union begins the blockade of Berlin, making overland travel between West Germany and West Berlin impossible		1948
Hopalong Cassidy – the first television western, starring William Boyd – is broadcast on NBC		1949
In South Africa, the Group Areas Act formally segregating races is passed		1950
Engagement of Jaqueline Bouvier and John F. Kennedy announced		1953
US soap opera The Romance of Helen Trent ends after 27 years and 7,222 episodes		1960
The United Kingdom grants Zanzibar internal self–government		1963
The UK's rail network is thrown into disarray by an NUR work–to–rule; the action was called off twelve days later after the union accepted a British Rail offer		1968
The Queen opens the Mersey Tunnel, naming it Kingsway in honour of her father George VI		1971
Thirty–two people die as a result of fire or smoke inhalation, in an arson attack on a gay bar in the French Quarter of New Orleans		1973
Eamon de Valera resigns as president of Ireland, aged 90		1973
The revelation that Britain exploded a nuclear device in the United States a few weeks ago sparks a row between senior ministers and the left–wing Tribune group		1974
Twelve white missionaries are massacred in Rhodesia's bush war		1978
The Humber Bridge opens to traffic, connecting Yorkshire and Lincolnshire; it would be the world's longest bridge span for 17 years		1981
A British Airways Boeing 747 makes a safe landing at Jakarta, after flying into a cloud of volcanic ash thrown up by the eruption of Mount Galunggung, resulting in the failure of all four engines; all engines were restarted after the aircraft glided out of the ash cloud (although one failed again soon after)		1982
Sally Ride returns to Earth in the space shuttle Challenger, becoming the USA's first woman astronaut		1983
Space shuttle Discovery returns to earth		1985
Keith Hardcastle, Britain's longest surviving heart transplant patient (6 years) dies		1985
In an outburst strongly criticised by government ministers, DUP leader Ian Paisley warns that Northern Ireland is on the verge of civil war and calls on Protestants in the province to mobilise for action		1986
Following the Tiananmen Square protests, Jiang Zemin succeeds Zhao Ziyang as General Secretary of the Communist Party of China		1989
Anglican church's first two women priests in Europe ordained in Belfast by the Bishop of Connor		1990
Northern Ireland Minister Michael Mates resigns over his links with fugitive tycoon Asil Nadir		1993
Following South Africa's victory over New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup Final, Nelson Mandela presents Francois Pienaar with the Webb–Ellis trophy in an iconic post–apartheid moment		1995
281 lives are lost when a passenger train with over 1,200 people on board rolls backwards down a hill into a slow–moving goods train; it is Africa's worst ever train accident		2002
Six British soldiers killed and eight injured in two ambushes in Iraq – Allied forces' greatest losses since the end of the war		2003
England lose to Portugal on penalties in the quarter–finals of Euro 2004 – after having a perfectly good winning goal disallowed by Swiss referee Urs Meier		2004
John Isner of the United States defeats Nicolas Mahut of France at Wimbledon, in the longest match in professional tennis history (70–68 in the final set)		2010
Julia Gillard takes office as Australia's first female Prime Minister		2010
Lonesome George, the last known individual of Chelonoidis nigra abingdonii (a subspecies of the Galápagos tortoise) dies		2012
Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is sentenced to seven years in prison, after being found guilty of abusing his power and having sex with an underage prostitute		2013

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On This Day: 24 June