What Happened on June 1?

June 1 is Global Day of Parents — honoring moms and dads worldwide — on the same date CNN launched in 1980, Kentucky joined the Union in 1792, the Beatles released Sgt. Pepper in 1967, and New Zealand aired its first official TV broadcast in 1960.

• 1792 — Kentucky becomes the 15th U.S. state

  On June 1, 1792, Kentucky entered the Union as the fifteenth state — the first west of the Appalachian Mountains. Read the full story →

• 1921 — The Tulsa Race Massacre destroys Greenwood's Black Wall Street

  On June 1, 1921, white mobs burned Tulsa's prosperous Greenwood district — killing hundreds and leveling a thriving Black community. Read the full story →

• 1948 — Allied leaders warn that Berlin supply routes are in jeopardy

  By June 1, 1948, disputes over money and road access had Berlin on edge — weeks before the Soviet blockade and the Allied airlift that followed. Read the full story →

• 1960 — New Zealand's first official television broadcast goes on the air

  At 7:30 p.m. on June 1, 1960, New Zealanders in Auckland watched their nation's first official TV program — three hours of news, music, and Robin Hood. Read the full story →

• 1967 — The Beatles release Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

  On June 1, 1967, the Beatles dropped Sgt. Pepper — a colorful album that rewrote what pop music could sound like. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Marilyn Monroe (1926–1962) · Morgan Freeman (1937) · Heidi Klum (1973) · Brandi Carlile (1981)

Days & observances

Global Day of Parents · National Heimlich Maneuver Day · National Donut Day · World Milk Day