What Happened on June 30?

June 30 is Social Media Day and Asteroid Day on the same date the Congo became independent in 1960, the LGM-30 Minuteman missile made its first flight in 1961, and a mysterious explosion flattened forests at Tunguska in Siberia in 1908.

• 1906 — President Theodore Roosevelt signs the Pure Food and Drug Act

  On June 30, 1906, Roosevelt signed landmark legislation banning adulterated and mislabeled food and drugs — a foundation of modern consumer protection. Read the full story →

• 1908 — A massive explosion flattens forest at Tunguska in Siberia

  On June 30, 1908, an enormous airburst near the Tunguska River in Siberia flattened roughly 800 square miles of forest — likely from a meteoroid or comet fragment. Read the full story →

• 1936 — Margaret Mitchell publishes Gone with the Wind

  On June 30, 1936, Margaret Mitchell's novel Gone with the Wind hit bookstores — a sweeping Civil War-era story that became one of America's best-selling novels. Read the full story →

• 1953 — The first Chevrolet Corvette rolls off the assembly line

  On June 30, 1953, workers in Flint, Michigan, completed the first Corvette — America's fiberglass-bodied sports car that became an icon. Read the full story →

• 1960 — The Democratic Republic of the Congo gains independence from Belgium

  On June 30, 1960, the Belgian Congo became the independent Republic of the Congo — ending colonial rule but opening a turbulent new chapter. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Mike Tyson (1966) · Michael Phelps (1985) · Lizzy Caplan (1982) · Fantasia Barrino (1984)

Days & observances

Social Media Day · Asteroid Day · National Meteor Watch Day · National Handshake Day