What Happened on June 4?

June 4 is National SAFE Day — promoting secure firearm storage — on the same date troops entered Tiananmen Square in 1989, King George III was born in 1738, and the first Pulitzer Prizes were awarded in 1917.

• 1738 — Future King George III is born in London

  George III — Britain's king during the American Revolution — was born on June 4, 1738, at Norfolk House in London. Read the full story →

• 1917 — Columbia University announces the first Pulitzer Prizes

  On June 4, 1917, the first Pulitzer Prizes were awarded for journalism and letters — honoring reporter Joseph Pulitzer's legacy. Read the full story →

• 1919 — Congress passes the Nineteenth Amendment for women's vote

  On June 4, 1919, the U.S. Senate approved the Nineteenth Amendment — sending women's suffrage to the states for ratification. Read the full story →

• 1942 — The Battle of Midway begins in the Pacific

  On June 4, 1942, U.S. and Japanese fleets clashed near Midway Atoll — a turning point in World War II's Pacific theater. Read the full story →

• 1989 — Chinese troops clear Tiananmen Square after weeks of protests

  On June 4, 1989, soldiers entered Beijing's Tiananmen Square, ending student-led demonstrations for political reform — a day remembered worldwide. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Angelina Jolie (1975) · Dr. Ruth Westheimer (1928–2024) · Michelle Phillips (1944) · Russell Brand (1975)

Days & observances

National SAFE Day · National Cheese Day · National Old Maids Day · International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression