On this day

19 June in history.

5 moments from 1846 to 2018: discovery, creativity and courage, each with a source to read more.

5 moments

Birthplace of Juneteenth Galveston Juneteenth Parade and Celebration Wright Cuney Park 6-19-25 Galveston, TX

1865

Juneteenth. Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced that enslaved people there were free. The day is celebrated as Juneteenth.

Wikipedia: Juneteenth

Photo: 2C2KPhotography / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)

More from 19 June

  1. 1855 Daguerreotype of Alexander Cartwright

    1846

    Baseball with modern rules

    The first recorded baseball game using written rules much like today's was played in Hoboken, New Jersey.

    Wikipedia: Alexander Cartwright

    Photo: unattributed / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

  2. Aerial view of downtown Spokane, the largest city in eastern Washington and Washington’s second-largest city, with a 2024 estimated population of 230,609

    1910

    The first Father's Day

    Sonora Smart Dodd organised the first Father's Day in Spokane, Washington, to honour her father, who raised six children alone.

    Wikipedia: Father's DayWikipedia: Sonora Smart Dodd

    Photo: Quintin Soloviev / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)

  3. Garfield cartoonist Jim Davis

    1978

    Garfield arrives

    Jim Davis's lazy, lasagna-loving cat began appearing in newspapers across America.

    Wikipedia: GarfieldWikipedia: Jim Davis (cartoonist)

    Photo: Ducky / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

  4. United States Patent and Trademark Office

    2018

    Ten million patents

    The United States issued its 10,000,000th patent, for a way of measuring light.

    Wikipedia: United States patent law

    Photo: U.S. government / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

Moments chosen for discovery, creativity and courage. Each one links to a source where you can read more; photos are credited to their owners.