On this day

4 June in history.

5 moments from 1783 to 2010: discovery, creativity and courage, each with a source to read more.

5 moments

Portrait de Joseph de Montgolfier (1740-1810)

1783

The first hot-air balloon flight. The Montgolfier brothers sent up an unmanned balloon of paper and cloth in front of a crowd in France. It rose high into the sky and travelled about two kilometres.

Wikipedia: Montgolfier brothers

Photo: Unidentified painter / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

More from 4 June

  1. Henry Ford sits in his first automobile, the Ford Quadricycle , in 1896

    1896

    Henry Ford's first car

    Henry Ford finished his Quadricycle, a simple car on four bicycle wheels, and drove it through Detroit for the first time.

    Wikipedia: Ford QuadricycleWikipedia: Henry Ford

    Photo: Spooner & Wells, Inc. / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

  2. Massachusetts State House , Boston

    1912

    A minimum wage

    Massachusetts passed the first minimum wage law in the United States, for women and children.

    Wikipedia: Minimum wage in the United States

    Photo: King of Hearts / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

  3. Obverse and reverse sides of the gold Pulitzer Prize for Public Service medal, which also serves as a symbol of the Pulitzer Prizes in general

    1917

    The first Pulitzer Prizes

    The first Pulitzer Prizes were awarded in New York, honouring the best in American journalism and writing.

    Wikipedia: Pulitzer Prize

    Photo: Daniel Chester French (1850–1931) and Augustus Lukeman (1872–1935) / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

  4. Falcon 9

    2010

    Falcon 9 flies

    SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket made its first flight, reaching orbit on its first try.

    Wikipedia: Dragon Spacecraft Qualification UnitWikipedia: Falcon 9

    Photo: Philip Terry Graham / 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.