History of 19 June
- 1997 – William Hague became the youngest leader of Britain’s Conservative party in nearly 200 years.
- 1998 – Gateway was fined more than $400,000 for illegally shipping personal computers to 16 countries subject to U.S. export controls.
- 1998 – A study released said that smoking more than doubles risks of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s.
- 1998 – Switzerland’s three largest banks offered $600 million to settle claims they’d stolen the assets of Holocaust victims during World War II. Jewish leaders called the offer insultingly low.
- 1999 – Stephen King was struck from behind by a mini-van while walking along a road in Maine.
- 1999 – The Dallas Stars won their first NHL Stanley Cup by defeating the Buffalo Sabres in the third overtime of game six.
- 2000 – The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a group prayer led by students at public-school football games violated the 1st Amendment’s principle that called for the separation of church and state.
- 2007 – The al-Khilani Mosque bombing in Baghdad leaves 78 people dead and another 218 injured.
- 2009 – Mass riots involving over 10,000 people and 10,000 police officers break out in Shishou, China, over the dubious circumstances surrounding the death of a local chef.
- 2009 – War in North-West Pakistan: The Pakistani Armed Forces open Operation Rah-e-Nijat against the Taliban and other Islamist rebels in the South Waziristan area of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.
- 2012 – WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange requested asylum in London’s Ecuadorian Embassy for fear of extradition to the US after publication of previously classified documents including footage of civilian killings by the US army.
- 2018 – The 10,000,000th United States Patent is issued.
Celebrating Birthday Today
- 1981 – Moss Burmester, New Zealand swimmer
- 1982 – Alexander Frolov, Russian ice hockey player
- 1982 – Chris Vermuelen, Australian motorcycle racer
- 1983 – Macklemore, American rapper
- 1983 – Aidan Turner, Irish actor
- 1984 – Paul Dano, American actor
- 1984 – Wieke Dijkstra, Dutch field hockey player
- 1985 – Ai Miyazato, Japanese golfer
- 1985 – José Ernesto Sosa, Argentinian footballer
- 1985 – Dire Tune, Ethiopian runner
- 1986 – Aoiyama Kōsuke, Bulgarian sumo wrestler
- 1986 – Lázaro Borges, Cuban pole vaulter
- 1986 – Diego Hypólito, Brazilian gymnast
- 1986 – Marvin Williams, American basketball player
- 1987 – Rashard Mendenhall, American football player
- 1988 – Jacob deGrom, American baseball player
- 1990 – Moa Hjelmer, Swedish sprinter
- 1990 – Xavier Rhodes, American football player
- 1992 – Keaton Jennings, South African-English cricketer
- 1992 – C. J. Mosley, American football player