Major Events of June 2022: Key Historical Moments from the Month

Each month is marked by defining moments that shape the course of history. Whether through political shifts, cultural movements, or world-changing events, these periods leave a lasting impression. Dive into the most important events from June 2022 and discover how they influenced the world both then and now.

Major Events of June 2022: Key Historical Moments from the Month

01 Jun 2022 US Provides Advanced Rocket Systems to Ukraine: U.S. President Joe Biden approves a $700 million military aid package for Ukraine, including advanced long-range rocket artillery systems. The package comes with Ukrainian assurances that the weapons will not be used to strike Russian cities, and also includes additional ammunition, counter-fire radars, air surveillance radars, and Javelin anti-tank missiles.
02 Jun 2022 Queen Elizabeth II Celebrates Platinum Jubilee: Queen Elizabeth II commemorated her historic 70-year reign with an elaborate four-day celebration, beginning with a grand military parade at Buckingham Palace. This milestone marked her status as the longest-reigning monarch in British history.
03 Jun 2022 First American Spacewalk: Astronaut Edward H. White II made history as the first American to perform a spacewalk, a groundbreaking moment in the United States' space exploration efforts.
04 Jun 2022 COVID-19 and Monkeypox Developments: Notable health events included the death of Dmitry Kovtun, a former KGB agent involved in Alexander Litvinenko's poisoning, from COVID-19 in Moscow, and India's first suspected monkeypox case reported in Ghaziabad.
05 Jun 2022 Ukrainian Counteroffensive in Sievierodonetsk: Ukrainian forces reportedly divided the strategic city of Sievierodonetsk during a significant counteroffensive against Russian military positions in the Donbas region.
06 Jun 2022 D-Day: Allied Invasion of Normandy: On June 6, 1944, during World War II, Allied forces launched a massive amphibious invasion of Nazi-occupied France, storming five key beaches in Normandy. Operation Overlord, as it was officially known, marked a critical turning point in the war, involving over 156,000 Allied troops from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and other nations. The operation began with extensive aerial and naval bombardments, followed by ground troops landing under heavy enemy fire, ultimately establishing a crucial foothold that would lead to the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi control.
07 Jun 2022 Proud Boys Leaders Charged with Seditious Conspiracy: The U.S. Department of Justice indicted five members of the Proud Boys, including former leader Enrique Tarrio, on seditious conspiracy charges related to the January 6th Capitol riot. This marked a significant escalation in the legal consequences for far-right group involvement in the attack on the U.S. Capitol.
08 Jun 2022 Severe Flooding in China's Hunan and Guangxi Provinces: Devastating floods struck the Hunan and Guangxi provinces in China, causing significant loss of life with ten confirmed fatalities and three individuals reported missing. The event underscores the increasing environmental challenges and climate-related risks in the region.
09 Jun 2022 Putin Draws Historical Parallel: During an exhibition in Moscow dedicated to Tsar Peter the Great, Russian President Vladimir Putin drew a provocative comparison between himself and the historical monarch, specifically referencing the Tsar's conquest of the Baltic coast.
10 Jun 2022 January 6 Committee Holds First Prime-Time Hearing: The House select committee investigating the January 6 Capitol attack held its inaugural prime-time hearing, presenting unprecedented video footage and live testimony. Documentarian Nick Quested's exclusive recordings of the far-right Proud Boys were showcased. Capitol Police Officer Caroline Edwards provided powerful eyewitness testimony, describing the events as 'carnage' and 'chaos'. The hearing also included recorded interviews with key figures like Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, and former Attorney General William Barr, offering critical insights into the insurrection.
11 Jun 2022 Ukrainian Forces Face Critical Battlefield Challenges: Ukrainian military forces experienced severe battlefield difficulties, including significant casualties and critical ammunition shortages during the ongoing conflict with Russian forces.
12 Jun 2022 Deadly Chemical Plant Explosion in Hapur, Uttar Pradesh: A catastrophic boiler explosion occurred at a chemical manufacturing facility in Hapur, Uttar Pradesh, India, resulting in a tragic loss of nine lives and leaving 19 others injured. The incident highlights significant industrial safety concerns and the potential risks associated with chemical manufacturing processes.
13 Jun 2022 Russo-Ukrainian War Escalates in Luhansk Oblast: Russian forces strategically destroyed the last remaining bridge to Sievierodonetsk in Luhansk Oblast, effectively trapping Ukrainian civilians in the city. Simultaneously, a marketplace in Donetsk was hit by an artillery attack, resulting in five fatalities and 22 injuries. Pro-Russian media alleged NATO's involvement in supplying munitions. In a separate conflict, M23 rebels captured the town of Bunagana in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with the Congolese military accusing Rwanda of supporting the rebels.
14 Jun 2022 Russian Forces Isolate Sievierodonetsk in Ukraine Conflict: During the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War, Russian military forces destroyed the final bridge connecting Sievierodonetsk to Lysychansk. This strategic action effectively cut off the last evacuation route for civilians and Ukrainian soldiers, intensifying the humanitarian crisis in the contested region.
15 Jun 2022 NATO Defense Ministers Discuss Ukraine Support: NATO defense ministers convened a two-day meeting in Brussels to strategize on providing additional military support to Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urgently requested more heavy weapons and advanced anti-missile defense systems to counter ongoing Russian military aggression in eastern Ukraine.
16 Jun 2022 US Provides Substantial Military Aid to Ukraine: The Biden administration announced an additional $1 billion in military assistance to Ukraine, including advanced artillery and rocket systems, demonstrating continued US support in the conflict against Russian invasion.
17 Jun 2022 Putin's Nuclear Stance and Ukrainian Counteraction: During the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that Russia would only consider using nuclear weapons if the country's sovereignty was directly threatened. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces reported successfully striking a Russian tugboat, demonstrating continued military resistance.
18 Jun 2022 Texas Official Condemns Uvalde School Shooting Response: Texas's public safety chief Steven McCraw testified that law enforcement's response to the Uvalde school shooting was an 'abject failure', drawing national attention to critical failures in emergency response and school safety protocols.
19 Jun 2022 NATO Warns of Prolonged Ukraine Conflict: NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg cautioned that the ongoing war in Ukraine could potentially continue for an extended period, highlighting the complex geopolitical tensions in Eastern Europe.
20 Jun 2022 Gustavo Petro Wins Colombian Presidential Election: Former guerrilla Gustavo Petro made history by becoming Colombia's first leftist president, defeating businessman Rodolfo Hernández with over 50% of the votes. At 62 years old, Petro's victory represents a significant political shift in a traditionally conservative country. His campaign focused on addressing poverty exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and proposing progressive policies like universal healthcare and free higher education. Notably, his running mate, Francia Marquez, will be the first Afro-Colombian to serve in a top government position.
21 Jun 2022 Ukraine Urgently Requests Western Military Support in Donbas: Ukrainian officials warned of intensifying Russian attacks in eastern Ukraine, with Russia targeting full control of the Luhansk region. President Volodymyr Zelensky made an urgent plea to Western allies for advanced weaponry, emphasizing the critical nature of military support. Russian forces currently control approximately 95 percent of Luhansk, making the upcoming battles potentially decisive in the conflict.
22 Jun 2022 ICC Investigates Russian War Crimes in Ukraine: Karim Khan, the top prosecutor for the International Criminal Court, launched a comprehensive investigation into alleged atrocities committed by Russian forces in Ukraine. Khan emphasized the critical importance of applying legal accountability and providing justice for victims of the conflict.
23 Jun 2022 Devastating Earthquake in Afghanistan Kills Over 1,000: A powerful earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan, causing catastrophic loss of life with the death toll exceeding 1,000 people. The disaster was further complicated by heavy rainfall and ongoing economic sanctions, which severely hindered humanitarian relief efforts. Jens Laerke from the UN highlighted the critical situation, noting that Afghanistan was already facing extreme food insecurity and near-famine conditions before the earthquake. The country's de facto authorities requested international assistance, with UN agencies standing ready to provide emergency support.
24 Jun 2022 Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade: In a landmark decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the U.S. Constitution does not confer a federal right to abortion, effectively returning regulatory authority to individual states. This historic ruling overturned the precedential decisions of Roe v. Wade (1973) and Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992), fundamentally altering the landscape of reproductive rights in the United States.
25 Jun 2022 US Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade: In a landmark and highly controversial decision, the U.S. Supreme Court officially eliminated the constitutional right to abortion, overturning the nearly 50-year-old Roe v. Wade precedent. This ruling fundamentally changes reproductive rights in the United States, potentially allowing individual states to ban or severely restrict abortion access.
26 Jun 2022 Ukraine Alleges Russian Provocation of Belarus: Ukrainian military intelligence raised serious concerns about Russia's strategic maneuvers, accusing Russian military aircraft of firing missiles into Ukraine from Belarusian airspace in an apparent attempt to draw Belarus deeper into the ongoing conflict.
27 Jun 2022 Russian Missile Strike on Kyiv During Ukraine Conflict: Russia launched missile attacks on Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, after capturing the strategic city of Sievierodonetsk. The strike resulted in one fatality and six injuries in a residential apartment building, marking another escalation in the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War.
28 Jun 2022 Russian Missile Attack on Ukrainian Shopping Mall: A devastating Russian missile strike targeted a crowded shopping center in central Ukraine, killing at least 18 civilians and injuring over 50 others. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack as a 'terrorist act', noting that over 1,000 people were inside the mall at the time. An air raid warning had briefly alerted some shoppers before the missile struck.
29 Jun 2022 Paris Attacks Trial Concludes with Historic Sentencing: In a landmark legal proceeding, the trial for the November 2015 Paris terrorist attacks concluded, with Salah Abdeslam and 19 other defendants convicted of terrorism and murder. Abdeslam received an exceptional 30-year prison sentence, marking one of the most significant terrorism trials in modern French judicial history.
30 Jun 2022 NATO Formally Invites Finland and Sweden to Join Alliance: NATO leaders officially extended membership invitations to Finland and Sweden, marking a significant geopolitical shift after Turkey withdrew its previous objections to their membership.