Mankind has existed for hundreds of thousands of years, but some moments have left a bigger mark than others. In this series, we look back at key defi…
1/7June 14, Sunday | On this day in 1777, the US adopted the Stars and Stripes as its official national flag. The Continental Congress approved the design during the American Revolutionary War, establishing what would become one of the world’s most recognisable national symbols. (Image: Canva)
2/7June 15, Monday | On this day in 1215, the Sealing of Magna Carta was agreed between King John of England and rebel barons at Runnymede. The charter placed limits on royal authority and established principles that would later influence constitutional law, parliamentary democracy, and legal systems around the world. (Image: Canva)
3/7June 16, Tuesday | On this day in 1976, the Soweto uprising erupted in South Africa as thousands of Black schoolchildren protested against apartheid education policies. Security forces opened fire on demonstrators, triggering nationwide unrest and turning the uprising into a defining moment in the struggle against apartheid. Pictured above is a rally against apartheid in Soweto township on the 13th anniversary of the uprising. (Image: Reuters)
4/7June 17, Wednesday | On this day in 1944, Iceland formally declared independence from Denmark and became a republic. The move ended centuries of foreign rule and established Iceland as a sovereign state during the closing stages of World War II. (Image: Canva)
5/7June 18, Thursday | On this day in 1815, the Battle of Waterloo ended with the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte by British and Prussian forces. The loss brought an end to Napoleon’s rule and marked a turning point in European history, reshaping the continent’s political order for decades to come. (Image: Canva)
6/7June 19, Friday | On this day in 1865, enslaved African Americans in Texas learned that slavery had been abolished more than two years earlier under the Emancipation Proclamation. The date is now commemorated as Juneteenth, a federal holiday marking the end of slavery in the US. (Image: Canva)
7/7June 20, Saturday | On this day in 1991, the German parliament voted to move the nation’s capital from Bonn back to Berlin following reunification. The decision symbolised Germany’s post-Cold War transformation and restored Berlin’s status as the political centre of Europe’s largest economy. (Image: Reuters)