The Soviet Union cuts all road, rail, and canal access to West Berlin, beginning a 322-day blockade that triggers the Berlin Airlift, the first major crisis of the Cold War.
Scottish forces under Robert the Bruce decisively defeat a much larger English army under Edward II in a two-day battle near Stirling, securing Scottish independence for generations.
Italian navigator John Cabot, sailing for England, reaches the coast of North America, likely Newfoundland or Cape Breton, establishing England's claim to the continent.
Napoleon's Grande Armée of 600,000 soldiers crosses the Niemen River into Russia, beginning the disastrous invasion that will destroy his empire and kill over 400,000 of his men.
Franco-Sardinian forces defeat Austria in a massive battle that leaves 40,000 casualties on the field. The carnage so horrifies Swiss businessman Henry Dunant that he founds the Red Cross.
U.S. Army regulars and Colonel Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders win the first major land engagement of the Spanish-American War in Cuba, pushing Spanish forces out of a key ridge position.
The British Fourth Army begins a seven-day preparatory artillery bombardment on German lines along the Somme, firing 1.5 million shells in the largest sustained artillery action of the war to that point.
France signs a second armistice with Italy at Villa Incisa outside Rome, formally ending a brief Italian offensive in the Alps and completing the dismemberment of French military sovereignty.
Major General Dwight D. Eisenhower arrives in London to assume command of U.S. forces in the European Theater of Operations, beginning his rise to Supreme Allied Commander.
The Soviet Union cuts all road, rail, and canal access to West Berlin, beginning a 322-day blockade that triggers the Berlin Airlift, the first major crisis of the Cold War.
On the second anniversary of the blockade's start, the Berlin Airlift Monument at Tempelhof Airport is dedicated, honoring the 78 Allied personnel who died during the operation.
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10 military events occurred on June 24, spanning multiple centuries. Key events include: Berlin Blockade Begins (1948), Battle of Solferino (1859), Napoleon Crosses the Niemen River (1812), Somme Preparatory Bombardment Opens (1916), Battle of Bannockburn Concludes (1314).
The most significant military event on June 24 is Berlin Blockade Begins (1948). The Soviet Union cuts all road, rail, and canal access to West Berlin, beginning a 322-day blockade that triggers the Berlin Airlift, the first major crisis of the Cold War.
Notable military figures born on June 24 include Ambrose Burnside (1824–1881), Gail Halvorsen (1920–2022).
Events on June 24 span the Cold War, the Colonial & Revolutionary era, the Interwar Period, World War II, World War I, covering 10 events across 4 centuries of military history.
Events on June 24 involve 3 branches of the U.S. and allied armed forces, reflecting the global scope of military operations throughout history.
Explore military history from the day you were born.
June 6
The Allied invasion of Normandy, the largest amphibious assault in history.
December 7
Japan attacks the U.S. Pacific Fleet, bringing America into World War II.
September 11
The deadliest terrorist attack in history transforms U.S. national security.
August 6
The first atomic bomb is dropped on a city, ushering in the nuclear age.
May 8
Nazi Germany surrenders unconditionally, ending World War II in Europe.
November 11
Armistice Day marks the end of World War I and honors all who served.
June 4
The turning point of the Pacific War as the U.S. Navy destroys four Japanese carriers.
July 4
The Declaration of Independence is adopted, sparking the American Revolution.
The FIM-92 Stinger helped win the Cold War by turning Afghan mujahideen into a credible anti-aircraft threat. By 2023, the United States almost ran out of them, because Raytheon stopped making them for 13 years, and the first 10 months of Ukraine support burned through the remaining stockpile.
These weapons were built to fight a war that everyone prayed would never happen. The Minuteman III has been on alert since 1970. The Typhoon-class carried enough nuclear warheads to destroy a continent. The Davy Crockett could be fired by three soldiers. Most of them have been waiting for 40 years. Here are 10 Cold War weapons built exclusively for World War III.
The MiG-31 was designed to catch the SR-71 Blackbird. It is still the fastest fighter in any air force. The Foxhound's Zaslon phased-array radar, the first ever installed in a fighter, can track 10 targets and engage 4 simultaneously at ranges exceeding 200 miles. Here is why Russia still flies a 1980s interceptor, and why the MiG-31BM carrying a Kinzhal hypersonic missile has changed what the aircraft means to modern warfare.
Nineteen armies on four continents chose the Leopard 2. No other Western tank comes close to this export record, and the reasons go far beyond German engineering.
