1633 – Galileo Forced to Recant Views on Heliocentrism
Inquisition Silences a Scientific Revolution
On June 22, 1633, Italian scientist Galileo Galilei was forced by the Roman Catholic Church’s Inquisition to recant his belief that the Earth orbits the Sun. Galileo had championed Copernican heliocentrism, which contradicted the Church’s geocentric doctrine. Though he formally renounced his views under threat of torture, he is famously said to have muttered, “And yet it moves.”
Significance: This moment marked a powerful clash between science and religious authority. Galileo’s trial slowed scientific progress in Europe, but his courage ultimately cemented him as a martyr for truth and reason.
Interesting Fact: Galileo spent the rest of his life under house arrest but continued to write and conduct experiments, including foundational work on motion.
1815 – Napoleon Abdicates After Defeat at Waterloo
The End of an Empire
On this day in 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte abdicated the throne of France for the second and final time following his crushing defeat at the Battle of Waterloo just days earlier. The loss ended his Hundred Days return from exile and led to his imprisonment on the remote island of Saint Helena.
Significance: Napoleon’s fall reshaped Europe, ushering in a century of monarchic restoration and a balance-of-power diplomacy. His military genius and reforms still influence modern governance and warfare.
Interesting Fact: Though exiled, Napoleon was allowed to bring books, wine, and a small entourage to Saint Helena, where he died in 1821.
1940 – France Signs Armistice with Nazi Germany
France Falls in World War II
On June 22, 1940, France signed an armistice with Adolf Hitler’s Germany at Compiègne, in the same railway carriage where Germany had surrendered in World War I. Hitler had the site chosen specifically for symbolic revenge. The armistice split France into the German-occupied north and the Vichy regime in the south.
Significance: The fall of France shocked the world and left Britain standing alone against the Nazis. It also signaled how quickly Nazi Germany could dismantle powerful nations.
Interesting Fact: Hitler deliberately sat in the exact same seat that German officials had been forced to sit in when signing the 1918 armistice.
1941 – Nazi Germany Invades the Soviet Union (Operation Barbarossa)
World War II’s Bloodiest Front Begins
On June 22, 1941, Hitler launched Operation Barbarossa, a massive surprise invasion of the Soviet Union with over 3 million Axis troops. This betrayal of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact opened the Eastern Front, the largest and deadliest theater of World War II.
Significance: Barbarossa marked a turning point in the war and ultimately led to Germany’s downfall. It resulted in staggering casualties and immense suffering for civilians.
Interesting Fact: Stalin was so shocked by the invasion that he reportedly did not speak publicly or give orders for days.
1944 – G.I. Bill Signed into Law in the United States
Empowering Veterans and the Middle Class
On this day in 1944, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the G.I. Bill (Servicemen’s Readjustment Act) into law, providing World War II veterans with access to education, housing, and unemployment benefits. It transformed American society by enabling millions to attend college, buy homes, and build stable postwar lives.
Significance: The G.I. Bill helped create a thriving middle class and remains a cornerstone of veteran support policies. However, it also exposed racial inequalities as many Black veterans were denied benefits due to systemic discrimination.
Interesting Fact: By 1956, nearly 8 million veterans had used the G.I. Bill’s education benefits.
