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1940 86 years ago Historical Events June 17 4 sources

World War II: RMS Lancastria is attacked and sunk by the Luftwaffe near Saint-Nazaire, France. At least 3,000 are killed in Britain's worst maritime disaster.

On June 17, in the year 1940, World War II: RMS Lancastria is attacked and sunk by the Luftwaffe near Saint-Nazaire, France. At least 3,000 are killed in Britain's worst maritime disaster. This event is recorded as a Historical Events event in the history of June 17, one of 432 recorded events on this date across all of history.

World War II, or the Second World War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated. Tanks and aircraft played major roles, the latter enabling the strategic bombing of cities and delivery of the only nuclear weapons used in war. World War II was the deadliest conflict in history, causing the death of 60 to 75 million people. Millions died as a result of massacres, starvation, disease, and genocides, including the Holocaust. After the Allied victory, Germany, Austria, Japan, and Korea were occupied, and German and Japanese leaders were tried for war crimes.

Key Facts

  • This event took place on June 17, 1940 (AD era).
  • It is categorised as a Historical Events event in recorded history.
  • Referenced in 4 Wikipedia articles.
  • Wikipedia source last updated on 8 June 2026.

On This Date in History 432

Type Year Date Event
Historical Events 2021 Jun 17 Juneteenth National Independence Day, was signed into law by President Joe Biden, to become the first federal holiday es
Notable Deaths 2021 Jun 17 Kenneth Kaunda, Zambian educator and politician, first president of Zambia (born 1924)
Notable Deaths 2020 Jun 17 Jean Kennedy Smith, American activist, humanitarian, author and diplomat (United States Ambassador to Ireland, 1993–1998
Notable Deaths 2019 Jun 17 Gloria Vanderbilt, American artist, author actress, fashion designer, heiress and socialite (born 1924)
Notable Deaths 2019 Jun 17 Mohamed Morsi, Egyptian professor and politician, first elected president of Egypt after Egyptian revolution (born 1951)
Historical Events 2017 Jun 17 A series of wildfires in central Portugal kill at least 64 people and injure 204 others
Notable Deaths 2017 Jun 17 Baldwin Lonsdale, president of Vanuatu (born 1948)
Selected Events 2017 Jun 17 Wildfires erupted across central Portugal, eventually causing the deaths of 66 people
Historical Events 2015 Jun 17 Nine people are killed in a mass shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina
Notable Deaths 2015 Jun 17 Ron Clarke, Australian runner and politician, Mayor of the Gold Coast (born 1937)
Notable Deaths 2015 Jun 17 John David Crow, American football player and coach (born 1935)
Notable Deaths 2015 Jun 17 Süleyman Demirel, Turkish engineer and politician, 9th President of Turkey (born 1924)
Notable Deaths 2015 Jun 17 Roberto M
Notable Deaths 2015 Jun 17 Clementa C
Selected Events 2015 Jun 17 A white supremacist committed a mass shooting at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Car
Notable Deaths 2014 Jun 17 Patsy Byrne, English actress (born 1933)
Notable Deaths 2014 Jun 17 Éric Dewailly, Canadian epidemiologist and academic (born 1954)
Notable Deaths 2014 Jun 17 Stanley Marsh 3, American businessman and philanthropist (born 1938)
Notable Deaths 2014 Jun 17 Arnold S
Notable Deaths 2014 Jun 17 Larry Zeidel, Canadian-American ice hockey player and sportscaster (born 1928)
Notable Deaths 2013 Jun 17 Michael Baigent, New Zealand-English theorist and author (born 1948)
Notable Deaths 2013 Jun 17 Atiqul Haque Chowdhury, Bangladeshi playwright and producer (born 1930)
Notable Deaths 2013 Jun 17 Pierre F
Notable Deaths 2013 Jun 17 Bulbs Ehlers, American basketball player (born 1923)
Notable Deaths 2013 Jun 17 James Holshouser, American politician, 68th Governor of North Carolina (born 1934)
Notable Deaths 2012 Jun 17 Stéphane Brosse, French mountaineer (born 1971)
Notable Deaths 2012 Jun 17 Patricia Brown, American baseball player (born 1931)
Notable Deaths 2012 Jun 17 Nathan Divinsky, Canadian mathematician and chess player (born 1925)
Notable Deaths 2012 Jun 17 Rodney King, American victim of police brutality (born 1965)
Notable Deaths 2012 Jun 17 Fauzia Wahab, Pakistani actress and politician (born 1956)
Notable Deaths 2011 Jun 17 Rex Mossop, Australian rugby player and sportscaster (born 1928)
Notable Deaths 2009 Jun 17 Ralf Dahrendorf, German-English sociologist and politician (born 1929)
Notable Deaths 2009 Jun 17 Darrell Powers, American sergeant (born 1923)
Selected Events 2009 Jun 17 Following a petition, the liberal progressive Czech Pirate Party was officially registered as a political party
Notable Deaths 2008 Jun 17 Cyd Charisse, American actress and dancer (born 1922)
Notable Deaths 2007 Jun 17 Gianfranco Ferré, Italian fashion designer (born 1944)
Notable Deaths 2007 Jun 17 Serena Wilson, American dancer and choreographer (born 1933)
Notable Deaths 2006 Jun 17 Bussunda, Brazilian comedian (born 1962)
Notable Deaths 2004 Jun 17 Gerry McNeil, Canadian ice hockey player (born 1926)
Notable Births 2003 Jun 17 Rizki Juniansyah, Indonesian weightlifter
Notable Deaths 2002 Jun 17 Willie Davenport, American sprinter and hurdler (born 1943)
Notable Deaths 2002 Jun 17 Fritz Walter, German footballer (born 1920)
Notable Deaths 2001 Jun 17 Donald J
Notable Deaths 2001 Jun 17 Thomas Winning, Scottish cardinal (born 1925)
Notable Births 2000 Jun 17 Odessa A'zion, American actress
Notable Deaths 2000 Jun 17 Ismail Mahomed, South African lawyer and jurist, 17th Chief Justice of South Africa (born 1931)
Notable Births 1999 Jun 17 Henri Jokiharju, Finnish ice hockey player
Notable Births 1999 Jun 17 Elena Rybakina, Kazakhstani tennis player
Notable Deaths 1999 Jun 17 Basil Hume, English cardinal (born 1923)
Notable Births 1997 Jun 17 KJ Apa, New Zealand actor

This article draws on content from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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