1978 charon the first of plutos satellites to be discovered wa 06 22
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1978 48 years ago Historical Events June 22 3 sources

Charon, the first of Pluto's satellites to be discovered, was first seen at the United States Naval Observatory by James W. Christy.

On June 22, in the year 1978, Charon, the first of Pluto's satellites to be discovered, was first seen at the United States Naval Observatory by James W. Christy. This event is recorded as a Historical Events event in the history of June 22, a notable event in this corner of history.

Charon, formal designation (134340) Pluto I, is the largest of the five known natural satellites of the dwarf planet Pluto. It has a mean radius of 606 km (377 mi). Charon is a planetary-mass moon and the sixth-largest known trans-Neptunian object after Pluto, Eris, Haumea, Makemake, and Gonggong. It was discovered in 1978 at the United States Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C., using photographic plates taken at the United States Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station (NOFS).

Key Facts

  • This event took place on June 22, 1978 (AD era).
  • It is categorised as a Historical Events event in recorded history.
  • Referenced in 3 Wikipedia articles.
  • Wikipedia source last updated on 6 May 2026.

On This Date in History

Type Year Date Event
Historical Events 2025 Jun 22 The United States conducts airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear sites in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan
Notable Deaths 2025 Jun 22 Arnaldo Pomodoro, Italian sculptor (born 1926)
Notable Deaths 2023 Jun 22 Harry Markowitz, American Nobel economist (born 1927)
Selected Events 2023 Jun 22 Irish broadcaster RTÉ announced that between 2017 and 2022 it had paid €345,000 more than had been previously disclosed
Historical Events 2022 Jun 22 An earthquake occurs in eastern Afghanistan resulting in over 1,000 deaths
Notable Deaths 2022 Jun 22 Bruton Smith, American racetrack promoter (born 1927)
Notable Deaths 2022 Jun 22 Yves Coppens, French anthropologist (born 1934)
Selected Events 2022 Jun 22 An earthquake registering 6
Notable Deaths 2018 Jun 22 Vinnie Paul, American musician (born 1964)
Notable Deaths 2017 Jun 22 Mao Kobayashi, Japanese newscaster and actress (born 1982)
Notable Deaths 2017 Jun 22 Quett Masire, Botswanan politician (born 1926)
Historical Events 2015 Jun 22 The Afghan National Assembly building is attacked by gunmen after a suicide bombing
Notable Deaths 2015 Jun 22 James Horner, American composer and conductor (born 1953)
Notable Deaths 2014 Jun 22 Fouad Ajami, Lebanese-American author and academic (born 1945)
Notable Deaths 2014 Jun 22 Rama Narayanan, Indian director and producer (born 1949)
Notable Deaths 2013 Jun 22 Henning Larsen, Danish architect, designed the Copenhagen Opera House (born 1925)
Notable Deaths 2013 Jun 22 Allan Simonsen, Danish race car driver (born 1978)
Historical Events 2012 Jun 22 Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo is removed from office by impeachment and succeeded by Federico Franco
Historical Events 2012 Jun 22 A Turkish Air Force McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II fighter plane is shot down by the Syrian Armed Forces, killing both
Notable Deaths 2012 Jun 22 Juan Luis Galiardo, Spanish actor and producer (born 1922)
Notable Deaths 2011 Jun 22 Coşkun Özarı, Turkish footballer and coach (born 1931)
Historical Events 2009 Jun 22 A Washington D
Selected Events 2009 Jun 22 Two Metro trains collided in Washington, D
Notable Deaths 2008 Jun 22 Natalia Bekhtereva, Russian neuroscientist and psychologist (born 1924)
Notable Deaths 2008 Jun 22 George Carlin, American comedian, actor, and author (born 1937)
Notable Deaths 2008 Jun 22 Dody Goodman, American actress and dancer (born 1914)
Historical Events 2007 Jun 22 The small town of Elie, Manitoba is hit by Canada's most intense tornado on record
Notable Deaths 2007 Jun 22 Erik Parlevliet, Dutch field hockey player (born 1964)
Notable Births 2006 Jun 22 Zépiqueno Redmond, Dutch footballer
Notable Deaths 2004 Jun 22 Bob Bemer, American computer scientist and engineer (born 1920)
Notable Deaths 2004 Jun 22 Mattie Stepanek, American poet and author (born 1990)
Notable Deaths 2003 Jun 22 Vasil Bykaŭ, Belarusian war novelist (born 1924)
Historical Events 2002 Jun 22 An earthquake measuring 6
Selected Events 2002 Jun 22 A magnitude-6
Notable Births 2001 Jun 22 Luciano Gondou, Argentine footballer
Historical Events 2000 Jun 22 Wuhan Airlines Flight 343 is struck by lightning and crashes into Wuhan's Hanyang District, killing 49 people
Notable Births 1999 Jun 22 Sam Retford, Australian-English actor
Notable Deaths 1997 Jun 22 Ted Gärdestad, Swedish singer-songwriter (born 1956)
Notable Deaths 1997 Jun 22 Gérard Pelletier, Canadian journalist and politician (born 1919)
Notable Births 1996 Jun 22 Mikel Merino, Spanish footballer
Notable Births 1996 Jun 22 Rodri, Spanish footballer
Notable Deaths 1995 Jun 22 Leonid Derbenyov, Russian poet and songwriter (born 1931)
Notable Deaths 1995 Jun 22 Al Hansen, American sculptor and author (born 1927)
Notable Births 1994 Jun 22 Sébastien Haller, French-Ivorian footballer
Notable Births 1994 Jun 22 Marnus Labuschagne, South African-Australian cricketer
Notable Births 1994 Jun 22 Carlos Vinícius Santos de Jesus, Brazilian footballer
Notable Births 1993 Jun 22 Loris Karius, German footballer
Notable Births 1993 Jun 22 Danny Ward, Welsh footballer
Notable Deaths 1993 Jun 22 Pat Nixon, American educator, 37th First Lady of the United States (born 1912)
Notable Births 1992 Jun 22 Ura Kazuki, Japanese sumo wrestler

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

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