The Bombing of Yawata on the night of 15/16 June 1944 was the first
air raid on the Japanese home islands conducted by United States Army
Air Forces (USAAF) strategic bombers during World War II. The attack
was undertaken by 75 B-29 Superfortress heavy bombers (examples
pictured) staging from bases in China. Only 47 of these aircraft dropped
bombs near the raid's primary target, the Imperial Iron and Steel Works
at Yawata, and little damage was caused. Five B-29s were lost in
accidents during the operation and two were destroyed by Japanese
aircraft. While the raid did not achieve its aims, it raised Japanese
civilians' awareness that their country was being defeated and received
unduly positive media coverage in the United States. Intelligence
gathered also revealed weaknesses in Japan's air defenses and the raid
was the first of many on Japan. Yawata was attacked again on
20 August 1944. Much of the city was destroyed in a firebombing raid
conducted by B-29s based in the Mariana Islands on 8 August 1945.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombing_of_Yawata_%28June_1944%29>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1896:
A 7.2 Ms earthquake and a subsequent tsunami struck Japan,
destroying about 9,000 homes and causing at least 22,000 deaths.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1896_Sanriku_earthquake>
1944:
In the Saskatchewan general election, the Co-operative
Commonwealth Federation led by Tommy Douglas won enough seats in the
Legislative Assembly to form the first socialist government in North
America.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Douglas>
1991:
The eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines deposited
large amounts of particulate matter into the atmosphere, enough to lower
global temperatures by about 0.5 °C (0.9 °F).
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Pinatubo>
2001:
Leaders of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan
and Uzbekistan formed the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghai_Cooperation_Organisation>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
Magna Carta:
1. (law, historical) A charter granted by King John to the barons at
Runnymede in 1215, which is one of the bases of English constitutional
tradition; a physical copy of this charter, or a later version.
2. (figuratively) A landmark document that sets out rights or important
principles.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Magna_Carta>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
London is always beautiful to those who love and understand that
extraordinary microcosm; but at five of a summer morning there is about
her an exquisite quality of youthful fragrance and debonair freshness
which goes to the heart.
--William McFee
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_McFee>