London, United Kingdom. Several notable events have taken place on June 19 over the years, spanning literature, espionage, theater, migration, conflict, diplomacy, and political asylum.
Deaths and executions
In 1937, Scottish dramatist and novelist J.M. Barrie, the creator of Peter Pan, died.
In 1953, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed in the electric chair for spying for the Soviet Union. They were the first married couple to be executed in the United States.
Cultural and historical milestones
In 1997, the musical “Cats” made Broadway history by completing the longest ever run in New York.
In 2005, history enthusiasts re-enacted Napoleon’s battle of Waterloo to mark its 190th anniversary.
Migration and regional developments
In 2000, Dutch police linked a warehouse to the deaths of dozens of illegal Chinese immigrants who suffocated in a truck in the English port of Dover.
In 2001, Syria completed a pullout of its troops from Beirut and surrounding areas, ending in six days a decades-long controversial military presence.
Conflict and diplomacy
In 2007, a suspected al Qaeda bomber killed 78 people in Baghdad when he rammed a truck into a Shi’ite mosque.
In 2008, European Union states agreed to scrap sanctions against Cuba in a move aimed at encouraging democratic reforms on the Communist island.
Asylum case
In 2012, Wikileaks founder Julian Assange sought political asylum in Ecuador’s embassy in London.
