June 24 Birthday
On June 24, 1314, Robert the Bruce defeated the English army of Edward II at the Battle of Bannockburn, securing Scottish independence for nearly four hundred years. The Scottish army of 6,500 faced an English force of 18,000. The battle lasted two days. Bruce had killed the English knight Henry de Bohun in single combat before the battle, splitting his skull with an axe. Bannockburn is the most celebrated battle in Scottish history. The independence Bruce won was formalized in the Declaration of Arbroath in 1320. Scotland remained independent until the Act of Union in 1707 — and the independence movement remains active today. The Soviet Union began the Berlin Blockade on June 24, 1948, cutting off all road, rail, and canal access to West Berlin. The blockade was a response to the Western Allies' introduction of the Deutsche Mark in their occupation zones. The American response was the Berlin Airlift, which flew 2.3 million tons of supplies into West Berlin over 327 days. The blockade ended on May 12, 1949. The airlift was the first major confrontation of the Cold War. People born on June 24 fall under the zodiac sign of Cancer. The birthstone is Pearl and the birth flower is Rose. Historical events on June 24 include 1314: Battle of Bannockburn — Robert the Bruce defeats English, securing Scottish independence, 1497: John Cabot makes first European landing in North America since the Vikings, 1948: Soviet Union begins Berlin Blockade, cutting off West Berlin. Famous people born on June 24 include Ambrose Bierce (1842), Jack Dempsey (1895), Mindy Kaling (1979).