June 30 Birthday
On June 30, 1934, Hitler ordered the SS to murder the leadership of the SA — the brown-shirted paramilitary that had helped bring him to power. Ernst Röhm, the SA's chief, wanted a "second revolution" that would merge the SA into the army. The army, industry, and conservative elites demanded Röhm's removal. Hitler complied. Over four days, the SS killed at least eighty-five people, including Röhm, former Chancellor Kurt von Schleicher, and conservative critics of the regime. The Night of the Long Knives consolidated Hitler's power — the SA was neutered, the army swore an oath of loyalty to Hitler personally, and the SS became the dominant force in the Nazi state. On June 30, 1908, a meteor exploded 3-6 miles above the Tunguska River in Siberia. The blast flattened 80 million trees over 830 square miles — an area the size of Rhode Island. It was the largest impact event in recorded history. The explosion was estimated at 15 megatons — 1,000 times the Hiroshima bomb. No crater was found because the object exploded before hitting the ground. No one was killed — the area was uninhabited — but a reindeer herd was incinerated. If the object had arrived a few hours later, it would have hit Europe. People born on June 30 fall under the zodiac sign of Cancer. The birthstone is Pearl and the birth flower is Rose. Historical events on June 30 include 1934: Night of the Long Knives — Hitler purges Nazi Party of political rivals, 1908: Tunguska event — meteor air burst flattens 80 million trees in Siberia, 1971: Supreme Court rules government cannot stop Pentagon Papers publication. Famous people born on June 30 include Lena Horne (1917), Mike Tyson (1966), Susan Hayward (1917).