Timeline June 1963

Events in June 1963 11

• 1881 – 1963 Pope John XXIII (1881-1963) Died 3 June 1963, aged 81 Pope John XXIII led the Catholic Church from 1958 and convened the Second Vatican Council, which brought sweeping reforms to church practice. Known for his warmth and humility, he was widely mourned across religious lines. He died of stomach cancer at the Vatican.
• 1894 – 1963 ZaSu Pitts (1894-1963) American actress, the tragic heroine of Greed who became a much-loved comedian.
• 1895 – 1963 Paul Hindemith German neo-classical composer German composer and theorist who developed a neo-classical style. His Mathis der Maler Symphony and Ludus Tonalis are among his most celebrated works.
• 1925 – 1963 Medgar Evers (1925-1963) Died 12 June 1963, aged 37 Medgar Evers was a civil rights activist and NAACP field secretary who organized voter registration drives and boycotts in Mississippi. He was shot and killed outside his home in Jackson by a white supremacist. His murder galvanized the civil rights movement, and his killer was not convicted until 1994.
• 1963 French Open 1963 Men: Roy Emerson · Women: Lesley Turner
• 1963 John Profumo resigns in sex-and-security scandal British war minister admits lying to Parliament British Secretary of State for War John Profumo resigned after admitting he had lied to Parliament about an affair with Christine Keeler, who was also linked to a Soviet naval attache. The scandal badly damaged Harold Macmillan's government. It remains one of Britain's most notorious political scandals.
• 1963 ZaSu Pitts dies in Los Angeles ZaSu Pitts dies aged 69.
• 1963 Self-immolation of Thich Quang Duc Buddhist monk burns himself to death in Saigon protest A Buddhist monk set himself on fire at a busy Saigon intersection to protest the South Vietnamese government's persecution of Buddhists. Photographs of the act were published around the world and embarrassed the Diem government. The event deepened the political crisis that led to Diem's overthrow later that year.
• 1963 Cleopatra premieres in New York Elizabeth Taylor epic becomes the costliest film yet made The historical epic Cleopatra, starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, premiered after a famously troubled and expensive production. Its enormous budget nearly bankrupted 20th Century Fox despite strong box office returns. The film's off-screen romance between Taylor and Burton drew as much attention as the movie itself.
• 1963 Valentina Tereshkova becomes first woman in space Soviet cosmonaut orbits Earth aboard Vostok 6 Valentina Tereshkova launched aboard Vostok 6, becoming the first woman to fly in space. She orbited the Earth 48 times over three days before landing safely. No other woman would fly in space for nearly two decades.
• 1963 Pope Paul VI elected Giovanni Battista Montini succeeds John XXIII Cardinal Giovanni Battista Montini was elected pope, taking the name Paul VI, following the death of John XXIII. He continued the Second Vatican Council and would go on to reshape Catholic liturgy and ecumenical relations. His papacy lasted until 1978.