JUNE 4 - DAILY CHRONICLES OF HISTORY

JUNE 4

1926

Ignacy Mościcki took Office. By recommendation of Pilsudski, Ignacy Moscicki was elected President of the Second Republic of Poland on June 1, 1926 but remained subservient to Pilsudski, and never openly showing dissent on any issue.  After Pilsudski's death in 1935, Moscicki's influence on the state affairs increased substantially. This was due in large part to Pilsudski's revision of the Constitution which increased the powers of the Presidential office. Moscicki was the longest serving President in Polish history (from June 4, 1926 – September 30, 1939)

1942

Nazi German officer Reinhard Heydrich died of his wounds:  On May 27, 1942, Heydrich was ambushed in Prague by Czech soldiers Jozef Gabcik and Jan Kubis in Operation Anthropoid.  When Heydrich's vehicle slowed down around a curved road, Gabcik stepped in front of Heydrich's vehicle, and attempted to open fire but his Sten gun jammed. Heydrich ordered his driver to stop the car and stood up to take aim against Gabcik. At that moment, Kubis threw a grenade at the vehicle, which ripped through the right rear fender, and embedded shrapnel into Heydrich's body. Kubis was also injured by the shrapnel.  Heydrich got out of the car, and despite his injuries began to return fire while giving chase, but soon collapsed. His driver returned from his abortive attempt to chase Kubis, and Heydrich ordered him to chase Gabcik. The driver was shot twice and was wounded by Gabcik (who was now using his revolver)  It seemed that the assassination attempt failed. Heydrich was rushed to hospital and was diagnosed with sepsis. He went into shock and died on June 4, 1942.  Operation Anthropoid was the code name for the assassination of Heydrich and was planned by the British Special Operations Executive with the approval of the Czechoslovak government-in-exile.  (Note: The Polish Underground has also assassinated several German officers, including high level Nazi German Officers - see Operation Kutschera (Feb 1, 1944) and Operation Burkl (Sept 7, 1943). The Polish Home Army assassinated many other German officers and commandants.)

1989

The Polish legislative election of 1989 was the tenth election to the Sejm, the parliament of the Polish People's Republic, and the first election to the recreated Senate of Poland. The first round took place on June 4, right after the 1989 June 4th Beijing Tiananmen Square massacre in China, with a second round on June 18.  It was the closest thing to a free election in the country since 1928, and the first since the communist Polish United Workers Party abandoned its monopoly of power in April.  It resulted in a phenomenal victory of the Solidarity opposition and paved the way for the fall of communism in Poland.

2011

Dr. Felix Zandman, Ph.D. died on this day in 2011. He was the founder and chief technology officer of Vishay Inter technology – one of the world's largest providers of electronic components. From 1946 to 1949 he studied physics and engineering in France at the University of Nancy.  He was also enrolled at the Grande École of engineering E.N.S.E.M (Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Electricité et de Mécanique). He received a Ph.D. at the Sorbonne as a physicist on a subject of photo elasticity.and was awarded the Edward Longstreth Medal from the Franklin Institute in 1962

JUNE 1 - DAILY CHRONICLES OF HISTORY

JUNE 1

1895

Tadeusz "Bor" Komorowski (dob)  was a Polish military leader. He was appointed Commander in Chief a day before the capitulation of the Warsaw Uprising. After taking part in the fighting against the German invasion of Poland at the beginning of World War II in 1939, he helped organize the Polish underground in the Kraków area and in July 1941 became deputy commander of the Home Army (Armia Krajowa or "AK"). In March 1943 Komorowski was appointed Commander, with the rank of Brigadier-General.  After the war Bór-Komorowski moved to London, where he played an active role in Polish émigré circles. From 1947 to 1949 he served as Prime Minister of the Polish government-in-exile,  but by then the Allies no longer gave them diplomatic recognition.

1926

Ignacy Mościcki was elected President of Poland on June 1, 1926, and served until 1939. He was the longest serving President in Poland's history.  Following Pilsudski's coup d'etat on May 12, 1926, Moscicki was elected on the recommendation of Pilsudski. However, he remained subservient and obedient to Piłsudski's leadership.  Three main factions emerged after Pilsudski's death in 1935:  those supporting Mościcki as Piłsudski's successor; those supporting General Edward Rydz-Śmigły; and those supporting Prime Minister Walery Sławek. The ensuing power struggle resulted with Rydz-Śmigły as the de facto leader of Poland though Mościcki remained influential by continuing in office as President.  After the outbreak of World War II, Mościcki was interned in Romania and was forced by France to resign his office. He transferred the Office to General Bolesław Wieniawa-Długoszowski, who held it for only one day, before General Władysław Sikorski and the French government deposed him in favor of Władysław Raczkiewicz.

1942

Jews in France, Holland, Belgium, Croatia, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania were ordered to wear yellow stars. But in Denmark, the Jewish badge was never introduced.  The story has oftentimes been told that the Danish King Christian X wore a yellow star to demonstrate his solidarity with the Jews, but this is purely myth. Perhaps it was a mistaken interpretation of the King's remarks to his finance minister, Vilhelm Buhl, that if the Germans introduced the star in Denmark, "perhaps we should all wear it." The Jewish badge was not introduced in Norway either, however , after January 10, 1942, all Jews had to carry identification cards stamped with the letter "J." The imposition of this Nazi law was to facilitate the identification of Jews for deportation (and death in the concentration camps.)

1991

During his first 4th papal pilgrimage Poland, John Paul elaborated on the subject of the true meaning of freedom and expressed alarm at the assumption that “anything goes”. He urged people to guide themselves by the ethical concepts of Christianity and not misuse freedom as an excuse to violate the moral order. Beatification of Józef Sebastian Pelczar, Boleslawa Lament and Rafal Chylinski.  The places he visited: Koszalin, Rzeszów, Przemyśl, Lubaczów, Kielce, Warsaw, Łomża, Białystok, Olsztyn, Włocławek, Płock.