June 30

On June 30, 1892, steelworkers at Andrew Carnegie’s Homestead Steel Works in Pennsylvania initiated a strike over wage cuts. The dispute escalated when company guards and state militia confronted striking workers. Violent clashes ensued, resulting in fatalities on both sides. The strike’s defeat weakened the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers and marked a setback for labor unions. It became a landmark event in America’s industrial relations history.

On June 30, 1953, GM introduced the Chevrolet Corvette as its answer to European sports cars and a showcase for new American performance. Built in Flint, Michigan, the first production model featured a fiberglass body, a 150-horsepower inline-six engine, and a sleek two-seat design. Spearheaded by GM engineer Harley Earl, the Corvette represented a bold move into specialty vehicles for a domestic automaker. The initial run of 300 cars sold out quickly, capturing public imagination and establishing Corvette as an American icon. Over the following decades, the Corvette evolved through eight generations, continually pushing the boundaries of speed and design. Its legacy endures as one of the longest-running nameplates in automotive history.

Following the fall of the Berlin Wall, the two German states agreed to integrate their financial and administrative systems. The Treuhandanstalt was established to privatize thousands of former East German state enterprises under the Deutsche Mark. Price conversions and currency union challenges led to economic disruption and widespread privatization. While the merger paved the way for full political reunification on October 3, 1990, it also resulted in factory closures and unemployment in the East. The economic integration remains one of the most ambitious peacetime mergers in history, reshaping Europe’s political landscape.