If you look at your calendar you will see a midweek Wednesday with the number 3 attached.
Is it just another mundane 24 hours or does it hold a place in history, our lives and even infamy?
Realistically, this day has several pivotal moments in history, from military victories to groundbreaking achievements in science and our culture.
The month of June holds so many significant happenings such as June 3 meaning we are just 18 days from the beginning of summer, 2026.
The history book reflects these key dates:
· June 3, 1864, General Robert E, Lee secures his last victory at the Battle of Cold Harbor during the civil war.
· June 3, 1965, Edward H. White II becomes the first American astronaut to perform a space walk during the Gemini 4 mission totaling 23 minutes outside the space craft.
· Today is the birthday of the late actor Tony Curtis
· Outlaw Jesse James robbed a bank in Iowa of $15,000
There’s something about the month of June that just captivates us with energy, warm temperatures, vacation and baseball.
Speaking of baseball:
· June 3,1932, Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig became the first player to blast 4 consecutive Homers in a Major League Game
· June 3, 1937, Hall of Famer Josh Gibson slammed a 580-foot Homer that landed just below the rim at Yankee Stadium
· June 3, 1930, The Phillies released 43-year-old pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander.
The month of June somehow inspired songs to be written and performed touching the very reality of June.
Songs such as “June Nights” was recorded as early as 1920 and in1957 bandleader Jimmy Dorsey had a hit saluting June nights as well climbing to #21 on Billboards’ Top 100.
The song eventually made its way to films and TV shows.
Here are the lyrics:
“Just give me a June night, the moonlight and you
In my arms with all your charms and ‘neath the stars above we’ll make love
I’ll hold you lovingly in my arms, our dreams will come true, so give me a June night”
10 years passed by and in July of 1967 a monster hit from Capital records hit the airwaves of country music stations nationwide.
I was one of those DJ’s that first played the hit on my “Mike in the Morning” Show on WTCR. It didn’t take long for those telephone voices to request – ODE TO BILLIE JOE.
The hit was recorded by a young singer-songwriter – 25-year-old Bobbie Gentry who was born in Chickasaw County, Mississippi.
The opening lyrics caught your attention right away mentioning – THE THIRD OF JUNE.
“Was the third of June, another sleepy, dusty delta day
I was out choppin’ cotton and my brother was balin hay and at dinner time we stopped and walked back to the house to eat
And mama hollered out the back door “Y’all remember to wipe your feet” And then she said –
“I got some news this mornin’ from Choctaw Ridge, today Billie Joe McAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge.”
It tells the story of a rural Mississippi family’s reaction to the news of the suicide of Billie Joe McAllister, a local boy to whom the daughter had connections unbeknownst to her family. It was a lengthy recording that spanned 4 minutes and 15 seconds.
“Ode to Billie Joe” was nominated for 8 Grammy Awards and appeared on Rolling Stone’s list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.” “Ode to Billie Joe” was ranked at #51 on the 200 Greatest Country Songs of All Time as well.
In fact, in 2023 the song was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry. In 1999, the 1967 hit “Ode to Billie Joe” by Bobbie Gentry on Capital records was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Capital records following the success of the hit single received 500,000 pre-orders.
You’re right, how about making a movie of the hit single depicting the lyrics? Great idea.
The film would be shot on location in Mississippi with a budget of 1.5 million and would star ROBBY BENSON as Billie Joe. It was released in 1976.
So, the grand and glorious month of June is underway. The days seem to have special meaning for so many of us and of course, it’s a wonderful vacation month as well.
Let’s take a brief look at the litany of some of those special days. You may wish to make a notation on your calendar:
SOME OF JUNE’S VERY SPECIAL DAYS
June 6, 1944, D-Day World War II and the invasion of Normandy
June 9 National Donald Duck Day. Sometime during the day give out a loud Quack Quack in honor of Donald for all those great cartoons
June 14 – National Flag Day! This is the day you display Old Glory proudly at your home, in your car, or even at work. We have so much to be proud of for what our flag means to us all
June 21- the longest day of the year and the first day of Summer 2026. Time for a picnic! Hit the Pool.
June 25 – National Handshake Day! Sometime during the day, find someone, anyone – and shake their hand. Let them worry about why!
June 26 – National Take Your Dog to Work Day! As you and your lovable K9 arrive, be sure you have plenty of treats, a sturdy leach, and planned periodic outdoor visits for you know what.
June 30, 2026, For Mrs. T (Jo) and me, it’s our 65th anniversary or as history would gauge it – 3 score and 5 years ago, a couple of kids entered Holy Matrimony and never looked back.The ensuing decades have produced three sons, 4 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren. We are so blessed. You’re right – It’s highly marked on our calendars.
So, just like that, the second half of 2026 began last Monday with the dawn of the month of June. Whatever your plans are, plan well, take care and make the most of everyday of your life.
Guess what?
In just 28 days…here comes the rambunctious month of JULY.
Have a Wonderful Summer.
Mike Tussey has “retired” from a 60-plus-year career as a legendary play-by-play announcer for over 2000 football, baseball, and basketball games, including most recently for ESPN+. His career also includes a stint in law enforcement, teaching and coaching, and writing books, including the “Touchdown Saints.” He grew up in Eastern Kentucky and now lives in Florence with his wife, Jo. He has opened another “Door of Opportunity” and is now a regular columnist for the NKyTribune.