4 June

1996: On 4 June 1996, the first four of ESA's Cluster spacecraft were destroyed when the Ariane-5 rocket exploded during its maiden launch. Engineers built three new Cluster spacecraft while the fourth was constructed out of spare parts.

ESA launched the new spacecraft four years later in 2000. The Cluster spacecraft are currently studying the interaction between solar activity and the near-Earth space environment.

1754: On 4 June 1754, Franz Xaver von Zach was born. He was a German-Hungarian astronomer and director of the Gotha Observatory between 1787 and 1806. There he formed a group of 24 astronomers chosen from throughout Europe to track down a 'missing' planet between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Instead they discovered the asteroid belt.

780 BC: On 4 June 780 BC, the first total solar eclipse reliably recorded by the Chinese was seen.