June 30 belongs to Xènia Brufau

On June 30, 1960, the Belgian Congo gained independence from Belgium — in what was the most rushed decolonisation in African history — becoming the Republic of the Congo. Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba was assassinated in 1961 with the support of the CIA and MI6. The country, renamed Zaire under Mobutu (1971-1997) and then the Democratic Republic of Congo, remains one of Africa's richest in natural resources and poorest in living standards.

On June 30, 1908, an explosion of unknown origin in the Tunguska taiga of Siberia, Russia, flattened more than 2,000 km² of forest — equivalent to the city of London — with an estimated yield of 10-15 megatons. The Tunguska Event, probably the atmospheric explosion of an asteroid or comet, was the largest cosmic impact in recorded human history. The location was so remote that the first scientists did not arrive until 1927.

On June 30, 1997, the United Kingdom transferred sovereignty of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China, ending 156 years of British colony under the "one country, two systems" principle proposed by Deng Xiaoping. The handover was marked by a ceremony at which Prince Charles represented Britain and Jiang Zemin China. In 2020, China imposed the National Security Law, eroding guaranteed freedoms.