June 1900 - June 23, 1900 (Saturday)

June 23, 1900 (Saturday)

• The day after the discovery of one ancient Chinese library, another was destroyed by fire. The Hanlin Academy Library in Beijing was adjacent to the British Legation and was China's largest collection of works, housing thousands of centuries-old publications. Soldiers under the command of General Chang Foo Shiang set fire to the academy while attacking the British embassy; the library burned to the ground, but the winds blew the flames away from the embassy, which survived unscathed.
• Foreigners at Tianjin were rescued by the Allied invasion force, led by Major Littleton W.T. Waller and a detachment of U.S. Marines, followed by German, British, Japanese and Italian forces. Future American president Herbert Hoover, a 26-year-old engineer, was among the persons saved.