Great auk
The last known pair of great auks (one pictured), the only modern species in the genus Pinguinus of flightless birds, were killed on Eldey, Iceland.
In context
- When
- Monday, June 3 1844182 years ago
- Category
- Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
- Era
- 19th century · 1840s
- Recorded from
- Wikipedia “On this day” feed
Russia, Greece and some other countries used the Julian calendar into the early 20th century, so local records may show a date up to 13 days earlier.
At a glance
Dates: 5000000 BCE – 1852.
Type: extinct taxon.
What happened
Description Summer (standing) and winter (swimming) plumage, by John Gerrard Keulemans Standing about 75 centimetres (29.5 in) tall and weighing approximately 5 kilograms (11 lb) as adult birds, [ 1 ] the flightless great auk was the second-largest member of both its family and the order Charadriiformes overall, surpassed only by the mancalline Miomancalla . It is, however, the largest species to survive into modern times.
The great auk, also known as the penguin or garefowl, is an extinct species of flightless alcid that first appeared around 400,000 years ago and was driven to extinction by human exploitation in the mid-19th century. It was the only modern species in the genus Pinguinus. It was not closely related to the penguins of the Southern Hemisphere, which were named for their resemblance to this species.
June 3 through the years
Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.
Also in 1844
- September 16Felix MendelssohnFelix Mendelssohn completed the score of his Violin Concerto, his final concerto.
- August 10Friedrich Wilhelm BesselFrom measurements of its motion, German astronomer Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel deduced that Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, had…
- June 26Julia Gardiner TylerJulia Gardiner (pictured) married U.S. President John Tyler at the Church of the Ascension in New York, becoming the first lady.
- May 22ShirazIn Shiraz, Iran, the Báb declared himself to be a messenger of God to Mullá Husayn, leading to the foundation of Bábism, considered to be…
- March 21Baháʼí calendarThe Baháʼí calendar, used in the Baháʼí Faith, began.
- December 21Rochdale Society of Equitable PioneersThe Rochdale Pioneers opened their store (pictured) in Rochdale, England, forming the basis for the modern co-operative movement.
Sources
- Wikipedia article (text, CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 for adapted text · how we source this
Cite this page
“Great auk”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/great-auk-1844-june-3, accessed October 28, 2026.
Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.
Questions about this entry
When did Great auk happen?
June 3 1844 — 182 years ago, on a Monday.
Where does this text come from?
Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.
How do I cite this page?
Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.
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