Today in News History

On June 17, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1843, The Wairau Affray, the first serious clash of arms between Māori and British settlers in the New Zealand Wars, takes place. In 1861, American Civil War: Battle of Vienna, Virginia. In 1877, American Indian Wars: Battle of White Bird Canyon: The Nez Perce defeat the U.S. Cavalry at White Bird Canyon in the Idaho Territory. In 1885, The Statue of Liberty arrives in New York Harbor. In 1940, The three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania fall under the occupation of the Soviet Union. In 1966, Mohammed Ghazy Al-Akhras, Iraqi journalist and author was born. In 1967, Nuclear weapons testing: China announces a successful test of its first thermonuclear weapon. In 1992, A "joint understanding" agreement on arms reduction is signed by U.S. President George Bush and Russian President Boris Yeltsin (this would be later codified in START II). In 2013, Pierre F. Côté, Canadian lawyer and civil servant (born 1927) passed away. In 2021, Juneteenth National Independence Day, was signed into law by President Joe Biden, to become the first federal holiday established since Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.