Today in News History

On July 9, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 551, A major earthquake strikes Beirut, triggering a devastating tsunami that affects the coastal towns of Byzantine Phoenicia, causing thousands of deaths. In 1856, John Verran, English-Australian politician, 26th Premier of South Australia (died 1932) was born. In 1900, The Federation of Australia is given royal assent. In 1903, Alphonse François Renard, Belgian geologist and photographer (born 1842) passed away. In 1956, The 7.7 Mw Amorgos earthquake shakes the Cyclades island group in the Aegean Sea with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). The shaking and the destructive tsunami that followed left fifty-three people dead. A damaging M7.2 aftershock occurred minutes after the mainshock. In 1958, A 7.8 Mw strike-slip earthquake in Alaska causes a landslide that produces a megatsunami. The runup from the waves reached 525 m (1,722 ft) on the rim of Lituya Bay; five people were killed. In 1962, Starfish Prime tests the effects of a nuclear test at orbital altitudes. In 1970, Masami Tsuda, Japanese author and illustrator was born. In 1976, Radike Samo, Fijian-Australian rugby player was born. In 1993, Mitch Larkin, Australian swimmer was born. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.