Today in News History

On July 13, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 982, Abu'l-Qasim, Kalbid emir of Sicily passed away. In 1922, Helmy Afify Abd El-Bar, Egyptian military commander (died 2011) was born. In 1961, Khalid Mahmood, Pakistani-English engineer and politician was born. In 1961, Tahira Asif, Pakistani politician (died 2014) was born. In 1990, Lenin Peak disaster: a 6.4-magnitude earthquake in Afghanistan triggers an avalanche on Lenin Peak, killing 43 climbers in the deadliest mountaineering disaster in history. In 2000, Jan Karski, Polish-American activist and academic (born 1914) passed away. In 2003, French DGSE personnel abort an operation to rescue Íngrid Betancourt from FARC rebels in Colombia, causing a political scandal when details are leaked to the press. In 2008, Battle of Wanat begins when Taliban and al-Qaeda guerrillas attack US Army and Afghan National Army troops in Afghanistan. The U.S. deaths were, at that time, the most in a single battle since the beginning of operations in 2001. In 2011, Mumbai is rocked by three bomb blasts during the evening rush hour, killing 26 and injuring 130. In 2013, Vernon B. Romney, American lawyer and politician, 14th Attorney General of Utah (born 1924) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.