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 1573, Eighty Years' War: The Siege of Haarlem ends after seven months. In 1586, Anglo-Spanish War: A convoy of English ships from the Levant Company manage to repel a fleet of eleven Spanish and Maltese galleys off the Mediterranean island of Pantelleria. In 1690, Nine Years' War: French naval forces led by Anne Hilarion de Tourville fresh from their victory at Beachy Head sail West and launch a raid on the small English town of Teignmouth leaving it devastated. In 1922, Helmy Afify Abd El-Bar, Egyptian military commander (died 2011) was born. In 1977, Somalia declares war on Ethiopia, starting the Ogaden War. In 1985, Vice President George H. W. Bush becomes the Acting President for the day when President Ronald Reagan undergoes surgery to remove polyps from his colon. In 1995, Space Shuttle Discovery is launched on STS-70 to deploy the TDRS-7 satellite. 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. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.