Today in News History

On July 4, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1359, Francesco II Ordelaffi of Forlì surrenders to the Papal commander Gil de Albornoz. In 1898, En route from New York to Le Havre, the SS La Bourgogne collides with another ship and sinks off the coast of Sable Island, with the loss of 549 lives. In 1898, Pilar Barbosa, Puerto Rican-American historian and activist (died 1997) was born. In 1942, World War II: The 250-day Siege of Sevastopol in the Crimea ends when the city falls to Axis forces. In 1943, World War II: In Gibraltar, a Royal Air Force B-24 Liberator bomber crashes into the sea in an apparent accident moments after takeoff, killing sixteen passengers on board, including general Władysław Sikorski, the commander-in-chief of the Polish Army and the Prime Minister of the Polish government-in-exile; only the pilot survives. In 1963, José Oquendo, Puerto Rican-American baseball player and coach was born. In 1982, Three Iranian diplomats and a journalist are kidnapped in Lebanon by Phalange forces, and their fate remains unknown. In 1992, Ángel Romero, Paraguayan footballer was born. In 1992, Óscar Romero, Paraguayan footballer was born. In 2015, Chile claims its first title in international football by defeating Argentina in the 2015 Copa América Final. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.