Today in News History

On June 24, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1902, George Leake, Australian politician, 2nd Premier of Western Australia (born 1856) passed away. In 1914, Pearl Witherington, French secret agent (died 2008) was born. In 1917, David Easton, Canadian-American political scientist and academic (died 2014) was born. In 1975, Eastern Air Lines Flight 66 encounters severe wind shear and crashes on final approach to New York's JFK Airport killing 113 of the 124 passengers on board, making it the deadliest U.S. plane crash at the time. This accident led to decades of research into downburst and microburst phenomena and their effects on aircraft. In 1982, "The Jakarta Incident": British Airways Flight 009 flies into a cloud of volcanic ash thrown up by the eruption of Mount Galunggung, resulting in the failure of all four engines. In 1992, David Alaba, Austrian footballer was born. In 2002, The Igandu train disaster in Tanzania kills 281, the worst train accident in African history. In 2010, Julia Gillard assumes office as the first female Prime Minister of Australia. In 2013, Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is found guilty of abusing his power and engaging in sex with an underage prostitute, and is sentenced to seven years in prison. In 2015, Mario Biaggi, American police officer, politician and criminal (born 1917) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.