Today in News History

On June 17, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1778, Gregory Blaxland, English-Australian explorer (died 1853) was born. In 1867, Henry Lawson, Australian poet and author (died 1922) was born. In 1929, The town of Murchison, New Zealand is rocked by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake killing 17. At the time it was New Zealand's worst natural disaster. In 1966, Mohammed Ghazy Al-Akhras, Iraqi journalist and author was born. In 1967, Nuclear weapons testing: China announces a successful test of its first thermonuclear weapon. In 1968, Steve Georgallis, Australian rugby league player and coach was born. In 1985, Space Shuttle program: STS-51-G mission: Space Shuttle Discovery launches carrying Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the first Arab and first Muslim in space, as a payload specialist. In 1988, Andrew Ogilvy, Australian basketball player was born. In 1992, A "joint understanding" agreement on arms reduction is signed by U.S. President George Bush and Russian President Boris Yeltsin (this would be later codified in START II). In 2015, Ron Clarke, Australian runner and politician, Mayor of the Gold Coast (born 1937) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.