Today in News History

On July 9, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 551, A major earthquake strikes Beirut, triggering a devastating tsunami that affects the coastal towns of Byzantine Phoenicia, causing thousands of deaths. In 869, The 8.4-9.0 Mw Sanriku earthquake strikes the area around Sendai in northern Honshu, Japan. Inundation from the tsunami extended several kilometers inland. In 1914, Willi Stoph, German engineer and politician, 4th Prime Minister of East Germany (died 1999) was born. In 1914, Mac Wilson, Australian rules footballer (died 2017) was born. In 1935, Wim Duisenberg, Dutch economist and politician, Dutch Minister of Finance (died 2005) was born. In 1942, David Chidgey, Baron Chidgey, English engineer and politician (died 2022) was born. In 1948, Hassan Wirajuda, Indonesian lawyer and politician, 15th Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs was born. In 1993, Mitch Larkin, Australian swimmer was born. In 2013, Markus Büchel, Liechtensteiner politician, 9th Prime Minister of Liechtenstein (born 1959) passed away. In 2013, Andrew Nori, Solomon lawyer and politician (born 1952) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.