Today in News History

On June 17, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1795, The burghers of Swellendam expel the Dutch East India Company magistrate and declare a republic. In 1865, Susan La Flesche Picotte, Native American physician (died 1915) was born. In 1900, Boxer Rebellion: Western Allied and Japanese forces capture the Taku Forts in Tianjin, China. In 1933, Union Station massacre: In Kansas City, Missouri, four FBI agents and captured fugitive Frank Nash are gunned down by gangsters attempting to free Nash. In 1939, Last public guillotining in France: Eugen Weidmann, a convicted murderer, is executed in Versailles outside the Saint-Pierre prison. In 1953, Vernon Coaker, English educator and politician, Shadow Secretary of State for Defence was born. In 1972, Watergate scandal: Five White House operatives are arrested for burgling the offices of the Democratic National Committee during an attempt by members of the administration of President Richard M. Nixon to illegally wiretap the political opposition as part of a broader campaign to subvert the democratic process. In 1994, Following a televised low-speed highway chase, O. J. Simpson is arrested for the murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman. In 2012, Rodney King, American victim of police brutality (born 1965) passed away. In 2013, Pierre F. Côté, Canadian lawyer and civil servant (born 1927) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.