Today in News History

On June 19, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1598, Gilbert Sheldon, Archbishop of Canterbury (died 1677) was born. In 1718, At least 73,000 people died in the 1718 Tongwei-Gansu earthquake due to landslides in the Qing dynasty. In 1947, Pan Am Flight 121 crashes in the Syrian Desert near Mayadin, Syria, killing 15 and injuring 21. In 1948, Nick Drake, English singer-songwriter (died 1974) was born. In 1951, Ayman al-Zawahiri, Egyptian terrorist (died 2022) was born. In 1960, Andrew Dilnot, English economist and academic was born. In 2005, Following a series of Michelin tire failures during the United States Grand Prix weekend at Indianapolis, and without an agreement being reached, 14 cars from seven teams in Michelin tires withdrew after completing the formation lap, leaving only six cars from three teams on Bridgestone tires to race. In 2007, The al-Khilani Mosque bombing in Baghdad leaves 78 people dead and another 218 injured. In 2009, Mass riots involving over 10,000 people and 10,000 police officers break out in Shishou, China, over the dubious circumstances surrounding the death of a local chef. In 2012, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange requests asylum in London's Ecuadorian Embassy for fear of extradition to the US after publication of previously classified documents including footage of civilian killings by the US army. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.