Today in News History

On June 24, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 843, The Vikings sack the French city of Nantes. In 1882, Athanase David, Canadian lawyer and politician (died 1953) was born. In 1917, Joan Clarke, English cryptanalyst and numismatist (died 1996) was born. In 1922, John Postgate, English microbiologist, author, and academic (died 2014) was born. In 1940, Ian Ross, Australian newsreader (died 2014) was born. In 1941, Julia Kristeva, Bulgarian-French psychoanalyst and author was born. In 1950, Bob Carlos Clarke, Irish-born English photographer (died 2006) was born. 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 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. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.