Today in News History

On June 21, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1824, Greek War of Independence: Egyptian forces capture Psara in the Aegean Sea. In 1882, Adrianus de Jong, Dutch fencer and soldier (died 1966) was born. In 1919, The Royal Canadian Mounted Police fire a volley into a crowd of unemployed war veterans, killing two, during the Winnipeg general strike. In 1930, One-year conscription comes into force in France. In 1931, David Kushnir, Israeli Olympic long-jumper (died 2020) was born. In 1942, World War II: A Japanese submarine surfaces near the Columbia River in Oregon, firing 17 shells at Fort Stevens in one of only a handful of attacks by Japan against the United States mainland. In 1942, World War II: Tobruk falls to Italian and German forces; 33,000 Allied troops are taken prisoner. In 1972, Irene van Dyk, South African-New Zealand netball player was born. In 2001, A federal grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia, indicts 13 Saudis and a Lebanese in the 1996 bombing of the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia that killed 19 American servicemen. In 2012, An Indonesian Air Force Fokker F27 Friendship crashes near Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport, killing 11. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.