Today in News History

On July 8, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1892, St. John's, Newfoundland is devastated in the Great Fire of 1892. In 1915, Neil D. Van Sickle, American Air Force major general (died 2019) was born. In 1918, Julia Pirie, British spy working for MI5 (died 2008) was born. In 1937, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan sign the Treaty of Saadabad. In 1947, Reports are broadcast that a UFO crash-landed in Roswell, New Mexico in what became known as the Roswell UFO incident. In 1960, Francis Gary Powers is charged with espionage resulting from his flight over the Soviet Union. In 1962, Ne Win besieges and blows up the Rangoon University Student Union building to crush the Student Movement. In 1972, Israeli Mossad assassinate Palestinian writer Ghassan Kanafani. In 1973, Ben-Zion Dinur, Russian-Israeli educator and politician, 4th Education Minister of Israel (born 1884) passed away. In 1982, A failed assassination attempt against Iraqi president Saddam Hussein results in the Dujail Massacre over the next several months. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.