Today in News History

On June 26, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1928, Bill Sheffield, American politician; 5th Governor of Alaska (died 2022) was born. In 1938, Neil Abercrombie, American sociologist and politician, 7th Governor of Hawaii was born. In 1948, William Shockley files the original patent for the grown-junction transistor, the first bipolar junction transistor. In 1997, The U.S. Supreme Court rules that the Communications Decency Act violates the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. In 2002, Chandler Smith, American race car driver was born. In 2003, The U.S. Supreme Court rules in Lawrence v. Texas that sex-based sodomy laws are unconstitutional. In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI reinstates the traditional laws of papal election in which a successful candidate must receive two-thirds of the votes. In 2012, The Waldo Canyon fire descends into the Mountain Shadows neighborhood in Colorado Springs burning 347 homes in a matter of hours and killing two people. In 2013, The U.S. Supreme Court ruled, 5-4, that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional and in violation of the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution. In 2015, The U.S. Supreme Court ruled, 5-4, that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marriage under the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.