Today in News History

On June 26, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1541, Francisco Pizarro is assassinated in Lima by the son of his former companion and later antagonist, Diego de Almagro the younger. Almagro is later caught and executed. In 1718, Alexei Petrovich, Tsarevich of Russia, Peter the Great's son, mysteriously dies after being sentenced to death by his father for plotting against him. In 1835, Thomas W. Knox, American journalist and author (died 1896) was born. In 1907, Debs Garms, American baseball player (died 1984) was born. In 1938, Neil Abercrombie, American sociologist and politician, 7th Governor of Hawaii was born. In 1966, Kirk McLean, Canadian ice hockey player was born. In 1975, Two FBI agents and a member of the American Indian Movement are killed in a shootout on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota; Leonard Peltier is later convicted of the murders in a controversial trial. In 1977, Quincy Lewis, American basketball player was born. In 2003, The U.S. Supreme Court rules in Lawrence v. Texas that sex-based sodomy laws are unconstitutional. 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. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.