Today in News History

On July 11, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1897, Salomon August Andrée leaves Spitsbergen to attempt to reach the North Pole by balloon. In 1914, The US Navy launches the USS Nevada (BB-36) as its first standard-type battleship. In 1920, Zecharia Sitchin, Russian-American author (died 2010) was born. In 1927, Theodore Maiman, American-Canadian physicist and engineer (died 2007) was born. In 1937, Pai Hsien-yung, Chinese-Taiwanese author was born. In 1950, Pakistan joins the International Monetary Fund and the International Bank. In 1979, America's first space station, Skylab, is destroyed as it re-enters the Earth's atmosphere over the Indian Ocean. In 2009, Ji Xianlin, Chinese linguist and paleographer (born 1911) passed away. In 2011, Ninety-eight containers of explosives self-detonate killing 13 people in Zygi, Cyprus. In 2013, Emik Avakian, Iranian-American inventor (born 1923) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.