Today in News History

On June 16, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1746, War of the Austrian Succession: Austria and Sardinia defeat a Franco-Spanish army at the Battle of Piacenza. In 1779, American Revolutionary War: Spain declares war on the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Great Siege of Gibraltar begins. In 1811, Survivors of an attack the previous day by Tla-o-qui-aht on board the Pacific Fur Company's ship Tonquin, intentionally detonate a powder magazine on the ship, destroying it and killing about 100 attackers. In 1955, Artemy Troitsky, Russian journalist and critic was born. In 1995, The Astronomy Picture of the Day website is launched. In 1999, Justin Jefferson, American football player was born. In 2012, The United States Air Force's robotic Boeing X-37B spaceplane returns to Earth after a classified 469-day orbital mission. In 2012, China successfully launches its Shenzhou 9 spacecraft, carrying three astronauts, including the first female Chinese astronaut Liu Yang, to the Tiangong-1 orbital module. In 2013, A multi-day cloudburst, centered on the North Indian state of Uttarakhand, causes devastating floods and landslides, becoming the country's worst natural disaster since the 2004 tsunami. In 2015, American businessman Donald Trump announces his campaign to run for President of the United States in the upcoming election. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.