Today in News History

On June 24, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1904, Phil Harris, American singer-songwriter and actor (died 1995) was born. In 1913, Gustaaf Deloor, Belgian cyclist and soldier (died 2002) was born. In 1948, Cold War: Start of the Berlin Blockade: The Soviet Union makes overland travel between West Germany and West Berlin impossible. In 1975, Eastern Air Lines Flight 66 encounters severe wind shear and crashes on final approach to New York's JFK Airport killing 113 of the 124 passengers on board, making it the deadliest U.S. plane crash at the time. This accident led to decades of research into downburst and microburst phenomena and their effects on aircraft. In 1982, "The Jakarta Incident": British Airways Flight 009 flies into a cloud of volcanic ash thrown up by the eruption of Mount Galunggung, resulting in the failure of all four engines. In 1994, A Boeing B-52 Stratofortress crashes at Fairchild Air Force Base near Spokane, Washington, killing four. In 2002, The Igandu train disaster in Tanzania kills 281, the worst train accident in African history. In 2004, In New York, capital punishment is declared unconstitutional. In 2015, Mario Biaggi, American police officer, politician and criminal (born 1917) passed away. In 2021, The Champlain Towers South condominium in Surfside, Florida suffers a sudden partial collapse, killing 98 people inside. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.