Today in News History

On June 26, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1819, Abner Doubleday, American general (died 1893) was born. In 1821, Bartolomé Mitre, Argentinian soldier, journalist, and politician, 6th President of Argentina (died 1906) was born. In 1908, Salvador Allende, Chilean physician and politician, 29th President of Chile (died 1973) was born. In 1960, Madagascar gains its independence from France. In 1978, Air Canada Flight 189, flying to Toronto, overruns the runway and crashes into the Etobicoke Creek ravine. Two of the 107 passengers on board perish. In 1981, Dan-Air Flight 240, flying to East Midlands Airport, crashes in Nailstone, Leicestershire. All three crew members perish. In 1988, The first crash of an Airbus A320 occurs when Air France Flight 296Q crashes at Mulhouse-Habsheim Airfield in Habsheim, France, during an air show, killing three of the 136 people on board. In 1995, Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani deposes his father Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, in a bloodless coup d'état. In 2013, Riots in China's Xinjiang region kill at least 36 people and injure 21 others. In 2015, Five different terrorist attacks in France, Tunisia, Somalia, Kuwait, and Syria occurred on what was dubbed Bloody Friday by international media. Upwards of 750 people were either killed or injured in these uncoordinated attacks. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.