Today in News History

On June 20, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1787, Oliver Ellsworth moves at the Federal Convention to call the government the 'United States'. In 1894, Lloyd Hall, American chemist and academic (died 1971) was born. In 1926, The 28th International Eucharistic Congress begins in Chicago, with over 250,000 spectators attending the opening procession. In 1929, Emmanouil Benakis, Greek merchant and politician, 35th Mayor of Athens (born 1843) passed away. In 1942, The Holocaust: Kazimierz Piechowski and three others, dressed as members of the SS-Totenkopfverbände, steal an SS staff car and escape from the Auschwitz concentration camp. In 1960, The Mali Federation gains independence from France (it later splits into Mali and Senegal). In 1963, Following the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Soviet Union and the United States sign an agreement to establish the so-called "red telephone" link between Washington, D.C., and Moscow. In 1971, Annik Van den Bosch, Belgian politician was born. In 1982, The International Conference on the Holocaust and Genocide opens in Tel Aviv, despite attempts by the Turkish government to cancel it, as it included presentations on the Armenian genocide. In 1991, The German Bundestag votes to move seat of government from the former West German capital of Bonn to the present capital of Berlin. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.