Today in News History

On July 8, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1864, Ikedaya Incident: The Choshu Han shishi's planned Shinsengumi sabotage on Kyoto, Japan at Ikedaya. In 1898, The death of crime boss Soapy Smith, killed in the Shootout on Juneau Wharf, releases Skagway, Alaska from his iron grip. In 1921, John Money, New Zealand psychologist and sexologist, known for his research on gender identity, and responsible for controversial involuntary sex reassignment of David Reimer (died 2006) was born. In 1947, Reports are broadcast that a UFO crash-landed in Roswell, New Mexico in what became known as the Roswell UFO incident. In 1957, Aleksandr Gurnov, Russian journalist and author was born. In 1960, Francis Gary Powers is charged with espionage resulting from his flight over the Soviet Union. In 1964, Alexei Gusarov, Russian ice hockey player and manager was born. In 1972, Israeli Mossad assassinate Palestinian writer Ghassan Kanafani. In 1982, A failed assassination attempt against Iraqi president Saddam Hussein results in the Dujail Massacre over the next several months. In 2007, Jack B. Sowards, American screenwriter and producer (born 1929) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.