Today in News History

On July 7, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1162, Haakon II Sigurdsson, king of Norway (born 1147) passed away. In 1534, Jacques Cartier makes his first contact with aboriginal peoples in what is now Canada. In 1667, An English fleet completes the destruction of a French merchant fleet off Fort St Pierre, Martinique during the Second Anglo-Dutch War. In 1798, As a result of the XYZ Affair, the US Congress rescinds the Treaty of Alliance with France sparking the "Quasi-War". In 1807, The first Treaty of Tilsit between France and Russia is signed, ending hostilities between the two countries in the War of the Fourth Coalition. In 1898, US President William McKinley signs the Newlands Resolution annexing Hawaii as a territory of the United States. In 1911, The United States, UK, Japan, and Russia sign the North Pacific Fur Seal Convention of 1911 banning open-water seal hunting, the first international treaty to address wildlife preservation issues. In 1941, The US occupation of Iceland replaces the UK's occupation. In 1958, US President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs the Alaska Statehood Act into law. In 1997, The Turkish Armed Forces withdraw from northern Iraq after assisting the Kurdistan Democratic Party in the Iraqi Kurdish Civil War. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.