Today in News History

On June 17, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1863, American Civil War: Battle of Aldie in the Gettysburg Campaign. In 1900, Evelyn Irons, Scottish journalist and war correspondent (died 2000) was born. In 1932, Derek Ibbotson, English runner (died 2017) was born. In 1947, Linda Chavez, American journalist and author was born. In 1953, Cold War: East Germany Workers Uprising: In East Germany, the Soviet Union orders a division of troops into East Berlin to quell a rebellion. In 1963, A day after South Vietnamese President Ngô Đình Diệm announced the Joint Communiqué to end the Buddhist crisis, a riot involving around 2,000 people breaks out. One person is killed. In 1966, Mohammed Ghazy Al-Akhras, Iraqi journalist and author was born. In 1971, U.S. President Richard Nixon in a televised press conference called drug abuse "America's public enemy number one", starting the War on drugs. In 2015, Nine people are killed in a mass shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. In 2017, A series of wildfires in central Portugal kill at least 64 people and injure 204 others. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.