Today in News History

On June 24, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1940, Ian Ross, Australian newsreader (died 2014) was born. In 1941, Graham McKenzie, Australian cricketer was born. In 1942, Colin Groves, Australian academician and educator (died 2017) was born. In 1975, Eastern Air Lines Flight 66 encounters severe wind shear and crashes on final approach to New York's JFK Airport killing 113 of the 124 passengers on board, making it the deadliest U.S. plane crash at the time. This accident led to decades of research into downburst and microburst phenomena and their effects on aircraft. In 1980, Andrew Jones, Australian race car driver was born. In 1982, "The Jakarta Incident": British Airways Flight 009 flies into a cloud of volcanic ash thrown up by the eruption of Mount Galunggung, resulting in the failure of all four engines. In 1994, A Boeing B-52 Stratofortress crashes at Fairchild Air Force Base near Spokane, Washington, killing four. In 2002, The Igandu train disaster in Tanzania kills 281, the worst train accident in African history. In 2010, Julia Gillard assumes office as the first female Prime Minister of Australia. In 2021, The Champlain Towers South condominium in Surfside, Florida suffers a sudden partial collapse, killing 98 people inside. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.