Today in News History

On June 17, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1242, Following the Disputation of Paris, twenty-four carriage loads of Jewish religious manuscripts were burnt in Paris. In 1596, The Dutch explorer Willem Barentsz discovers the Arctic archipelago of Spitsbergen. In 1795, The burghers of Swellendam expel the Dutch East India Company magistrate and declare a republic. In 1947, Timothy Wright, American gospel singer, pastor (died 2009) was born. In 1960, The Nez Perce tribe is awarded $4 million for 7 million acres (28,000 km2) of land undervalued at four cents/acre in the 1863 treaty. 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 1969, Paul Tergat, Kenyan runner was born. In 1976, Sven Nys, Belgian cyclist was born. 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.