Today in News History

On June 24, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1594, The Action of Faial, Azores. The Portuguese carrack Cinco Chagas, loaded with slaves and treasure, is attacked and sunk by English ships with only 13 survivors out of over 700 on board. In 1812, War of 1812: Great Britain revokes the restrictions on American commerce, thus eliminating one of the chief reasons for going to war. In 1907, James Meade, English economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1995) was born. In 1931, Wiley Post and Harold Gatty take off from Roosevelt Field, Long Island in an attempt to circumnavigate the world in a single-engine plane. In 1948, Clarence Thomas, American lawyer and jurist, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States was born. In 1951, The ocean liner SS United States is christened and launched. In 1961, The Antarctic Treaty System, which sets aside Antarctica as a scientific preserve and limits military activity on the continent, its islands and ice shelves, comes into force. In 2002, Pedro Alcázar, Panamanian boxer (born 1975) passed away. In 2012, James Durbin, English economist and statistician (born 1923) passed away. In 2014, The last of Syria's declared chemical weapons are shipped out for destruction. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.