Today in News History

On June 29, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1864, At least 99 people, mostly German and Polish immigrants, are killed in Canada's worst railway disaster after a train fails to stop for an open drawbridge and plunges into the Rivière Richelieu near St-Hilaire, Quebec. In 1897, Fulgence Charpentier, Canadian journalist and publisher (died 2001) was born. In 1922, France grants "one square kilometer" at Vimy Ridge "freely, and for all time, to the Government of Canada, the free use of the land exempt from all taxes". In 1931, Sevim Burak, Turkish author (died 1983) was born. In 1972, The United States Supreme Court rules in the case Furman v. Georgia that arbitrary and inconsistent imposition of the death penalty violates the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments and constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. In 1972, A Convair CV-580 and De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter collide above Lake Winnebago near Appleton, Wisconsin, killing 13. In 1984, Aleksandr Shustov, Russian high jumper was born. In 1995, Space Shuttle program: STS-71 Mission (Atlantis) docks with the Russian space station Mir for the first time. In 2012, A derecho sweeps across the eastern United States, leaving at least 22 people dead and millions without power. In 2012, Juan Reccius, Chilean triple jumper (born 1911) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.