Today in News History

On June 17, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1811, Survivors of an attack the previous day by Tla-o-qui-aht on board the Pacific Fur Company's ship Tonquin, intentionally detonate a powder magazine on the ship, destroying it and killing about 100 attackers. In 1824, A meeting at Old Slaughter's coffee house in London leads to the formation of what is now the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA). In 1922, General election in the Irish Free State: The pro-Treaty Sinn Féin party wins a large majority. In 1930, Sovnarkom establishes decree time in the USSR. In 1952, Andrew Lawson, Scottish-American geologist and academic (born 1861) passed away. In 1969, Shami Chakrabarti, English lawyer and academic was born. In 1970, Younus AlGohar, Pakistani poet and academic, co-founded Messiah Foundation International was born. In 1976, Soweto uprising: A non-violent march by 15,000 students in Soweto, South Africa, turns into days of rioting when police open fire on the crowd. In 1995, The Astronomy Picture of the Day website is launched. In 2013, A multi-day cloudburst, centered on the North Indian state of Uttarakhand, causes devastating floods and landslides, becoming the country's worst natural disaster since the 2004 tsunami. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.