Today in News History

On July 4, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1584, Philip Amadas and Arthur Barlowe arrive at Roanoke Island. In 1790, George Everest, Welsh geographer and surveyor (died 1866) was born. In 1845, Henry David Thoreau moves into a small cabin on Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. Thoreau's account of his two years there, Walden, will become a touchstone of the environmental movement. In 1879, Anglo-Zulu War: The Zululand capital of Ulundi is captured by British troops and burned to the ground, ending the war and forcing King Cetshwayo to flee. In 1898, En route from New York to Le Havre, the SS La Bourgogne collides with another ship and sinks off the coast of Sable Island, with the loss of 549 lives. In 1918, World War I: The Battle of Hamel, a successful attack by the Australian Corps against German positions near the town of Le Hamel on the Western Front. In 1937, Eric Walters, Australian journalist (died 2010) was born. In 1997, NASA's Pathfinder space probe lands on the surface of Mars. In 2002, A Boeing 707 crashes near Bangui M'Poko International Airport in Bangui, Central African Republic, killing 28. In 2006, Space Shuttle program: Discovery launches STS-121 to the International Space Station. The event gained wide media attention as it was the only shuttle launch in the program's history to occur on the United States' Independence Day. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.