Today in News History

On July 2, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 626, Li Shimin, the future Emperor Taizong of Tang, ambushes and kills his rival brothers Li Yuanji and Li Jiancheng in the Xuanwu Gate Incident. In 1881, Charles J. Guiteau shoots and fatally wounds U.S. President James A. Garfield (who will die of complications from his wounds on September 19). In 1942, Vicente Fox, Mexican businessman and politician, 35th President of Mexico was born. In 1954, Chris Huhne, English journalist and politician, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change was born. In 1986, Aeroflot Flight 2306 crashes while attempting an emergency landing at Syktyvkar Airport in Syktyvkar, in present-day Komi Republic, Russia, killing 54 people. In 1994, USAir Flight 1016 crashes near Charlotte Douglas International Airport, killing 37 of the 57 people on board. In 1997, The Bank of Thailand floats the baht, triggering the Asian financial crisis. In 2000, Vicente Fox Quesada is elected the first President of México from an opposition party, the Partido Acción Nacional, after more than 70 years of continuous rule by the Partido Revolucionario Institucional. In 2012, Julian Goodman, American journalist (born 1922) passed away. In 2015, Jacobo Zabludovsky, Mexican journalist (born 1928) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.