Today in News History

On June 27, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1636, Date Masamune, Japanese strongman (born 1567) passed away. In 1869, Kate Carew, American illustrator and journalist (died 1961) was born. In 1911, Marion M. Magruder, American Marine officer, commander of the VMF(N)-533 squadron (died 1997) was born. In 1927, Prime Minister of Japan Tanaka Giichi convenes an eleven-day conference to discuss Japan's strategy in China. The Tanaka Memorial, a forged plan for world domination, is later claimed to be a secret report leaked from this conference. In 1937, Kirkpatrick Sale, American author and scholar was born. In 1980, The 'Ustica massacre': Itavia Flight 870 crashes in the sea while en route from Bologna to Palermo, Italy, killing all 81 on board. In 1982, Space Shuttle Columbia launched from the Kennedy Space Center on the final research and development flight mission, STS-4. In 1988, Villa Tunari massacre: Bolivian anti-narcotics police kill nine to 12 and injure over a hundred protesting coca-growing peasants. In 1993, Johanna Talihärm, Estonian biathlete was born. In 2005, Shelby Foote, American historian and author (born 1916) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.