Today in News History

On June 19, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1542, Leo Jud, Swiss theologian and reformer (born 1482) passed away. In 1865, Evangelos Zappas, Greek-Romanian businessman and philanthropist (born 1800) passed away. In 1903, Benito Mussolini, at the time a radical Socialist, is arrested by Bern police for advocating a violent general strike. In 1917, Joshua Nkomo, Zimbabwean guerrilla leader and politician, Vice President of Zimbabwe (died 1999) was born. In 1951, Ayman al-Zawahiri, Egyptian terrorist (died 2022) was born. In 1986, Lázaro Borges, Cuban pole vaulter was born. In 1987, Basque separatist group ETA commits one of its most violent attacks, in which a bomb is set off in a supermarket, Hipercor, killing 21 and injuring 45. In 2007, The al-Khilani Mosque bombing in Baghdad leaves 78 people dead and another 218 injured. In 2009, Mass riots involving over 10,000 people and 10,000 police officers break out in Shishou, China, over the dubious circumstances surrounding the death of a local chef. In 2012, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange requests asylum in London's Ecuadorian Embassy for fear of extradition to the US after publication of previously classified documents including footage of civilian killings by the US army. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.