Today in News History

On July 13, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1690, Nine Years' War: French naval forces led by Anne Hilarion de Tourville fresh from their victory at Beachy Head sail West and launch a raid on the small English town of Teignmouth leaving it devastated. In 1794, The Battle of Trippstadt between French forces and those of Prussia and Austria begins. In 1863, American Civil War: The New York City draft riots begin three days of rioting which will later be regarded as the worst in United States history. In 1935, Jack Kemp, American football player and politician, 9th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (died 2009) was born. In 1956, The Dartmouth workshop is the first conference on artificial intelligence. In 1977, New York City: Amidst a period of financial and social turmoil experiences an electrical blackout lasting nearly 24 hours that leads to widespread fires and looting. In 1990, Lenin Peak disaster: a 6.4-magnitude earthquake in Afghanistan triggers an avalanche on Lenin Peak, killing 43 climbers in the deadliest mountaineering disaster in history. In 2007, Michael Reardon, American mountaineer (born 1965) passed away. In 2008, Battle of Wanat begins when Taliban and al-Qaeda guerrillas attack US Army and Afghan National Army troops in Afghanistan. The U.S. deaths were, at that time, the most in a single battle since the beginning of operations in 2001. In 2011, Mumbai is rocked by three bomb blasts during the evening rush hour, killing 26 and injuring 130. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.