Today in News History

On July 1, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1766, François-Jean de la Barre, a young French nobleman, is tortured and beheaded before his body is burnt on a pyre along with a copy of Voltaire's Dictionnaire philosophique nailed to his torso for the crime of not saluting a Roman Catholic religious procession in Abbeville, France. In 1917, Chinese General Zhang Xun seizes control of Beijing and restores the monarchy, installing Puyi, last emperor of the Qing dynasty, to the throne. The restoration is reversed just shy of two weeks later, when Republican troops regain control of the capital. In 1921, The Chinese Communist Party is founded by Chen Duxiu and Li Dazhao, with the help of the Far Eastern Bureau of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (Bolsheviks), who seized power in Russia after the 1917 October Revolution, and the Far Eastern Secretariat of the Communist International. In 1955, Li Keqiang, Chinese economist and politician, 7th Premier of the People's Republic of China (died 2023) was born. In 1963, The British Government admits that former diplomat Kim Philby had worked as a Soviet agent. In 1983, The Ministry of State Security is established as China's principal intelligence agency. In 1997, China resumes sovereignty over the city-state of Hong Kong, ending 156 years of British colonial rule. The handover ceremony is attended by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Charles, Prince of Wales, Chinese President Jiang Zemin and U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. In 2002, The International Criminal Court is established to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression. In 2003, Over 500,000 people protest against efforts to pass anti-sedition legislation in Hong Kong. In 2006, The first operation of Qinghai-Tibet Railway is conducted in China. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.