Today in News History

On July 5, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1852, Frederick Douglass delivers his "What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?" speech in Rochester, New York. In 1865, The United States Secret Service begins operation. In 1915, The Liberty Bell leaves Philadelphia by special train on its way to the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. This is the last trip outside Philadelphia that the custodians of the bell intend to permit. In 1934, "Bloody Thursday": The police open fire on striking longshoremen in San Francisco. In 1943, World War II: An Allied invasion fleet sails for Sicily (Operation Husky, July 10, 1943). In 1943, World War II: German forces begin a massive offensive against the Soviet Union at the Battle of Kursk, also known as Operation Citadel. In 1970, Air Canada Flight 621 crashes in Brampton, Ontario, Canada, killing all 109 people on board. In 1973, A boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion (BLEVE) in Kingman, Arizona, following a fire that broke out as propane was being transferred from a railroad car to a storage tank, kills eleven firefighters. In 2003, The World Health Organization announces that the 2002-2004 SARS outbreak has been contained. In 2009, A series of violent riots break out in Ürümqi, the capital city of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.