Today in News History

On June 20, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1180, First Battle of Uji, starting the Genpei War in Japan. In 1761, Jacob Hübner, German entomologist and author (died 1826) was born. In 1942, The Holocaust: Kazimierz Piechowski and three others, dressed as members of the SS-Totenkopfverbände, steal an SS staff car and escape from the Auschwitz concentration camp. In 1956, Peter Reid, English footballer and manager was born. In 1975, The film Jaws is released in the United States, becoming the highest-grossing film of that time and starting the trend of films known as "summer blockbusters". In 1982, The International Conference on the Holocaust and Genocide opens in Tel Aviv, despite attempts by the Turkish government to cancel it, as it included presentations on the Armenian genocide. In 1990, Asteroid Eureka is discovered. In 1994, The 1994 Imam Reza shrine bomb explosion in Iran leaves at least 25 dead and 70 to 300 injured. In 2019, Iran's Air Defense Forces shoot down an American surveillance drone over the Strait of Hormuz amid rising tensions between the two countries. In 2024, Donald Sutherland, Canadian actor and producer (born 1935) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.