Today in News History

On June 21, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1860, William Dobinson Halliburton, British physiologist and biochemist (died 1931) was born. In 1864, American Civil War: The Battle of Jerusalem Plank Road begins. In 1896, Charles Momsen, American admiral, invented the Momsen lung (died 1967) was born. In 1940, World War II: Italy begins an unsuccessful invasion of France. In 1942, World War II: A Japanese submarine surfaces near the Columbia River in Oregon, firing 17 shells at Fort Stevens in one of only a handful of attacks by Japan against the United States mainland. In 1982, John Hinckley is found not guilty by reason of insanity for the attempted assassination of U.S. President Ronald Reagan. In 1985, Braathens SAFE Flight 139 is hijacked on approach to Oslo Airport, Fornebu. Special forces arrest the hijacker and there are no fatalities. In 1992, Hussein El Shahat, Egyptian professional footballer was born. In 2001, A federal grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia, indicts 13 Saudis and a Lebanese in the 1996 bombing of the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia that killed 19 American servicemen. In 2004, SpaceShipOne becomes the first privately funded spaceplane to achieve spaceflight. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.