Today in News History

On June 20, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1787, Oliver Ellsworth moves at the Federal Convention to call the government the 'United States'. In 1885, Andrzej Gawroński, Polish linguist and academic (died 1927) was born. In 1945, The United States Secretary of State approves the transfer of Wernher von Braun and his team of Nazi rocket scientists to the U.S. under Operation Paperclip. In 1963, Following the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Soviet Union and the United States sign an agreement to establish the so-called "red telephone" link between Washington, D.C., and Moscow. 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, The 7.4 Mw Manjil-Rudbar earthquake affects northern Iran with a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme), killing 35,000-50,000, and injuring 60,000-105,000. In 1994, The 1994 Imam Reza shrine bomb explosion in Iran leaves at least 25 dead and 70 to 300 injured. In 2003, The Wikimedia Foundation is founded in St. Petersburg, Florida. In 2005, Larry Collins, American journalist, historian, and author (born 1929) passed away. 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. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.