Today in News History

On July 13, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1770, Alexander Balashov, Russian general and politician, Russian Minister of Police (died 1837) was born. In 1794, The Battle of Trippstadt between French forces and those of Prussia and Austria begins. In 1894, Isaac Babel, Russian short story writer, journalist, and playwright (died 1940) was born. In 1929, Sofia Muratova, Russian gymnast (died 2006) was born. In 1934, Aleksei Yeliseyev, Russian engineer and astronaut was born. In 1941, World War II: Montenegrins begin the Trinaestojulski ustanak (Thirteenth of July Uprising), a popular revolt against the Axis powers. In 1969, Oleg Serebrian, Moldovan political scientist and politician was born. In 1985, Vice President George H. W. Bush becomes the Acting President for the day when President Ronald Reagan undergoes surgery to remove polyps from his colon. In 1990, Lenin Peak disaster: a 6.4-magnitude earthquake in Afghanistan triggers an avalanche on Lenin Peak, killing 43 climbers in the deadliest mountaineering disaster in history. In 2008, Battle of Wanat begins when Taliban and al-Qaeda guerrillas attack US Army and Afghan National Army troops in Afghanistan. The U.S. deaths were, at that time, the most in a single battle since the beginning of operations in 2001. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.