Today in News History

On June 18, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 860, Byzantine-Rus' War: A fleet of about 200 Rus' vessels sails into the Bosphorus and starts pillaging the suburbs of the Byzantine capital Constantinople. In 1391, Tokhtamysh-Timur war: Battle of the Kondurcha River: Timur defeats Tokhtamysh of the Golden Horde in present-day southeast Russia. In 1778, American Revolutionary War: The British Army abandons Philadelphia. In 1812, The United States declaration of war upon the United Kingdom is signed by President James Madison, beginning the War of 1812. In 1945, William Joyce ("Lord Haw-Haw") is charged with treason for his pro-German propaganda broadcasting during World War II. In 1964, Uday Hussein, Iraqi commander (died 2003) was born. In 1965, Vietnam War: The United States Air Force uses B-52 bombers to attack guerrilla fighters in South Vietnam. In 1974, Sergey Sharikov, Russian fencer and coach (died 2015) was born. In 1979, SALT II is signed by the United States and the Soviet Union. In 1984, A major clash between about 5,000 police and a similar number of striking miners takes place at Orgreave, South Yorkshire, during the 1984-85 UK miners' strike. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.