Today in News History

On June 19, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1747, Nader Shah, Persian leader (born 1688) passed away. In 1917, Joshua Nkomo, Zimbabwean guerrilla leader and politician, Vice President of Zimbabwe (died 1999) was born. In 1945, Radovan Karadžić, Serbian-Bosnian politician and convicted war criminal, 1st President of Republika Srpska was born. In 1951, Ayman al-Zawahiri, Egyptian terrorist (died 2022) was born. In 1957, Subcomandante Marcos, Mexican insurgent and EZLN leader was born. In 1977, Ali Shariati, Iranian sociologist and philosopher (born 1933) passed away. In 1985, Members of the Revolutionary Party of Central American Workers, dressed as Salvadoran soldiers, attack the Zona Rosa area of San Salvador. In 2007, Ze'ev Schiff, Israeli journalist and author (born 1932) passed away. In 2009, War in North-West Pakistan: The Pakistani Armed Forces open Operation Rah-e-Nijat against the Taliban and other Islamist rebels in the South Waziristan area of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. In 2012, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange requests asylum in London's Ecuadorian Embassy for fear of extradition to the US after publication of previously classified documents including footage of civilian killings by the US army. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.