Today in News History

On July 4, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1744, The Treaty of Lancaster, in which the Iroquois cede lands between the Allegheny Mountains and the Ohio River to the British colonies, was signed in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. In 1774, Orangetown Resolutions are adopted in the Province of New York, one of many protests against the British Parliament's Coercive Acts. In 1776, American Revolution: The United States Declaration of Independence is adopted by the Second Continental Congress. In 1845, Henry David Thoreau moves into a small cabin on Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. Thoreau's account of his two years there, Walden, will become a touchstone of the environmental movement. In 1886, Tom Longboat, Canadian runner and soldier (died 1949) was born. In 1898, En route from New York to Le Havre, the SS La Bourgogne collides with another ship and sinks off the coast of Sable Island, with the loss of 549 lives. In 1951, Cold War: A court in Czechoslovakia sentences American journalist William N. Oatis to ten years in prison on charges of espionage. In 1958, Vera Leth, Greenlandic Ombudsman was born. In 1971, Thomas C. Hart, American admiral and politician (born 1877) passed away. In 2004, The cornerstone of the Freedom Tower is laid on the World Trade Center site in New York City. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.