Today in News History

On July 8, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1909, Ike Petersen, American football player (died 1995) was born. In 1915, Neil D. Van Sickle, American Air Force major general (died 2019) was born. In 1917, J. F. Powers, American novelist and short story writer (died 1999) was born. In 1918, Paul B. Fay, American businessman, soldier, and diplomat, 12th United States Secretary of the Navy (died 2009) was born. In 1918, Edward B. Giller, American Major General (died 2017) was born. In 1942, Refik Saydam, Turkish physician and politician, 5th Prime Minister of Turkey (born 1881) passed away. In 1945, Micheline Calmy-Rey, Swiss politician, 91st President of the Swiss Confederation was born. In 1961, Ces Drilon, Filipino journalist was born. In 1982, A failed assassination attempt against Iraqi president Saddam Hussein results in the Dujail Massacre over the next several months. In 1994, Kim Jong Il begins to assume supreme leadership of North Korea upon the death of his father, Kim Il Sung. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.