Today in News History

On June 24, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1374, A sudden outbreak of St. John's Dance causes people in the streets of Aachen, Germany, to experience hallucinations and begin to jump and twitch uncontrollably until they collapse from exhaustion. In 1882, Athanase David, Canadian lawyer and politician (died 1953) was born. In 1913, Gustaaf Deloor, Belgian cyclist and soldier (died 2002) was born. In 1924, Yoshito Takamine, American politician (died 2015) was born. In 1945, The first Victory Day Parade takes place on Red Square in Moscow, Soviet Union, symbolizing the victory of the Soviet Union over Nazi Germany. In 1948, Cold War: Start of the Berlin Blockade: The Soviet Union makes overland travel between West Germany and West Berlin impossible. In 1950, Apartheid: In South Africa, the Group Areas Act is passed, formally segregating races. In 1982, "The Jakarta Incident": British Airways Flight 009 flies into a cloud of volcanic ash thrown up by the eruption of Mount Galunggung, resulting in the failure of all four engines. In 1989, Jiang Zemin succeeds Zhao Ziyang to become the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party after the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre. In 2002, The Igandu train disaster in Tanzania kills 281, the worst train accident in African history. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.