Today in News History

On June 29, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1170, A major earthquake hits Syria, badly damaging towns such as Hama and Shaizar and structures such as the Krak des Chevaliers and the cathedral of St. Peter in Antioch. In 1764, One of the strongest tornadoes in history strikes Woldegk, Germany, killing one person while leveling numerous mansions with winds estimated greater than 300 miles per hour (480 km/h). In 1893, Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis, Indian economist and statistician (died 1972) was born. In 1932, Brian Hutton, Baron Hutton, British jurist; Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland (died 2020) was born. In 1955, Charles J. Precourt, American colonel, pilot, and astronaut was born. In 1972, The United States Supreme Court rules in the case Furman v. Georgia that arbitrary and inconsistent imposition of the death penalty violates the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments and constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. In 2006, Hamdan v. Rumsfeld: The U.S. Supreme Court rules that President George W. Bush's plan to try Guantanamo Bay detainees in military tribunals violates U.S. and international law. In 2007, Joel Siegel, American journalist and critic (born 1943) passed away. In 2007, Apple Inc. releases its first mobile phone, the iPhone. In 2015, Hisham Barakat, Egyptian lawyer and judge (born 1950) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.