Today in News History

On July 11, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1906, Murder of Grace Brown by Chester Gillette in the United States, inspiration for Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy. In 1937, Pai Hsien-yung, Chinese-Taiwanese author was born. In 1943, Robert Malval, Haitian businessman and politician, 5th Prime Minister of Haiti was born. In 1953, Ivan Toms, South African physician and activist (died 2008) was born. In 1966, Ricky Warwick, Northern Irish musician was born. In 1973, Varig Flight 820 crashes near Paris on approach to Orly Airport, killing 123 of the 134 on board. In response, the FAA bans smoking in airplane lavatories. In 1978, Los Alfaques disaster: A truck carrying liquid gas crashes and explodes at a coastal campsite in Tarragona, Spain killing 216 tourists. In 1995, Yugoslav Wars: Srebrenica massacre begins; lasts until 22 July. In 1999, Jan Sloot, Dutch computer scientist and electronics technician (born 1945) passed away. In 2011, Ninety-eight containers of explosives self-detonate killing 13 people in Zygi, Cyprus. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.