Today in News History

On June 24, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1894, Assassination of the French President, Sadi Carnot by Sante Caserio during the Ère des attentats (1892-1894). In 1922, John Postgate, English microbiologist, author, and academic (died 2014) was born. In 1930, Donald Gordon, South African businessman and philanthropist (died 2019) was born. 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 1960, Venezuelan President Rómulo Betancourt is injured in an assassination attempt. In 1975, Eastern Air Lines Flight 66 encounters severe wind shear and crashes on final approach to New York's JFK Airport killing 113 of the 124 passengers on board, making it the deadliest U.S. plane crash at the time. This accident led to decades of research into downburst and microburst phenomena and their effects on aircraft. In 1994, A Boeing B-52 Stratofortress crashes at Fairchild Air Force Base near Spokane, Washington, killing four. In 2002, The Igandu train disaster in Tanzania kills 281, the worst train accident in African history. In 2021, The Champlain Towers South condominium in Surfside, Florida suffers a sudden partial collapse, killing 98 people inside. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.