Today in News History

On June 21, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1864, Heinrich Wölfflin, Swiss historian and critic (died 1945) was born. In 1898, The United States captures Guam from Spain. The few warning shots fired by the U.S. naval vessels are misinterpreted as salutes by the Spanish garrison, which was unaware that the two nations were at war. In 1924, Ezzatolah Entezami, Iranian actor (died 2018) was born. In 1942, World War II: A Japanese submarine surfaces near the Columbia River in Oregon, firing 17 shells at Fort Stevens in one of only a handful of attacks by Japan against the United States mainland. In 1947, Shirin Ebadi, Iranian lawyer, judge, and activist, Nobel Prize laureate was born. In 1973, The Primer Congreso del Hombre Andino is inaugurated in Arica, Chile. In 1982, John Hinckley is found not guilty by reason of insanity for the attempted assassination of U.S. President Ronald Reagan. In 1985, Braathens SAFE Flight 139 is hijacked on approach to Oslo Airport, Fornebu. Special forces arrest the hijacker and there are no fatalities. In 2000, Alan Hovhaness, Armenian-American pianist and composer (born 1911) passed away. In 2001, Soad Hosny, Egyptian actress and singer (born 1942) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.