Today in News History

On June 19, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1417, Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta, lord of Rimini (died 1468) was born. In 1586, English colonists leave Roanoke Island, after failing to establish England's first permanent settlement in North America. In 1850, Princess Louise of the Netherlands marries Crown Prince Karl of Sweden-Norway. In 1921, The village of Knockcroghery, Ireland, is burned by British forces. In 1942, Merata Mita, New Zealand director and producer (died 2010) was born. In 1954, Lou Pearlman, American music producer and fraudster (died 2016) was born. In 1960, Andrew Dilnot, English economist and academic was born. In 1978, Zoe Saldana, American actress was born. In 1987, Basque separatist group ETA commits one of its most violent attacks, in which a bomb is set off in a supermarket, Hipercor, killing 21 and injuring 45. In 2012, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange requests asylum in London's Ecuadorian Embassy for fear of extradition to the US after publication of previously classified documents including footage of civilian killings by the US army. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.