Today in News History

On June 30, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1860, The 1860 Oxford evolution debate at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History takes place. In 1864, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln grants Yosemite Valley to California for "public use, resort and recreation". In 1886, The first transcontinental train trip across Canada departs from Montreal, Quebec. It arrives in Port Moody, British Columbia on July 4. In 1900, A savage fire wrecked three steamships docked at a pier in Hoboken, New Jersey. Over 200 crew members and passengers are killed, and hundreds injured. In 1906, The United States Congress passes the Meat Inspection Act and Pure Food and Drug Act. In 1908, The Tunguska Event, the largest impact event on Earth in human recorded history, resulting in a massive explosion over Eastern Siberia. In 1934, The Night of the Long Knives, Adolf Hitler's violent purge of his political rivals in Germany, takes place. In 1944, World War II: The Battle of Cherbourg ends with the fall of the strategically valuable port to American forces. In 1964, Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg was born. In 2007, A Jeep Cherokee filled with propane canisters drives into the entrance of Glasgow Airport, Scotland in a failed terrorist attack. This was linked to the 2007 London car bombs that had taken place the day before. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.