Today in News History

On July 7, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1520, Spanish conquistadores defeat a larger Aztec army at the Battle of Otumba. In 1790, François Hemsterhuis, Dutch philosopher and author (born 1721) passed away. In 1846, US troops occupy Monterey and Yerba Buena, thus beginning the US conquest of California. In 1917, Fidel Sánchez Hernández, Salvadoran general and politician, President of El Salvador (died 2003) was born. In 1937, The Marco Polo Bridge Incident (Lugou Bridge) provides the Imperial Japanese Army with a pretext for starting the Second Sino-Japanese War (China-Japan War). In 1944, World War II: Largest Banzai charge of the Pacific War at the Battle of Saipan. In 1953, Ernesto "Che" Guevara sets out on a trip through Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, and El Salvador. In 1962, Alitalia Flight 771 crashes in Junnar, Maharashtra, India, killing 94 people. In 1990, Cazuza, Brazilian singer and songwriter (born 1958) passed away. In 2006, Juan de Ávalos, Spanish sculptor (born 1911) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.