Today in News History

On July 8, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1099, Some 15,000 starving Christian soldiers begin the siege of Jerusalem by marching in a religious procession around the city as its Muslim defenders watch. In 1730, An estimated magnitude 8.7 earthquake causes a tsunami that damages more than 1,000 km (620 mi) of Chile's coastline. In 1908, V. K. R. Varadaraja Rao, Indian economist, politician, professor and educator (died 1991) was born. In 1914, Jyoti Basu, Indian politician, 6th Chief Minister of West Bengal (died 2010) was born. In 1949, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, Indian politician, 14th Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh (died 2009) was born. In 1966, King Mwambutsa IV Bangiriceng of Burundi is deposed by his son Prince Charles Ndizi. In 1980, Aeroflot Flight 4225 crashes near Almaty International Airport in the then Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic (present day Kazakhstan) killing all 166 people on board. In 1988, The Island Express train travelling from Bangalore to Kanyakumari derails on the Peruman bridge and falls into Ashtamudi Lake, Kerala in India killing 105 passengers and injuring over 200 more. In 1993, Abul Hasan Jashori, Bangladeshi Islamic scholar and freedom fighter (born 1918) passed away. In 2007, Chandra Shekhar, Indian lawyer and politician, 9th Prime Minister of India (born 1927) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.