Today in News History

On June 19, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1718, At least 73,000 people died in the 1718 Tongwei-Gansu earthquake due to landslides in the Qing dynasty. In 1731, Joaquim Machado de Castro, Portuguese sculptor (died 1822) was born. In 1914, Alan Cranston, American journalist and politician (died 2000) was born. In 1917, Joshua Nkomo, Zimbabwean guerrilla leader and politician, Vice President of Zimbabwe (died 1999) was born. In 1951, Ayman al-Zawahiri, Egyptian terrorist (died 2022) 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 2007, The al-Khilani Mosque bombing in Baghdad leaves 78 people dead and another 218 injured. In 2009, Mass riots involving over 10,000 people and 10,000 police officers break out in Shishou, China, over the dubious circumstances surrounding the death of a local chef. In 2010, Carlos Monsiváis, Mexican writer, journalist and political activist (born 1938) passed away. 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.