Today in News History

On July 7, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1124, The city of Tyre falls to the Venetian Crusade after a siege of nineteen weeks. In 1807, The first Treaty of Tilsit between France and Russia is signed, ending hostilities between the two countries in the War of the Fourth Coalition. In 1863, The United States begins its first military draft; exemptions cost $300. 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 1941, The US occupation of Iceland replaces the UK's occupation. In 1944, World War II: Largest Banzai charge of the Pacific War at the Battle of Saipan. In 1960, Kevin A. Ford, American colonel and astronaut was born. In 1983, Cold War: Samantha Smith, a US schoolgirl, flies to the Soviet Union at the invitation of Secretary General Yuri Andropov. In 1991, Yugoslav Wars: The Brioni Agreement ends the ten-day independence war in Slovenia against the rest of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. In 2017, The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was adopted with 122 countries voting in favour. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.