Today in News History

On July 8, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1283, Roger of Lauria, commanding the Aragonese fleet, defeats an Angevin fleet sent to put down a rebellion on Malta. In 1819, Francis Leopold McClintock, Irish admiral and explorer (died 1907) was born. In 1853, The Perry Expedition arrives in Edo Bay with a treaty requesting trade. In 1864, Ikedaya Incident: The Choshu Han shishi's planned Shinsengumi sabotage on Kyoto, Japan at Ikedaya. In 1879, Sailing ship USS Jeannette departs San Francisco carrying an ill-fated expedition to the North Pole. In 1892, St. John's, Newfoundland is devastated in the Great Fire of 1892. In 1898, The death of crime boss Soapy Smith, killed in the Shootout on Juneau Wharf, releases Skagway, Alaska from his iron grip. In 1965, Canadian Pacific Air Lines Flight 21 is destroyed by a bomb near 100 Mile House, Canada, killing 52. 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. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.