Today in News History

On July 6, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1884, Harold Stirling Vanderbilt, American businessman and sailor (died 1970) was born. In 1892, Three thousand eight hundred striking steelworkers engage in a day-long battle with Pinkerton agents during the Homestead Strike, leaving ten dead and dozens wounded. In 1919, The British dirigible R34 lands in New York, completing the first crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by an airship. In 1939, Bruce Hunter, American swimmer (died 2018) was born. In 1940, Story Bridge, a major landmark in Brisbane, as well as Australia's longest cantilever bridge is formally opened. In 1944, The Hartford circus fire, one of America's worst fire disasters, kills approximately 168 people and injures over 700 in Hartford, Connecticut. In 1988, The Piper Alpha drilling platform in the North Sea is destroyed by explosions and fires. One hundred sixty-seven oil workers are killed, making it the world's worst offshore oil disaster in terms of direct loss of life. In 1989, The Tel Aviv-Jerusalem bus 405 suicide attack: Sixteen bus passengers are killed when a member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad took control of the bus and drove it over a cliff. In 1997, The Troubles: In response to the Drumcree dispute, five days of mass protests, riots and gun battles begin in Irish nationalist districts of Northern Ireland. In 2013, A Boeing 777 operating as Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crashes at San Francisco International Airport, killing three and injuring 181 of the 307 people on board. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.