Today in News History

On June 19, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1845, Cléophas Beausoleil, Canadian journalist and politician (died 1904) was born. In 1896, Rajani Palme Dutt, English journalist and politician (died 1974) was born. In 1914, Alan Cranston, American journalist and politician (died 2000) was born. In 1921, The village of Knockcroghery, Ireland, is burned by British forces. In 1950, Neil Asher Silberman, American archaeologist and historian 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 2004, Clayton Kirkpatrick, journalist and newspaper editor (born 1915) passed away. 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 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.