Today in News History

On June 23, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1780, American Revolution: Battle of Springfield fought in and around Springfield, New Jersey (including Short Hills, formerly of Springfield, now of Millburn Township). In 1865, American Civil War: At Fort Towson in the Oklahoma Territory, Confederate Brigadier General Stand Watie surrenders the last significant Confederate army. In 1941, The Lithuanian Activist Front declares independence from the Soviet Union and forms the Provisional Government of Lithuania; it lasts only briefly as the Nazis will occupy Lithuania a few weeks later. In 1951, The ocean liner SS United States is christened and launched. In 1961, The Antarctic Treaty System, which sets aside Antarctica as a scientific preserve and limits military activity on the continent, its islands and ice shelves, comes into force. In 1985, A terrorist bomb explodes at Narita International Airport near Tokyo, killing two and injuring four. An hour later, the same group detonates a second bomb aboard Air India Flight 182, bringing the Boeing 747 down off the coast of Ireland killing all 329 aboard. In 1991, Sonic the Hedgehog is released in North America on the Sega Genesis platform, beginning the popular video game franchise. In 1994, NASA's Space Station Processing Facility, a new state-of-the-art manufacturing building for the International Space Station, officially opens at Kennedy Space Center. In 2013, Militants storm a high-altitude mountaineering base camp near Nanga Parbat in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, killing ten climbers and a local guide. In 2014, The last of Syria's declared chemical weapons are shipped out for destruction. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.