Today in News History

On June 17, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1861, American Civil War: Battle of Vienna, Virginia. In 1863, American Civil War: Battle of Aldie in the Gettysburg Campaign. In 1900, Boxer Rebellion: Western Allied and Japanese forces capture the Taku Forts in Tianjin, China. In 1930, U.S. President Herbert Hoover signs the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act into law. In 1940, The three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania fall under the occupation of the Soviet Union. In 1942, Roger Steffens, American actor and producer was born. In 1953, Cold War: East Germany Workers Uprising: In East Germany, the Soviet Union orders a division of troops into East Berlin to quell a rebellion. In 1966, Mohammed Ghazy Al-Akhras, Iraqi journalist and author was born. In 1971, U.S. President Richard Nixon in a televised press conference called drug abuse "America's public enemy number one", starting the War on drugs. In 1992, A "joint understanding" agreement on arms reduction is signed by U.S. President George Bush and Russian President Boris Yeltsin (this would be later codified in START II). Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.