Today in News History

On June 17, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1898, Harry Patch, English soldier and firefighter (died 2009) was born. In 1898, Joe McKelvey, Executed Irish republican (died 1922) was born. In 1932, John Murtha, American colonel and politician (died 2010) was born. In 1933, Union Station massacre: In Kansas City, Missouri, four FBI agents and captured fugitive Frank Nash are gunned down by gangsters attempting to free Nash. In 1940, World War II: RMS Lancastria is attacked and sunk by the Luftwaffe near Saint-Nazaire, France. At least 3,000 are killed in Britain's worst maritime disaster. In 1943, Burt Rutan, American engineer and pilot was born. In 1948, United Airlines Flight 624, a Douglas DC-6, crashes near Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania, killing all 43 people on board. In 1963, A day after South Vietnamese President Ngô Đình Diệm announced the Joint Communiqué to end the Buddhist crisis, a riot involving around 2,000 people breaks out. One person is killed. 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 1989, Interflug Flight 102 crashes during a rejected takeoff from Berlin Schönefeld Airport, killing 21 people. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.