Today in News History

On July 4, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1333, Genkō War: Forces loyal to Emperor Go-Daigo seize Tōshō-ji during the Siege of Kamakura. Hōjō Takatoki and other members of the Hōjō clan commit suicide, ending the rule of the Kamakura shogunate. In 1910, The Johnson-Jeffries riots occur after African-American boxer Jack Johnson knocks out white boxer Jim Jeffries in the 15th round. Between 11 and 26 people are killed and hundreds more injured. In 1911, A massive heat wave strikes the northeastern United States, killing 380 people in eleven days and breaking temperature records in several cities. In 1941, Nazi crimes against the Polish nation: Nazi troops massacre Polish scientists and writers in the captured Ukrainian city of Lviv. In 1941, World War II: The Burning of the Riga synagogues: The Great Choral Synagogue in German-occupied Riga is burnt with 300 Jews locked in the basement. In 1942, World War II: The 250-day Siege of Sevastopol in the Crimea ends when the city falls to Axis forces. In 1946, The Kielce pogrom against Jewish Holocaust survivors in Poland. In 1977, The George Jackson Brigade plants a bomb at the main power substation for the Washington state capitol in Olympia, in solidarity with a prison strike at the Walla Walla State Penitentiary Intensive Security Unit. In 2001, Vladivostok Air Flight 352 crashes on approach to Irkutsk Airport killing all 145 people on board. In 2008, A bomb explodes at a concert in Minsk's Independence Square, injuring 50 people. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.