Today in News History

On July 2, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1839, Twenty miles off the coast of Cuba, 53 kidnapped Africans led by Joseph Cinqué mutiny and take over the slave ship Amistad. In 1952, Sylvia Rivera, American transgender rights activist (died 2002) was born. In 1970, Jessie Street, Australian suffragette and feminist (born 1889) passed away. In 1975, Kristen Michal, Estonian lawyer and politician was born. In 1986, Rodrigo Rojas and Carmen Gloria Quintana are burnt alive during a street demonstration against the dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet in Chile. In 1990, In the 1990 Mecca tunnel tragedy, 1,400 Muslim pilgrims are suffocated to death and trampled upon in a pedestrian tunnel leading to the holy city of Mecca. In 1992, Madison Chock, American ice dancer was born. In 1994, Derrick White, American basketball player was born. In 2008, Colombian conflict: Íngrid Betancourt, a member of the Chamber of Representatives of Colombia, is released from captivity after being held for six and a half years by FARC. In 2010, The South Kivu tank truck explosion in the Democratic Republic of the Congo kills at least 230 people. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.