Today in News History

On June 26, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 684, Pope Benedict II is the last pope to require confirmation by the Byzantine emperor before taking office. In 1409, Western Schism: The Roman Catholic Church is led into a double schism as Petros Philargos is crowned Pope Alexander V after the Council of Pisa, joining Pope Gregory XII in Rome and Pope Benedict XIII in Avignon. In 1487, John Argyropoulos, Byzantine philosopher and scholar (born 1415) passed away. In 1936, Jean-Claude Turcotte, Canadian cardinal (died 2015) was born. In 1941, World War II: Soviet planes bomb Kassa, Hungary (now Košice, Slovakia), giving Hungary the impetus to declare war the next day. In 1944, World War II: The Battle of Osuchy in Osuchy, Poland, one of the largest battles between Nazi Germany and Polish resistance forces, ends with the defeat of the latter. In 1948, Cold War: The first supply flights are made in response to the Berlin Blockade. In 1963, Cold War: U.S. President John F. Kennedy gave his "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech, underlining the support of the United States for democratic West Germany shortly after Soviet-supported East Germany erected the Berlin Wall. In 1967, Karol Wojtyła (later John Paul II) made a cardinal by Pope Paul VI. In 1991, Yugoslav Wars: The Yugoslav People's Army begins the Ten-Day War in Slovenia. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.