Today in News History

On June 24, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1908, Alfons Rebane, Estonian colonel (died 1976) was born. In 1911, Juan Manuel Fangio, Argentinian race car driver (died 1995) was born. In 1922, John Postgate, English microbiologist, author, and academic (died 2014) was born. In 1938, Ken Gray, New Zealand rugby player (died 1992) was born. In 1945, Betty Stöve, Dutch tennis player was born. In 1973, The UpStairs Lounge arson attack takes place at a gay bar located on the second floor of the three-story building at 141 Chartres Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, US. Thirty-two people die as a result of fire or smoke inhalation. In 1975, Eastern Air Lines Flight 66 encounters severe wind shear and crashes on final approach to New York's JFK Airport killing 113 of the 124 passengers on board, making it the deadliest U.S. plane crash at the time. This accident led to decades of research into downburst and microburst phenomena and their effects on aircraft. In 1980, Cicinho, Brazilian footballer was born. In 1982, "The Jakarta Incident": British Airways Flight 009 flies into a cloud of volcanic ash thrown up by the eruption of Mount Galunggung, resulting in the failure of all four engines. In 2002, The Igandu train disaster in Tanzania kills 281, the worst train accident in African history. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.