Today in News History

On June 17, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1571, Thomas Mun, English writer on economics (died 1641) was born. In 1665, Battle of Montes Claros: Portugal definitively secured independence from Spain in the last battle of the Portuguese Restoration War. In 1861, American Civil War: Battle of Vienna, Virginia. In 1863, American Civil War: Battle of Aldie in the Gettysburg Campaign. In 1920, Jacob H. Gilbert, American lawyer and politician (died 1981) was born. In 1940, George Akerlof, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate was born. In 1953, Cold War: East Germany Workers Uprising: In East Germany, the Soviet Union orders a division of troops into East Berlin to quell a rebellion. 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 1989, Simone Battle, American singer and actress (died 2014) was born. In 1992, A "joint understanding" agreement on arms reduction is signed by U.S. President George Bush and Russian President Boris Yeltsin (this would be later codified in START II). Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.