Today in News History

On June 29, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1864, At least 99 people, mostly German and Polish immigrants, are killed in Canada's worst railway disaster after a train fails to stop for an open drawbridge and plunges into the Rivière Richelieu near St-Hilaire, Quebec. In 1897, Fulgence Charpentier, Canadian journalist and publisher (died 2001) was born. In 1911, Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld (died 2004) was born. In 1915, The North Saskatchewan River flood of 1915 is the worst flood in Edmonton history. In 1931, Nérée Beauchemin, Canadian poet and physician (born 1850) passed away. In 1948, Usha Prashar, Baroness Prashar, Kenyan-English politician was born. In 1972, The United States Supreme Court rules in the case Furman v. Georgia that arbitrary and inconsistent imposition of the death penalty violates the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments and constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. In 1995, The Sampoong Department Store collapses in the Seocho District of Seoul, South Korea, killing 502 and injuring 937. In 2012, A derecho sweeps across the eastern United States, leaving at least 22 people dead and millions without power. In 2018, Steve Ditko, American comic writer and illustrator (born 1927) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.