Today in News History

On June 20, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1921, Byron Farwell, American historian and author (died 1999) was born. In 1926, Rehavam Ze'evi, Israeli general and politician, 9th Israeli Minister of Tourism (died 2001) was born. In 1942, The Holocaust: Kazimierz Piechowski and three others, dressed as members of the SS-Totenkopfverbände, steal an SS staff car and escape from the Auschwitz concentration camp. In 1944, World War II: During the Continuation War, the Soviet Union demands unconditional surrender from Finland during the beginning of partially successful Vyborg-Petrozavodsk Offensive. The Finnish government refuses. In 1946, Xanana Gusmão, Timorese soldier and politician, 1st President of East Timor was born. In 1960, The Mali Federation gains independence from France (it later splits into Mali and Senegal). In 1963, Following the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Soviet Union and the United States sign an agreement to establish the so-called "red telephone" link between Washington, D.C., and Moscow. In 1982, The International Conference on the Holocaust and Genocide opens in Tel Aviv, despite attempts by the Turkish government to cancel it, as it included presentations on the Armenian genocide. In 1988, Haitian president Leslie Manigat is ousted from power in a coup d'état led by Lieutenant General Henri Namphy. In 1994, The 1994 Imam Reza shrine bomb explosion in Iran leaves at least 25 dead and 70 to 300 injured. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.