Today in News History

On June 29, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1170, A major earthquake hits Syria, badly damaging towns such as Hama and Shaizar and structures such as the Krak des Chevaliers and the cathedral of St. Peter in Antioch. In 1889, Hyde Park and several other Illinois townships vote to be annexed by Chicago, forming the largest United States city in area and second largest in population at the time. In 1916, British diplomat turned Irish nationalist Roger Casement is sentenced to death for his part in the Easter Rising. In 1932, Brian Hutton, Baron Hutton, British jurist; Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland (died 2020) 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 1972, A Convair CV-580 and De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter collide above Lake Winnebago near Appleton, Wisconsin, killing 13. In 1995, The Sampoong Department Store collapses in the Seocho District of Seoul, South Korea, killing 502 and injuring 937. In 2002, Naval clashes between South Korea and North Korea lead to the death of six South Korean sailors and sinking of a North Korean vessel. In 2006, Hamdan v. Rumsfeld: The U.S. Supreme Court rules that President George W. Bush's plan to try Guantanamo Bay detainees in military tribunals violates U.S. and international law. In 2014, The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant self-declares its caliphate in Syria and northern Iraq. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.