Today in News History

On July 8, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1709, Peter I of Russia defeats Charles XII of Sweden at the Battle of Poltava, thus effectively ending Sweden's status as a major power in Europe. In 1716, The Battle of Dynekilen forces Sweden to abandon its invasion of Norway. In 1895, Igor Tamm, Russian physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1971) was born. In 1905, Leonid Amalrik, Russian animator and director (died 1997) was born. In 1957, Aleksandr Gurnov, Russian journalist and author was born. In 1960, Francis Gary Powers is charged with espionage resulting from his flight over the Soviet Union. In 1964, Alexei Gusarov, Russian ice hockey player and manager was born. In 1972, Israeli Mossad assassinate Palestinian writer Ghassan Kanafani. In 1980, Aeroflot Flight 4225 crashes near Almaty International Airport in the then Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic (present day Kazakhstan) killing all 166 people on board. In 1981, Anastasia Myskina, Russian tennis player was born. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.