Today in News History

On July 4, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1941, Nazi crimes against the Polish nation: Nazi troops massacre Polish scientists and writers in the captured Ukrainian city of Lviv. In 1942, World War II: The 250-day Siege of Sevastopol in the Crimea ends when the city falls to Axis forces. In 1951, Cold War: A court in Czechoslovakia sentences American journalist William N. Oatis to ten years in prison on charges of espionage. In 1976, Israeli commandos raid Entebbe airport in Uganda, rescuing all but four of the passengers and crew of an Air France jetliner seized by Palestinian terrorists. In 1982, Three Iranian diplomats and a journalist are kidnapped in Lebanon by Phalange forces, and their fate remains unknown. In 1998, Japan launches the Nozomi probe to Mars, joining the United States and Russia as a space exploring nation. In 2001, Vladivostok Air Flight 352 crashes on approach to Irkutsk Airport killing all 145 people on board. In 2008, A bomb explodes at a concert in Minsk's Independence Square, injuring 50 people. In 2009, The Statue of Liberty's crown reopens to the public after eight years of closure due to security concerns following the September 11 attacks. In 2017, Daniil Granin, Soviet and Russian author (born 1919) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.