Today in News History

On July 9, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 551, A major earthquake strikes Beirut, triggering a devastating tsunami that affects the coastal towns of Byzantine Phoenicia, causing thousands of deaths. In 1745, French victory in the Battle of Melle allows them to capture Ghent in the days after. In 1789, In Versailles, the National Assembly reconstitutes itself as the National Constituent Assembly and begins preparations for a French constitution. In 1815, Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord becomes the first Prime Minister of France. In 1918, Nicolaas Govert de Bruijn, Dutch mathematician and academic (died 2012) was born. In 1951, Māris Gailis, Latvian politician, businessman, and former Prime Minister of Latvia was born. In 1962, Georges Bataille, French philosopher, novelist, and poet (born 1897) passed away. In 1979, A car bomb destroys a Renault motor car owned by "Nazi hunters" Serge and Beate Klarsfeld outside their home in France in an unsuccessful assassination attempt. In 1982, Pan Am Flight 759 crashes in Kenner, Louisiana, killing all 145 people on board and eight others on the ground. In 2004, The Senate Report on Iraqi WMD Intelligence is released by the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, casting doubt on the rationale for the Iraq War. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.