Today in News History

On June 17, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1795, The burghers of Swellendam expel the Dutch East India Company magistrate and declare a republic. In 1839, Lord William Bentinck, English general and politician, 14th Governor-General of India (born 1774) passed away. In 1900, Boxer Rebellion: Western Allied and Japanese forces capture the Taku Forts in Tianjin, China. In 1940, The three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania fall under the occupation of the Soviet Union. In 1953, Cold War: East Germany Workers Uprising: In East Germany, the Soviet Union orders a division of troops into East Berlin to quell a rebellion. In 1953, Vernon Coaker, English educator and politician, Shadow Secretary of State for Defence was born. In 1967, Nuclear weapons testing: China announces a successful test of its first thermonuclear weapon. In 1981, Richard O'Connor, Indian-English general (born 1889) passed away. In 1985, Space Shuttle program: STS-51-G mission: Space Shuttle Discovery launches carrying Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the first Arab and first Muslim in space, as a payload specialist. In 1992, A "joint understanding" agreement on arms reduction is signed by U.S. President George Bush and Russian President Boris Yeltsin (this would be later codified in START II). Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.