Today in News History

On July 8, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1776, Church bells (possibly including the Liberty Bell) are rung after John Nixon delivers the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence of the United States. In 1864, Ikedaya Incident: The Choshu Han shishi's planned Shinsengumi sabotage on Kyoto, Japan at Ikedaya. In 1906, Philip Johnson, American architect, designed the IDS Center and PPG Place (died 2005) was born. In 1908, V. K. R. Varadaraja Rao, Indian economist, politician, professor and educator (died 1991) was born. In 1917, J. F. Powers, American novelist and short story writer (died 1999) was born. In 1947, Reports are broadcast that a UFO crash-landed in Roswell, New Mexico in what became known as the Roswell UFO incident. In 1960, Francis Gary Powers is charged with espionage resulting from his flight over the Soviet Union. In 1994, Kim Jong Il begins to assume supreme leadership of North Korea upon the death of his father, Kim Il Sung. In 1994, Kim Il Sung, North Korean commander and politician, President of North Korea (born 1912) passed away. In 2011, Space Shuttle Atlantis is launched in the final mission of the U.S. Space Shuttle program. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.