Today in News History

On July 9, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1577, Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr, English-American soldier and politician, Colonial Governor of Virginia (died 1618) was born. In 1776, George Washington orders the Declaration of Independence to be read out to members of the Continental Army in Manhattan, while thousands of British troops on Staten Island prepare for the Battle of Long Island. In 1887, Samuel Eliot Morison, American admiral and historian (died 1976) was born. In 1932, Donald Rumsfeld, American captain and politician, 13th United States Secretary of Defense (died 2021) was born. In 1940, David B. Frohnmayer, American lawyer and politician, 12th Oregon Attorney General (died 2015) was born. In 1943, World War II: The Allied invasion of Sicily begins, leading to the downfall of Mussolini and forcing Hitler to break off the Battle of Kursk. In 1944, World War II: American forces take Saipan, bringing the Japanese archipelago within range of B-29 raids, and causing the downfall of the Tojo government. In 1944, World War II: Continuation War: Finland wins the Battle of Tali-Ihantala, the largest battle ever fought in northern Europe. The Red Army withdraws its troops from Ihantala and digs into a defensive position, thus ending the Vyborg-Petrozavodsk Offensive. In 1955, The Russell-Einstein Manifesto calls for a reduction of the risk of nuclear warfare. 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. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.