Today in News History

On July 4, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1054, A supernova, called SN 1054, is seen by Chinese Song dynasty, Arab, and possibly Amerindian observers near the star Zeta Tauri. For several months it remains bright enough to be seen during the day. Its remnants form the Crab Nebula. In 1818, US Flag Act of 1818 goes into effect creating a 13 stripe flag with a star for each state. New stars would be added on July 4 after a new state had been admitted. In 1950, Cold War: Radio Free Europe first broadcasts. In 1977, The George Jackson Brigade plants a bomb at the main power substation for the Washington state capitol in Olympia, in solidarity with a prison strike at the Walla Walla State Penitentiary Intensive Security Unit. In 1982, Space Shuttle program: Columbia lands at Edwards Air Force Base at the end of the program's final test flight, STS-4. President Ronald Reagan declares the Space Shuttle to be operational. In 2001, Vladivostok Air Flight 352 crashes on approach to Irkutsk Airport killing all 145 people on board. In 2005, The Deep Impact collider hits the comet Tempel 1. In 2006, Space Shuttle program: Discovery launches STS-121 to the International Space Station. The event gained wide media attention as it was the only shuttle launch in the program's history to occur on the United States' Independence Day. In 2008, A bomb explodes at a concert in Minsk's Independence Square, injuring 50 people. In 2012, The discovery of particles consistent with the Higgs boson at the Large Hadron Collider is announced at CERN. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.