Today in News History

On June 26, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 684, Pope Benedict II is the last pope to require confirmation by the Byzantine emperor before taking office. In 1928, Bill Sheffield, American politician; 5th Governor of Alaska (died 2022) was born. In 1930, Wolfgang Schwanitz, East German secret police (died 2022) was born. In 1939, Zainuddin Maidin, Malaysian politician (died 2018) was born. In 1946, Yōsuke Matsuoka, Japanese politician, Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs (born 1880) passed away. In 1979, Akwasi Afrifa, Ghanaian soldier and politician, 3rd Head of State of Ghana (born 1936) passed away. In 1997, The U.S. Supreme Court rules that the Communications Decency Act violates the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. In 2006, Mari Alkatiri, the first Prime Minister of East Timor, resigns after weeks of political unrest. In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI reinstates the traditional laws of papal election in which a successful candidate must receive two-thirds of the votes. In 2008, A suicide bomber dressed as an Iraqi policeman detonates an explosive vest, killing 25 people. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.