Today in News History

On July 13, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1863, American Civil War: The New York City draft riots begin three days of rioting which will later be regarded as the worst in United States history. In 1896, August Kekulé, German chemist and academic (born 1829) passed away. In 1913, The 1913 Romanian Army cholera outbreak during the Second Balkan War starts. In 1923, Ashley Bryan, American children's book author and illustrator (died 2022) was born. In 1932, Hubert Reeves, Canadian-French astrophysicist and author (died 2023) was born. In 1945, Ashley Mallett, Australian cricketer and author (died 2021) was born. In 1970, Andrei Tivontchik, German pole vaulter and trainer was born. In 1977, New York City: Amidst a period of financial and social turmoil experiences an electrical blackout lasting nearly 24 hours that leads to widespread fires and looting. In 1983, Liu Xiang, Chinese hurdler was born. In 1990, Lenin Peak disaster: a 6.4-magnitude earthquake in Afghanistan triggers an avalanche on Lenin Peak, killing 43 climbers in the deadliest mountaineering disaster in history. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.