Today in News History

On June 17, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1631, Mumtaz Mahal dies during childbirth. Her husband, Mughal emperor Shah Jahan I, will spend the next 17 years building her mausoleum, the Taj Mahal. In 1898, Harry Patch, English soldier and firefighter (died 2009) was born. In 1922, Portuguese naval aviators Gago Coutinho and Sacadura Cabral complete the first aerial crossing of the South Atlantic. In 1925, Alexander Shulgin, American pharmacologist and chemist (died 2014) was born. In 1937, Clodovil Hernandes, Brazilian fashion designer, television presenter and politician (died 2009) was born. In 1953, Cold War: East Germany Workers Uprising: In East Germany, the Soviet Union orders a division of troops into East Berlin to quell a rebellion. In 1971, U.S. President Richard Nixon in a televised press conference called drug abuse "America's public enemy number one", starting the War on drugs. In 2007, Gianfranco Ferré, Italian fashion designer (born 1944) passed away. In 2014, Arnold S. Relman, American physician and academic (born 1923) passed away. In 2017, A series of wildfires in central Portugal kill at least 64 people and injure 204 others. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.