Today in News History

On June 29, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1644, Charles I of England defeats a Parliamentarian detachment at the Battle of Cropredy Bridge. In 1807, Russo-Turkish War: Admiral Dmitry Senyavin destroys the Ottoman fleet in the Battle of Athos. In 1858, George Washington Goethals, American general and engineer, co-designed the Panama Canal (died 1928) was born. In 1886, Robert Schuman, Luxembourgian-French lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of France (died 1963) was born. In 1950, Korean War: U.S. President Harry S. Truman authorizes a sea blockade of Korea. In 1956, The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 is signed by U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, officially creating the United States Interstate Highway System. In 1972, The United States Supreme Court rules in the case Furman v. Georgia that arbitrary and inconsistent imposition of the death penalty violates the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments and constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. In 1976, The Conference of Communist and Workers Parties of Europe convenes in East Berlin. In 1976, The Seychelles become independent from the United Kingdom. In 2006, Hamdan v. Rumsfeld: The U.S. Supreme Court rules that President George W. Bush's plan to try Guantanamo Bay detainees in military tribunals violates U.S. and international law. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.