Today in News History

On June 29, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1620, English crown bans tobacco growing in England, giving the Virginia Company a monopoly in exchange for tax of one shilling per pound. In 1861, William James Mayo, American physician and surgeon, co-founded the Mayo Clinic (died 1939) was born. In 1922, France grants "one square kilometer" at Vimy Ridge "freely, and for all time, to the Government of Canada, the free use of the land exempt from all taxes". In 1932, Brian Hutton, Baron Hutton, British jurist; Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland (died 2020) was born. In 1955, Charles J. Precourt, American colonel, pilot, and astronaut was born. 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 1974, Mikhail Baryshnikov defects from the Soviet Union to Canada while on tour with the Kirov Ballet. 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. In 2007, Apple Inc. releases its first mobile phone, the iPhone. In 2015, Hisham Barakat, Egyptian lawyer and judge (born 1950) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.