Today in News History

On June 20, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1876, Nigel Gresley, Scottish-English engineer (died 1941) was born. In 1903, Benito Mussolini, at the time a radical Socialist, is arrested by Bern police for advocating a violent general strike. In 1921, The village of Knockcroghery, Ireland, is burned by British forces. In 1947, Pan Am Flight 121 crashes in the Syrian Desert near Mayadin, Syria, killing 15 and injuring 21. In 1980, Robbie Neilson, Scottish footballer and manager was born. In 1987, Aeroflot Flight N-528 crashes at Berdiansk Airport in present-day Ukraine, killing eight people. In 1987, Basque separatist group ETA commits one of its most violent attacks, in which a bomb is set off in a supermarket, Hipercor, killing 21 and injuring 45. In 2007, The al-Khilani Mosque bombing in Baghdad leaves 78 people dead and another 218 injured. In 2009, Mass riots involving over 10,000 people and 10,000 police officers break out in Shishou, China, over the dubious circumstances surrounding the death of a local chef. In 2012, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange requests asylum in London's Ecuadorian Embassy for fear of extradition to the US after publication of previously classified documents including footage of civilian killings by the US army. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.