Today in News History

On July 11, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1576, While exploring the North Atlantic Ocean in an attempt to find the Northwest Passage, Martin Frobisher sights Greenland, mistaking it for the hypothesized (but non-existent) island of "Frisland". In 1897, Salomon August Andrée leaves Spitsbergen to attempt to reach the North Pole by balloon. In 1912, William F. Walsh, American captain and politician, 48th Mayor of Syracuse (died 2011) was born. In 1924, Eric Liddell won the gold medal in 400m at the 1924 Paris Olympics, after refusing to run in the heats for 100m, his favoured distance, on a Sunday. In 1963, Al MacInnis, Canadian ice hockey player and coach was born. In 1974, Hermann Hreiðarsson, Icelandic footballer and manager was born. In 1983, Ross Macdonald, American-Canadian author (born 1915) passed away. In 1983, Peter Cincotti, American singer-songwriter and pianist was born. In 1990, Oka Crisis: First Nations land dispute in Quebec begins. In 2021, Richard Branson becomes the first civilian to be launched into space via his Virgin Galactic spacecraft. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.