Today in News History

On July 7, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1798, As a result of the XYZ Affair, the US Congress rescinds the Treaty of Alliance with France sparking the "Quasi-War". In 1863, The United States begins its first military draft; exemptions cost $300. In 1922, James D. Hughes, American Air Force lieutenant general (died 2024) was born. In 1923, Whitney North Seymour Jr., American politician (died 2019) was born. In 1960, Kevin A. Ford, American colonel and astronaut was born. In 1976, Vasily Petrenko, Russian conductor was born. In 1983, Cold War: Samantha Smith, a US schoolgirl, flies to the Soviet Union at the invitation of Secretary General Yuri Andropov. In 1997, The Turkish Armed Forces withdraw from northern Iraq after assisting the Kurdistan Democratic Party in the Iraqi Kurdish Civil War. In 2007, Donald Michie, British scientist (born 1923) passed away. In 2016, Ex-US Army soldier Micah Xavier Johnson shoots fourteen policemen during an anti-police protest in downtown Dallas, Texas, killing five of them. He is subsequently killed by a robot-delivered bomb. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.