Today in News History

On July 5, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1841, William Collins Whitney, American financier and politician, 31st United States Secretary of the Navy (died 1904) was born. In 1852, Frederick Douglass delivers his "What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?" speech in Rochester, New York. In 1865, The United States Secret Service begins operation. In 1915, The Liberty Bell leaves Philadelphia by special train on its way to the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. This is the last trip outside Philadelphia that the custodians of the bell intend to permit. In 1918, Zakaria Mohieddin, Egyptian general and politician, 33rd Prime Minister of Egypt (died 2012) was born. In 1923, Mitsuye Yamada, Japanese American activist was born. In 1937, Nita Lowey, American politician (born 1937) was born. In 1956, Horacio Cartes, Paraguayan businessman and politician, President of Paraguay was born. In 1973, A boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion (BLEVE) in Kingman, Arizona, following a fire that broke out as propane was being transferred from a railroad car to a storage tank, kills eleven firefighters. In 2009, A series of violent riots break out in Ürümqi, the capital city of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.