Today in News History

On July 6, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1854, The Republican Party of the United States held its first convention in Jackson, Michigan. In 1892, Three thousand eight hundred striking steelworkers engage in a day-long battle with Pinkerton agents during the Homestead Strike, leaving ten dead and dozens wounded. In 1944, The Hartford circus fire, one of America's worst fire disasters, kills approximately 168 people and injures over 700 in Hartford, Connecticut. In 1946, George W. Bush, American businessman and politician, 43rd President of the United States was born. In 1957, Phil Mallow, American politician was born. In 1982, While attempting to return to Sheremetyevo International Airport, Aeroflot Flight 411, an Ilyushin Il-62, crashes near Mendeleyevo, Moscow Oblast, killing all 90 people on board. In 1987, Elli Stenberg, Finnish politician (born 1903) passed away. In 1988, The Piper Alpha drilling platform in the North Sea is destroyed by explosions and fires. One hundred sixty-seven oil workers are killed, making it the world's worst offshore oil disaster in terms of direct loss of life. In 1997, The Troubles: In response to the Drumcree dispute, five days of mass protests, riots and gun battles begin in Irish nationalist districts of Northern Ireland. In 2013, A 73-car oil train derails in the town of Lac-Mégantic, Quebec and explodes into flames, killing at least 47 people and destroying more than 30 buildings in the town's central area. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.