Today in News History

On July 5, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1852, Frederick Douglass delivers his "What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?" speech in Rochester, New York. In 1953, David Morrow, Australian radio host and sportscaster (died 2024) 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 1984, The United States Supreme Court gives its United States v. Leon decision providing a good-faith exception from the Fourth Amendment exclusionary rule against use of evidence obtained through defective warrants in criminal trials. In 1999, U.S. President Bill Clinton imposes trade and economic sanctions against the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. In 2003, The World Health Organization announces that the 2002-2004 SARS outbreak has been contained. In 2006, North Korea tests four short-range missiles, one medium-range missile and a long-range Taepodong-2. The long-range Taepodong-2 reportedly fails in mid-air over the Sea of Japan. In 2009, A series of violent riots break out in Ürümqi, the capital city of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China. In 2022, British government ministers Sajid Javid and Rishi Sunak resign from the second Johnson ministry, beginning the July 2022 United Kingdom government crisis. In 2024, Jon Landau, American film producer (born 1960) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.