Today in News History

On July 9, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 551, A major earthquake strikes Beirut, triggering a devastating tsunami that affects the coastal towns of Byzantine Phoenicia, causing thousands of deaths. In 1850, Persian prophet Báb is executed in Tabriz, Persia. In 1932, Donald Rumsfeld, American captain and politician, 13th United States Secretary of Defense (died 2021) was born. In 1948, Hassan Wirajuda, Indonesian lawyer and politician, 15th Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs was born. In 1955, The Russell-Einstein Manifesto calls for a reduction of the risk of nuclear warfare. In 1979, A car bomb destroys a Renault motor car owned by "Nazi hunters" Serge and Beate Klarsfeld outside their home in France in an unsuccessful assassination attempt. In 1999, Days of student protests begin after Iranian police and hardliners attack a student dormitory at the University of Tehran. In 2004, The Senate Report on Iraqi WMD Intelligence is released by the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, casting doubt on the rationale for the Iraq War. In 2006, One hundred and twenty-five people are killed when S7 Airlines Flight 778, an Airbus A310 passenger jet, veers off the runway while landing in wet conditions at Irkutsk Airport in Siberia. In 2015, Saud bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Arabian economist and politician, Saudi Arabian Minister of Foreign Affairs (born 1940) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.