Today in News History

On July 11, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1864, American Civil War: Battle of Fort Stevens; Confederate forces attempt to invade Washington, D.C. In 1916, Alexander Prokhorov, Australian-Russian physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2002) was born. In 1934, Engelbert Zaschka of Germany flies his large human-powered aircraft, the Zaschka Human-Power Aircraft, about 20 meters at Berlin Tempelhof Airport without assisted take-off. In 1957, Patsy O'Hara, Irish Republican hunger striker (died 1981) was born. In 1970, Sajjad Karim, English lawyer and politician was born. In 1977, Martin Luther King Jr., assassinated in 1968, is awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 1978, Los Alfaques disaster: A truck carrying liquid gas crashes and explodes at a coastal campsite in Tarragona, Spain killing 216 tourists. In 1991, Nigeria Airways Flight 2120 crashes in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, killing all 261 passengers and crew on board. In 2006, Mumbai train bombings: 209 people are killed in a series of bomb attacks in Mumbai, India. In 2011, Ninety-eight containers of explosives self-detonate killing 13 people in Zygi, Cyprus. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.