Today in News History

On June 29, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1170, A major earthquake hits Syria, badly damaging towns such as Hama and Shaizar and structures such as the Krak des Chevaliers and the cathedral of St. Peter in Antioch. In 1444, Skanderbeg defeats an Ottoman invasion force at Torvioll. In 1807, Russo-Turkish War: Admiral Dmitry Senyavin destroys the Ottoman fleet in the Battle of Athos. In 1889, Hyde Park and several other Illinois townships vote to be annexed by Chicago, forming the largest United States city in area and second largest in population at the time. In 1931, Sevim Burak, Turkish author (died 1983) was born. In 1972, The United States Supreme Court rules in the case Furman v. Georgia that arbitrary and inconsistent imposition of the death penalty violates the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments and constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. In 1999, Karekin I, Syrian-Armenian patriarch (born 1950) passed away. In 2002, Naval clashes between South Korea and North Korea lead to the death of six South Korean sailors and sinking of a North Korean vessel. In 2006, Hamdan v. Rumsfeld: The U.S. Supreme Court rules that President George W. Bush's plan to try Guantanamo Bay detainees in military tribunals violates U.S. and international law. In 2014, The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant self-declares its caliphate in Syria and northern Iraq. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.