Today in News History

On July 10, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1212, The most severe of several early fires of London burns most of the city to the ground. In 1897, Legs Diamond, American gangster (died 1931) was born. In 1921, Belfast's Bloody Sunday occurs with 20 killings, at least 100 wounded and 200 homes destroyed during rioting and gun battles in Belfast, Northern Ireland. In 1921, Harvey Ball, American illustrator, created the Smiley (died 2001) was born. In 1940, World War II: Six days before Adolf Hitler issues his Directive 16 to the combined Wehrmacht armed forces for Operation Sea Lion, the Kanalkampf shipping attacks begin against British maritime convoys in the leadup to initiating the Battle of Britain. In 1951, Korean War: Armistice negotiations begin at Kaesong. In 1985, The Greenpeace vessel Rainbow Warrior is bombed and sunk in Auckland harbour by French DGSE agents, killing Fernando Pereira. In 1991, A Beechcraft Model 99 crashes near Birmingham Municipal Airport (now Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport) in Birmingham, Alabama, killing 13 of the 15 people on board. In 2002, The Massacre of the Innocents, a painting by Peter Paul Rubens, is sold at a Sotheby's auction for £49.5 million (US$76.2 million) to Lord Thomson. In 2017, Iraqi Civil War: Mosul is declared fully liberated from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant by the government of Iraq. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.