Today in News History

On June 21, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 533, A Byzantine expeditionary fleet under Belisarios sails from Constantinople to attack the Vandals in Africa, via Greece and Sicily. In 1824, Greek War of Independence: Egyptian forces capture Psara in the Aegean Sea. In 1826, Maniots defeat Egyptians under Ibrahim Pasha in the Battle of Vergas. In 1910, Aleksandr Tvardovsky, Russian poet and author (died 1971) was born. In 1919, The Royal Canadian Mounted Police fire a volley into a crowd of unemployed war veterans, killing two, during the Winnipeg general strike. In 1942, World War II: A Japanese submarine surfaces near the Columbia River in Oregon, firing 17 shells at Fort Stevens in one of only a handful of attacks by Japan against the United States mainland. In 1962, Viktor Tsoi, Russian singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 1990) was born. In 1979, Kostas Katsouranis, Greek footballer was born. In 2001, A federal grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia, indicts 13 Saudis and a Lebanese in the 1996 bombing of the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia that killed 19 American servicemen. In 2001, Alexandra Obolentseva, Russian chess player was born. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.