Today in News History

On June 17, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1839, Lord William Bentinck, English general and politician, 14th Governor-General of India (born 1774) passed away. In 1985, Space Shuttle program: STS-51-G mission: Space Shuttle Discovery launches carrying Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the first Arab and first Muslim in space, as a payload specialist. In 1985, Rafael Sóbis, Brazilian footballer was born. In 1987, Kendrick Lamar, American rapper was born. In 1992, A "joint understanding" agreement on arms reduction is signed by U.S. President George Bush and Russian President Boris Yeltsin (this would be later codified in START II). In 1997, KJ Apa, New Zealand actor was born. In 2012, Fauzia Wahab, Pakistani actress and politician (born 1956) passed away. In 2014, Éric Dewailly, Canadian epidemiologist and academic (born 1954) passed away. In 2015, Süleyman Demirel, Turkish engineer and politician, 9th President of Turkey (born 1924) passed away. In 2021, Juneteenth National Independence Day, was signed into law by President Joe Biden, to become the first federal holiday established since Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.