Today in News History

On June 26, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1579, Livonian campaign of Stephen Báthory begins. In 1723, After a siege and bombardment by cannon, Baku surrenders to the Russians. In 1740, A combined force of Spanish, free blacks and allied Indians defeat a British garrison at the Siege of Fort Mose near St. Augustine during the War of Jenkins' Ear. In 1794, French Revolutionary Wars: Battle of Fleurus marks the first successful military use of aircraft and turns the tide of the War of the First Coalition. In 1824, William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin, Irish-Scottish physicist and engineer (died 1907) was born. In 1923, Ed Bearss, American military historian and author (died 2020) was born. In 1941, World War II: Soviet planes bomb Kassa, Hungary (now Košice, Slovakia), giving Hungary the impetus to declare war the next day. In 1948, Cold War: The first supply flights are made in response to the Berlin Blockade. In 1981, Dan-Air Flight 240, flying to East Midlands Airport, crashes in Nailstone, Leicestershire. All three crew members perish. In 2015, Five different terrorist attacks in France, Tunisia, Somalia, Kuwait, and Syria occurred on what was dubbed Bloody Friday by international media. Upwards of 750 people were either killed or injured in these uncoordinated attacks. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.