Today in News History

On June 16, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1811, Survivors of an attack the previous day by Tla-o-qui-aht on board the Pacific Fur Company's ship Tonquin, intentionally detonate a powder magazine on the ship, destroying it and killing about 100 attackers. In 1850, William Lawson, English-Australian explorer and politician (born 1774) passed away. In 1884, The first purpose-built roller coaster, LaMarcus Adna Thompson's "Switchback Railway", opens in New York's Coney Island amusement park. In 1940, Neil Goldschmidt, American lawyer and politician, 33rd Governor of Oregon (died 2024) was born. In 1950, Michel Clair, Canadian lawyer and politician was born. In 1951, Charlie Dominici, American singer and guitarist (died 2023) was born. In 1955, In a futile effort to topple Argentine President Juan Perón, rogue aircraft pilots of the Argentine Navy drop several bombs upon an unarmed crowd demonstrating in favor of Perón in Buenos Aires, killing 364 and injuring at least 800. At the same time on the ground, some soldiers attempt to stage a coup but are suppressed by loyal forces. In 1963, The Sandman, American wrestler was born. In 2013, A multi-day cloudburst, centered on the North Indian state of Uttarakhand, causes devastating floods and landslides, becoming the country's worst natural disaster since the 2004 tsunami. In 2019, Upwards of 2,000,000 people participate in the 2019-20 Hong Kong protests, the largest in Hong Kong's history. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.