Today in News History

On June 28, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1778, American Revolutionary War: The American Continentals engage the British in the Battle of Monmouth Courthouse resulting in standstill and British withdrawal under cover of darkness. In 1938, S. Sivamaharajah, Sri Lankan Tamil newspaper publisher and politician (died 2006) was born. In 1942, World War II: Nazi Germany starts its strategic summer offensive against the Soviet Union, codenamed Case Blue. In 1948, Cold War: The Tito-Stalin Split results in the expulsion of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia from the Cominform. In 1950, Korean War: Packed with its own refugees fleeing Seoul and leaving their 5th Division stranded, South Korean forces blow up the Hangang Bridge in an attempt to slow North Korea's offensive. The city falls later that day. In 1950, Korean War: The Korean People's Army kills almost a thousand doctors, nurses, inpatient civilians and wounded soldiers in the Seoul National University Hospital massacre. In 1981, A powerful bomb explodes in Tehran, killing 73 officials of the Islamic Republican Party. In 1987, For the first time in military history, a civilian population is targeted for chemical attack when Iraqi warplanes bombed the Iranian town of Sardasht. In 1989, On the 600th anniversary of the Battle of Kosovo, Slobodan Milošević delivers the Gazimestan speech at the site of the historic battle. In 2004, Iraq War: Sovereign power is handed to the interim government of Iraq by the Coalition Provisional Authority, ending the U.S.-led rule of that nation. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.