Today in News History

On June 18, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1665, Battle of Montes Claros: Portugal definitively secured independence from Spain in the last battle of the Portuguese Restoration War. In 1861, American Civil War: Battle of Vienna, Virginia. In 1863, American Civil War: Battle of Aldie in the Gettysburg Campaign. In 1940, The three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania fall under the occupation of the Soviet Union. In 1940, World War II: The British Army's 11th Hussars assault and take Fort Capuzzo in Libya, Africa from Italian forces. In 1953, Cold War: East Germany Workers Uprising: In East Germany, the Soviet Union orders a division of troops into East Berlin to quell a rebellion. In 1967, Nuclear weapons testing: China announces a successful test of its first thermonuclear weapon. In 1982, Stefan Hodgetts, English racing driver was born. In 1989, Interflug Flight 102 crashes during a rejected takeoff from Berlin Schönefeld Airport, killing 21 people. In 2017, A series of wildfires in central Portugal kill at least 64 people and injure 204 others. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.