Today in News History

On July 2, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1820, George Law Curry, American publisher and politician, 5th Governor of the Oregon Territory (died 1878) was born. In 1823, Bahia Independence Day: The end of Portuguese rule in Brazil, with the final defeat of the Portuguese crown loyalists in the province of Bahia. In 1840, A Ms 7.4 earthquake strikes present-day Turkey and Armenia; combined with the effects of an eruption on Mount Ararat, kills 10,000 people. In 1881, Charles J. Guiteau shoots and fatally wounds U.S. President James A. Garfield (who will die of complications from his wounds on September 19). In 1890, The U.S. Congress passes the Sherman Antitrust Act. In 1990, In the 1990 Mecca tunnel tragedy, 1,400 Muslim pilgrims are suffocated to death and trampled upon in a pedestrian tunnel leading to the holy city of Mecca. In 1990, Kayla Harrison, American judoka was born. In 1997, The Bank of Thailand floats the baht, triggering the Asian financial crisis. In 2010, The South Kivu tank truck explosion in the Democratic Republic of the Congo kills at least 230 people. In 2024, A stampede during a religious event in Uttar Pradesh, India, leaves at least 121 people dead and 150 others injured. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.