Today in News History

On July 1, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 552, Battle of Taginae: Byzantine forces under Narses defeat the Ostrogoths in Italy, and the Ostrogoth king, Totila, is mortally wounded. In 1766, François-Jean de la Barre, a young French nobleman, is tortured and beheaded before his body is burnt on a pyre along with a copy of Voltaire's Dictionnaire philosophique nailed to his torso for the crime of not saluting a Roman Catholic religious procession in Abbeville, France. In 1808, Ygnacio del Valle, Mexican-American landowner (died 1880) was born. In 1917, Álvaro Domecq y Díez, Spanish aristocrat (died 2005) was born. In 1918, Pedro Yap, Filipino lawyer (died 2003) was born. In 1918, Ahmed Deedat, South African writer and public speaker (died 2005) was born. In 1919, Malik Dohan al-Hassan, Iraqi politician (died 2021) was born. In 1921, Seretse Khama, Batswana lawyer and politician, 1st President of Botswana (died 1980) was born. In 1999, Sola Sierra, Chilean human rights activist (born 1935) passed away. In 2002, The International Criminal Court is established to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.