Today in News History

On June 21, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 533, A Byzantine expeditionary fleet under Belisarios sails from Constantinople to attack the Vandals in Africa, via Greece and Sicily. In 1824, Greek War of Independence: Egyptian forces capture Psara in the Aegean Sea. In 1864, Heinrich Wölfflin, Swiss historian and critic (died 1945) was born. In 1919, Admiral Ludwig von Reuter scuttles the German fleet at Scapa Flow, Orkney. The nine sailors killed are the last casualties of World War I. In 1924, Pontus Hultén, Swedish art collector and historian (died 2006) was born. In 1942, World War II: A Japanese submarine surfaces near the Columbia River in Oregon, firing 17 shells at Fort Stevens in one of only a handful of attacks by Japan against the United States mainland. In 1945, World War II: The Battle of Okinawa ends when the organized resistance of Imperial Japanese Army forces collapses in the Mabuni area on the southern tip of the main island. In 1953, Augustus Pablo, Jamaican producer and musician (died 1999) was born. In 1993, Hungrybox, Argentine-American esports player was born. In 2012, A boat carrying more than 200 migrants capsizes in the Indian Ocean between the Indonesian island of Java and Christmas Island, killing 17 people and leaving 70 others missing. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.