Today in News History

On June 24, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1374, A sudden outbreak of St. John's Dance causes people in the streets of Aachen, Germany, to experience hallucinations and begin to jump and twitch uncontrollably until they collapse from exhaustion. In 1842, Ambrose Bierce, American short story writer, essayist, and journalist (died 1914) was born. In 1867, Ruth Randall Edström, American educator and activist (died 1944) was born. In 1881, George Shiels, Irish-Canadian author, poet, and playwright (died 1949) was born. In 1917, Joan Clarke, English cryptanalyst and numismatist (died 1996) was born. In 1918, Mildred Ladner Thompson, American journalist and author (died 2013) was born. In 1937, Anita Desai, Indian-American author and academic was born. In 1938, Lawrence Block, American author was born. In 1950, Apartheid: In South Africa, the Group Areas Act is passed, formally segregating races. In 1961, Ralph E. Reed, Jr., American journalist and activist was born. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.