Today in News History

On June 24, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1856, Henry Chapman Mercer, American archaeologist and author (died 1930) was born. In 1898, Armin Öpik, Estonian-Australian paleontologist and geologist (died 1983) was born. In 1912, Brian Johnston, English sportscaster and author (died 1994) was born. In 1940, Ian Ross, Australian newsreader (died 2014) was born. In 1942, Colin Groves, Australian academician and educator (died 2017) was born. In 1947, Kenneth Arnold makes the first widely reported UFO sighting near Mount Rainier, Washington. In 1950, Bob Carlos Clarke, Irish-born English photographer (died 2006) was born. In 1982, "The Jakarta Incident": British Airways Flight 009 flies into a cloud of volcanic ash thrown up by the eruption of Mount Galunggung, resulting in the failure of all four engines. In 2013, Mick Aston, English archaeologist and academic (born 1946) passed away. In 2021, The Champlain Towers South condominium in Surfside, Florida suffers a sudden partial collapse, killing 98 people inside. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.