Today in News History

On June 26, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1541, Francisco Pizarro is assassinated in Lima by the son of his former companion and later antagonist, Diego de Almagro the younger. Almagro is later caught and executed. In 1919, George Athan Billias, American historian (died 2018) was born. In 1938, Neil Abercrombie, American sociologist and politician, 7th Governor of Hawaii was born. In 1970, Chris O'Donnell, American actor was born. In 1975, Two FBI agents and a member of the American Indian Movement are killed in a shootout on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota; Leonard Peltier is later convicted of the murders in a controversial trial. In 1976, Dave Rubin, American political commentator was born. In 1987, Carlos Iaconelli, Brazilian race car driver was born. In 2013, The U.S. Supreme Court ruled, 5-4, that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional and in violation of the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution. In 2015, Five different terrorist attacks in France, Tunisia, Somalia, Kuwait, and Syria occurred on what was dubbed Bloody Friday by international media. Upwards of 750 people were either killed or injured in these uncoordinated attacks. In 2024, Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, returns to Australia after pleading guilty to one charge of espionage in a Saipan court and subsequently being released by the United States Department of Justice. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.