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 1856, Henry Chapman Mercer, American archaeologist and author (died 1930) was born. In 1888, Gerrit Rietveld, Dutch architect, designed the Rietveld Schröder House (died 1964) was born. In 1917, David Easton, Canadian-American political scientist and academic (died 2014) was born. In 1924, Yoshito Takamine, American politician (died 2015) was born. In 1963, Mike Wieringo, American author and illustrator (died 2007) was born. In 1973, The UpStairs Lounge arson attack takes place at a gay bar located on the second floor of the three-story building at 141 Chartres Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, US. Thirty-two people die as a result of fire or smoke inhalation. In 1989, Jiang Zemin succeeds Zhao Ziyang to become the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party after the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre. 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.