Today in Labor History June 27, 2026

 Emma Goldman

Emma Goldman, women’s rights activist and radical, was born in Lithuania. She came to the US at age 17. – 1869

The Bureau of Labor, which will become the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), was established. Today, the BLS is a governmental agency that collects, processes, analyzes, and disseminates statistical data on employment, labor, and economics. – 1884

The Industrial Workers of the World, also known as the “Wobblies,” the radical syndicalist union, was founded at Brand’s Hall, in Chicago, Illinois. The Wobblies advocated for industrial unionism, with all workers in a particular industry organized in the same union, as opposed by the trade unions typical today. The Wobblies motto was, “An injury to one is an injury to all.” – 1905

Congress passed the Wagner Act, authored by Senator Robert Wagner of New York. Also known as the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), the legislation created the structure for collective bargaining in the United States. – 1935

A 26-day strike of New York City hotels by 26,000 workers, the first such walkout in 50 years, ended with a five-year contract calling for big wage and benefit gains. – 1985

A.E. Staley locked out 763 workers in Decatur, Illinois. The lockout lasted two and one-half years. – 1993

In a 5-4 decision, a conservative Supreme Court of the United States ruled in Janus V AFSCME that fair share payments by public employees violate the First Amendment of the Constitution, Free Speech. This decision allows people who disagree with paying fair share payments to the union can become freeloaders and get all the benefits of the union. – 2018

Important Events From This day in History June 27

 

 

1957 Great Britain Smoking and Lung Cancer Linked

1957 : A report by the British Medical Research Council has found there is a direct link between smoking and lung cancer, and the British government will launch an educational campaign to raise awareness on the dangers of smoking. Tobacco firms who sell cigarettes have rejected the findings saying they are merely a 'matter of opinion'.

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1998 UK Diana Memorial Concert Althorp

1998 : A concert at Althorp where Princess Diana is buried raises substantial sums for the Princess Diana memorial fund, stars performing at the concert include Chris de Burgh, David Hasselhoff, Jasper Carrott, Jimmy Ruffin, Julian Lloyd Webber, The Royal Academy of Music and Sir Cliff Richard.

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1929 U.S.A. New Immigration Laws

1929 : New Immigration laws come into place next week with an increased number of immigrants from England and Ireland but decreases from many other countries in Latin America and Mexico where many of the quotas are already used up for the year.

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1940 World War II Enigma Machine

1940 : Germany started using their most sophisticated coding machine, Enigma, to transmit information and a team in England headed by some of the best mathematical brains set about breaking the code, and by the time of the German invasion of Poland the code was broken and all messages that the Germans still believed were secure were decoded by the allies.

1944 Cherbourg Liberated By Allies

1944 : Allied forces liberate Cherbourg as the first step to liberating France and the beginning of the end for World War II.

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1957 Nigeria Promised Independence

1957 : Nigeria is the largest colony in the commonwealth that does not have independence and the British Government has promised independence after free elections have been held in Nigeria.

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1976 Sudan Ebola Virus

1976 : The world’s first recorded Ebola virus epidemic begins making its way through the area. By the time the epidemic is over, 284 cases are reported, with about half of the victims dying from the disease.

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1985 U.S.A. Supreme Court Ruling

1985 : The Supreme Court invalidated a Connecticut law stating that workers had the right not to work on their chosen religious day off. This was done in an effort to make sure that the government remains neutral regarding the subject of religion.

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1986 U.S.A. Nicaragua

1986 : The United Nations International Court of Justice has found the United States guilty of violating international law by training, arming and financing armed paramilitary Contra rebels in Nicaragua.

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1991 Slovenia Yugoslav Troops

1991 : Following Slovenia declaring independence Yugoslav tanks, troops and aircraft sweep into the republic of Slovenia, seizing control of border crossing points with Italy, Austria and Hungary and gaining control of other strategic areas of the country to crush the uprising.

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1998 KKK Marches In Jasper, Texas

1998 : Three men who are linked to the KKK have been arrested and charged with the murder of James Byrd and members of the activist Black Panthers group are marching in protest to members of the Ku Klux Klan staging a demonstration in the Texan town of Jasper. Racial tensions in the town are continuing following the racially motivated murder of James Byrd three weeks ago.

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2002 Canada G8 Summit

2002 : Leaders of the world's richest nations meeting at the G8 summit in Canada have agreed to promote economic and political development in Africa. They have agreed to fund the military regional intervention force to help stop wars and civil wars on the continent which cause many of the problems in the area. They have also agreed to fund a program to eradicate polio. The other important announcement is the increase of debt relief for poorest countries by $1bn.

Saturday Morning in the Blogosphere

 

Navigating the generational news gap - E&P Magazine

After the flood — remembering a tragedy from one year ago - Poynter

Why today’s media sellers must become trusted advisors - E&P Reports

Meet the TikTok news creator making science and history accessible - Journalism UK

Nearly 400 local newspapers sue OpenAI, Microsoft over alleged copyright theft - New Jersey Globe

Today in Labor History June 26, 2026

 Armed soldiers pose with locomotive during the Pullman Strike

The American Railway Union launched a boycott of all trains carrying Pullman cars, turning the Pullman strike into a national strike which was eventually crushed by federal troops and by lack of support from the more conservative American Federation of Labor. Strike leader Eugene V. Debs was imprisoned and many workers were blacklisted for their involvement. – 1894

The Bisbee, Arizona IWW (Industrial Workers of the World) miner strike occurred on this date. On July 12, 1,300 strikers, their supporters, and innocent bystanders were illegally deported from Bisbee by 2,000 vigilantes. They traveled over 200 miles in cattle cars, without food or water for 16 hours. – 1917

The St. Lawrence Seaway officially opened. The joint project between the US and Canada employed 22,000 workers to build the 2,342-mile waterway system linking the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. – 1959

Important Events From This day in History June 26

 

 

1963 JFK VISITS GERMANY

1963 : President John F. Kennedy expresses solidarity with democratic German citizens in a speech in front of the Berlin Wall that separated Berlin into west Berlin and East Berlin, he declared to the crowd, “Ich bin ein Berliner” or “I am also a citizen of Berlin.”

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1948 GERMANY SOVIET BLOCKADE

1948 : In response to the Soviet blockade of land routes into West Berlin, the United States begins a massive airlift of food, water, and medicine to the citizens of West Berlin supplies from British and American planes sustained the over 2 million people in West Berlin for close to 12 months.

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1906 FRANCE FRENCH GRAND PRIX

1906 : The first French Grand Prix the first race of it's kind to be held anywhere was staged in Le Mans, This was the forerunner to the current Grand Prix raced throughout the world today.

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1930 US BROTHERHOOD BANK CLOSES

1930 : A Sudden run on the Brotherhood local bank in Ohio forces bank to close, this is happening all over the country as more are taking money out of their local bank due to concerns and is the 8th bank in the State of Ohio in the last 2 weeks to close it's doors.

1933 U.S.A. "THE KRAFT MUSIC HALL"

1933 : "The Kraft Music Hall" debuted on NBC radio. The ever-popular radio show ran for 16 years and featured some of the most popular entertainment names of its day.

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1945 UNITED NATIONS CHARTER

1945 : Delegates from 50 nations sign the United Nations Charter, establishing the world body as a means of helping to stop another World War happening.

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1956 NATIONAL INTERSTATE AND DEFENSE HIGHWAYS ACT

1956 : Congress passes the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act for the construction of 41,000 miles of Interstate Highways over a 20-year period, it was the largest public works project in American history to that point, The federal government paid 90% of the construction costs and States paid for 10%.

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1959 U.S.A. ST. LAWRENCE SEAWAY

1959 : The St. Lawrence Seaway has it's official opening when the Royal Yacht Britannia with The Queen representing Canada and US President Dwight D Eisenhower from the United States formally open The St. Lawrence Seaway, creating a navigational channel from the Atlantic Ocean to all the Great Lakes. The seaway, made up of a system of canals, locks, and dredged waterways, extends a distance of nearly 2,500 miles, from the Atlantic Ocean through the Gulf of St. Lawrence to Duluth, Minnesota, on Lake Superior.

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1960 CUBA/US IMPORTS END

1960 : Congress is planning to cut the amount of sugar imported from Cuba and in retaliation Castro has stated Cuba will seize US assets , meanwhile in Cuba campaigns of sabotage against the Castro Regime continue to grow with attacks on the rail system.

Friday Morning in the Blogosphere

 

The Overlook, betting on boots-on-the-ground journalism - E&P Magazine

Oil Prices and Lessons for the Press from a Failure of Expertise - Second Rough Draft

Lenfest connects local newsrooms with the expertise they need to grow - E&P Magazine

Journalism now starts with a scroll: Creating visual complements to reporting - E&P Magazine

Important Events From This day in History June 25

 

 

1876 U.S.A. Custers Last Stand

1876 : Custer's Last Stand during the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Six hundred men of The U.S. Seventh Cavalry led by George Armstrong Custer, were attacked by 3,000 native American Indians consisting mostly of Sioux and Cheyenne led by Crazy Horse, within one hour of the attack every last one of the soldiers were dead.

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1938 U.S.A. Swastika

1938 : Problems with Native American Indian businesses using the Swastika which is an Indian symbol of good luck and predates the modern world including the use of the swastika buy the Nazi Party in Germany is causing those Indian businesses to stop displaying the sign due to people believing it stands for the Nazis.

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1928 U.S.A. Jewish National Home

1928 : The Jewish community in the United States has pledged to raise $3,000,000 each year for the next 5 years to rebuild Palestine as a Jewish National Home.

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1943 World War II Dwight D. Eisenhower

1943 : Major General Dwight D. Eisenhower takes command as Supreme Allied Commander in Europe. After proving himself on the battlefields of North Africa and Italy in 1942 and 1943, Eisenhower was appointed supreme commander of Operation Overlord in 1944 the Allied invasion of northwestern Europe.

1948 Germany West Berlin Blockade

1948 : Following the Russian blockade of West Berlin stopping fuel, electricity and food US Soldiers are patrolling the streets in armored cars with mounted machine guns. In retaliation to the blockade the US and UK have stopped all exports to East Berlin and the USSR.

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1950 North Korea Attack South Korea

1950 : Armed forces from communist North Korea smash into South Korea, setting off the Korean War which lasted until 1953. The US becomes involved as part of the United Nations effort to help South Korea repel the invasion from the North and pushes back to North Korea beyond 38th parallel into North Korean territory and following US involvement China become involved on behalf of North Korea

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1951 U.S.A. Color Television

1951 : The first commercial color television show was transmitted by the Columbia Broadcasting System CBS . While color television sets were generally not available it was estimated that about 40,000 people saw the first color program.

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1956 U.S.A. Packard

1956 : The last 1956 Packard was produced, marking the end of production at Packard's Connor Avenue plant in Detroit, Michigan. Packard would continue to manufacture cars in South Bend, Indiana, until 1958, but for those familiar with Packard the last 1956 is considered the last true Packard car.

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1957 U.S.A. Packard

1957 : Hurricane Audrey hits Gulf Coast which kills 390 people. Water on the coast reached as high as 15 feet above the normal high-tide mark. Boats were washed ashore by the tremendous waves. The towns of Cameron, Creole and Grand Chenier were devastated by the hurricane. Only one building survived in Creole and only two were left standing in Cameron.

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1967 UK Beatles "All You Need Is Love"

1967 : The Beatles record "All You Need Is Love" in front of an international television audience on "Our World", the first live global television link. Broadcast to 26 countries and watched by an estimated 350 million people. The BBC had commissioned the Beatles to write a song for the UK's contribution to the program containing a simple message to be understood by all nationalities.

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1993 Canada Kim Campbell

1993 : Kim Campbell is sworn in as Canada's 19th prime minister, becoming the first woman to hold the country's highest office.

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1996 Saudi Arabia US Base Attacked

1996 : A truck loaded with high explosives is detonated at a U.S. military housing complex killing 19 Americans and injuring hundreds more.

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1998 Algeria Lounes Matoub Murdered

1998 : The Algerian popular singer "Lounes Matoub" is murdered by unknown masked gunmen in a remote mountainous road in eastern Algeria. 10's of thousands of mourners / protesters took to the streets including a large number of young protesters who clashed with riot police and attacked government property.

Today in Labor History June 25, 2026

 

Aerlex Corp fireworks factory – Day after explosion

21 workers were killed when the Aerlex Corp fireworks factory near Hallett, Oklahoma exploded. – 1985

Decatur, Illinois police pepper-gassed workers at the A.E. Staley plant gate one year into the company’s two and one-half year lockout of Paperworkers Local 7837. – 1994

The Haymarket Martyrs Monument was dedicated at Forest Home Cemetery, Chicago to honor the 8 anarchists who were framed and executed for the bombing at Haymarket Square on May 4, 1886. More than 8,000 people attended. At the base of the monument are Haymarket martyr August Spies’ last words: “The day will come when our silence will be more powerful than the voices you are throttling today.” – 1893

The Wages and Hours (later Fair Labor Standards) Act was passed, which banned child labor, set the 40-hour work week and set a national minimum wage. – 1938

A. Philip Randolph (president Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters) called off the Negro march on Washington that had been planned for July 1 when President Roosevelt agreed to issue Executive Order 8802 banning racial discrimination in defense industries and government employment (creating the Fair Employment Practices Committee). – 1941

Congress passed the Smith-Connally War Labor Disputes Act over President Franklin Roosevelt’s veto. It allowed the federal government to seize and operate industries threatened by strikes that would interfere with war production. It was hurriedly created after the third coal strike in seven weeks. – 1943

Important Events From This day in History June 24th

 

1968 Resurrection City Closed Down

1968 : Following the Poor Peoples March to Washington on June 19th organized by Martin Luther King Jr. the protesters built a small city of shanty's as temporary shelters made from boxes and whatever else they could find at the Mall in Washington. Estimates put the number of those living there at about 3,000 to 5,000. On June 24th "Resurrection City" was closed down by authorities and protesters go back to their own communities.

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1901 France Pablo Picasso

1901 : The first major exhibition of Pablo Picasso's artwork opens at a gallery on Paris' rue Lafitte, a street known for its prestigious art galleries.

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1941 Italy Freezes US Assets

1941 : Following the American decisions to freeze all Axis Assets, closing Italian Consulates and forbidding Italians from leaving the United States, the Italian Government has put similar restrictions in place for Americans in Italy also closing consulates and freezing US assets.

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1948 Germany Soviet Blockade West Berlin

1948 : Soviets blockade West Berlin when they block all off all land and water routes between West Germany and West Berlin. This prompts the United States and Great Britain to organize the massive Berlin airlift.

1951 U.S.A. Mexican Farm Labor

1951 : Mexico has agreed to continue providing farm labor until the Bracero agreement runs out on July 15th. On June 15th the Mexican Government gave 30 days notice that it would end its migratory labor agreement. The Bracero Program was renewed and lasted to 1964 it was a guest worker program that ran from 1942 till 1964. The Mexican Farm Labor Program, informally known as the Bracero Program, sponsored some 4.5 million border crossings of guest workers from Mexico during it's 22 years and was started to provide agricultural labor during World War II due to the severe shortage in the US, it was also used to provide other unskilled workers during the World War II.

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1957 U.S.A. Obscenity Ruling

1957 : The United States Supreme Court ruled that obscenity is not protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution, which guarantees free speech and freedom of the press.

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1968 UK Rail Strike

1968 : A go slow by the National Union of Railwaymen's (NUR) has begun which will cause major disruption to the rail network. The Union is demanding 9% pay rise but British Rail have offered 3% . In many ways this was the beginning of major industrial unrest in Britain which continued to worsen in the 1970s and 80's becoming a vicious circle with high inflation causing large pay rise demands causing high inflation. Each sector did not wish to be left out on keeping up with inflation and over the next few years both public and private sector strikes became the norm often bringing the country and the economy to it's knees.

1969 U.S.A. Master Charge Card

1969 : More merchants are accepting the new Master Charge Card.

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1969 U.S.A. Movie Releases

1969 : A great week for movie releases including The Love Bug from Disney and True Grit starring John Wayne.

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1975 U.S.A. Plane Crash

1975 : An Eastern Airlines jet crashes near John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, killing 115 people , the New York area experienced severe thunderstorms with heavy winds and rain and the cause is blamed on a sudden wind shift created by the storm.

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1983 U.S.A. Challenger Space Shuttle Returns

1983 : The Challenger space shuttle returns to earth landing at Edwards Air Force base in California after a successful six-day flight. This was also the first flight that has carried an American Woman into space Sally Ride. The first woman into space was the Soviet cosmonaut, Valentina Tereshkova.

1993 U.S.A. Unabomber

1993 : A Yale University computer science professor David Gelernter is seriously injured and later dies while opening his mail when a padded envelope explodes in his hands. The attack was the latest in a string of bombings since 1978 that authorities believed to be related and a search for the so called Unabomber is started.

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1997 U.S.A. Roswell Incident

1997 : The United States Air Force released a report on the 1947 'Roswell Incident,' in which a flying disc had reportedly crashed near Roswell, New Mexico. The report, in response to witnesses that claimed to see the military recovering alien bodies, stated that the bodies were actually life-sized dummies.

1998 12th World Aids Conference in Geneva

1998 : A report prepared by the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the World Health Organisation (WHO), says the failure of prevention campaigns in many of the developing nations and the lack of funds and personnel to administer the latest breakthroughs in antiretroviral drugs (like AZT) means that there is a leveling off or even a decline in the spread of HIV in rich countries and an alarming increase in infection rates in the poorest countries of the world.

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2001 Peru Earthquake

2001 : Reports are just coming out of a magnitude 7.9 earthquake striking the city of Arequipa in Southern Peru which has left at least 50 dead and many more injured. Authorities have declared the area a disaster zone. Details are slow to emerge as roads are blocked due to mudslides and electricity supplies and phone lines are cut off.

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2002 Tanzania Rail Crash

2002 : A passenger train has collided with a goods train and been derailed in Tanzania leaving over 200 dead and 500 severely injured.

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2005 Twenty Die from Gun Fight in India

2005 : At least twenty people had died after a gun fight occurred between Indian police and Maoist rebels in Bihar. The clashes happened after about one hundred rebels attacked a police station and two banks in East Champaran. Among the dead were two civilians, two police officers, and sixteen rebels.

2007 Pakistan Severe Storms

2007 : Severe storms have struck Karachi in southern Pakistan leaving hundreds dead and most of the city without power. Power lines and trees have been bought down in the largest city in Pakistan causing a number of people to be electrocuted due to the downed power lines.

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2009 High School Coach Killed in Iowa

2009 : High school football coach Ed Thomas, was shot and killed in Parkersburg, Iowa in the Aplington-Parkersburg High School weight room by a twenty-four year old man. Students had been present in the school and weight room at the time but none were injured. Ed Thomas had been named the High School Football Coach of the Year in 2005, and had previously coached four current NFL players as students.

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2010 Australia Gets First Female Prime Minister

2010 : Julia Gillard became Australia's first female prime minister after she replaced Kevin Rudd when he was removed in a surprising leadership vote in the Labor Party. Rudd had declined to be on the ballot after he suspected an embarrassing defeat would ensue. Gillard vowed to revive the Labor Party and bring direction to a government she suspected had lost direction.

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2011 United States Actor Falk Dies

2011 : American actor Peter Falk died at the age of eighty-three in his Beverly Hills home. Falk was best known for his television role as detective Columbo and had won several Emmys for the role. Falk was also nominated for two Academy Awards during his lifetime.

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2013 Isle of Man Music Festival Cancelled

2013 : Organizers of the Isle of Man music festival announced that it would be cancelled this year due to a lack of ticket sales. The event had been scheduled for July 6th.

Today in Labor History June 24, 2026

 Agnes Nestor

Agnes Nestor was born. Nestor, who began working in a glove factory at age 14, helped to found the International Glove Workers Union and served in various leadership positions within the union from 1903-1948, including president. She helped organize unions in other industries, campaigned for women’s suffrage, a minimum wage, maternity health legislation, and against child labor. – 1880

This date marked the birth of Albert Parsons, Haymarket martyr. – 1848

Troops arrested 22 workers in Telluride, Colorado, accused them of being strike leaders and deported them out of the Telluride district. This was a repeat of events in March, in which 60 union miners were deported. – 1904

The IWW Domestic Workers Union supplied sandwiches to dozens of draft resisters in the Duluth, Minnesota jail. – 1917

Union leader, lawyer, and politician Terence V. Powderly died. Powderly was the Grand Master Workman of the Knights of Labor, a labor organization that promoted an eight-hour workday, the end of child and convict labor, a graduated income tax, equal pay for equal work, and worker cooperatives. At its height in 1886, the Knights had over 700,000 members. – 1924

17 workers were killed as methane exploded in a water tunnel under construction in Sylmar, California. – 1971

Monday Morning in the Blogosphere

 

Fact-checkers wrestle with how to minimize AI’s problems - Poynter

My journey as a cleaner at the BBC to a journalist for them - Journalism UK

How should news organizations label their AI use for audiences? - Nieman Lab

How USA TODAY Co. is trying to beat AI Overviews on World Cup news - Digiday

New Mexican publisher on newspapers’ future, strength and more - Seattle Times Free Press

Important Events From This day in History June 22nd

 

1944 U.S.A. GI Bill

1944 : President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the GI bill of Rights Bill to provide financial aid to veterans returning from World War II. The bill provided a range of Rights and Money to help the men who went to war for their country including Jobs, Education and Homes providing the base for starting a new life with new opportunities, If you family members who came home after the war take the time to talk to them and understand how comprehensive and helpful this bill was.

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1934 Germany The People's Car

1934 : The work on first prototypes of The Peoples Car what became the (Volkswagen Beetle) was started by Ferdinand Porsche but it would take until 1936 before the first prototype was completed.

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1933 Germany One Party State

1933 : Hitler bans all other parties making Germany a one political party country, the National Socialist party is the only party that now exists in Germany. This followed a number of other changes in 1933 including creation of the German Secret State Police (Gestapo) and the banning of Trade Unions. The death penalty was declared for anti fascists.

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1937 U.S.A. Joe Louis

1937 : Joe Louis wins the world heavyweight boxing title when he defeats American Jim Braddock in an eighth-round knockout.

1938 U.S.A. Joe Louis

1938 : In front of 80,000 people at Yankee Stadium Joe Louis knocked out the German Max Schmeling in two minutes and four seconds.

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1941 Russia Operation Barbarossa

1941 : Germany launches Operation Barbarossa the invasion of Russia, in the first 2 months Over 500,000 square miles of Russian territory were taken.

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More about Operation Barbarossa

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1945 Okinawa World War II

1945 : The U.S. 10th Army overcomes the last major pockets of Japanese resistance on Okinawa Island, ending one of the bloodiest battles of World War II.

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1969 England Judy Garland

1969 : Actress Judy Garland is found dead in her London Home possibly due to an accidental drug overdose.

1970 U.S.A. Voting Age Lowered To 18

1970 : President Nixon signed a bill to lower the voting age to 18 for all federal, state and local elections, In addition to lowering the voting age, the bill placed a five-year extension on the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which gave more than one million African Americans in the South the right to vote.

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1976 Canada Capital Punishment

1976 : Parliament votes to abolish capital punishment in Canada.

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1981 U.S.A. John Lennon

1981 : Mark Chapman changes his plea to admit responsibility for the murder of John Lennon December 8th, 1980. He received a sentence of 20 years in prison for the murder. He has applied for parole on a number of occasions the latest on October 2006 when parole was again denied.

2004 Belgium Marc Dutroux

2004 : The convicted pedophile and child killer Marc Dutroux is sentenced to life in prison in Belgium for the kidnap and rape of six young girls, and murder of four young girls. He and his accomplices had abducted and kept young girls in a purpose-built dungeon in Dutroux's basement.

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2004 U.S.A. Walmart

2004 : The class-action sex-discrimination lawsuit representing 1.6 million female workers against Wal-Mart is approved by a federal judge. In February 2007, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed the lower court ruling. The lawsuit affirms that female employees made up 65% of Wal-Mart's hourly-paid workforce, but only 33% of its management. The class-action lawsuit plaintiffs estimate that about 1.6 million women could be included in the suit which is a gender discrimination lawsuit.

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2005 Italy Sentences Former Nazi Officers

2005 : Ten Germans who were former Nazi officers during World War II were sentenced to life in prison by a military tribunal in La Spezia, Italy. The men were implicated in what was known as one of the worst war crimes to be committed in Italy, a massacre of 560 civilians in a small Italian village. Despite the conviction and sentence, the men would probably not end up serving the time because of their ages.

2006 East Timor President Threatens Resignation

2006 : Xanana Gusmao, the president of East Timor, called for the prime minister, Mari Alkatiri, to step down or else Gusmao would resign. Prime Minister Alkatiri's popularity had been fading as he had been blamed for neglecting to stop recent bouts of violence. President Gusmao indicated that he had lost confidence in the prime minister.

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2008 Ferry Capsizes Off Of Philippines

2008 : Over seven hundred people were missing after a ferry capsized off of the coast of the Philippines after encountering harsh seas caused by Typhoon Fengshen. Rescue ships had found only four survivors and hoped that others had managed to swim to shore or find safety somewhere.

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2011 Crime Boss Arrested in Mexico

2011 : Jose de Jesus Mendez Vargas, a leader of the Mexican drug cartel "La Familia", was captured in Aguascalientes, Mexico. Mendez Vargas, also known as "The Monkey", was accused of leading the gang and coordinating drug trafficking and sales in Mexico and the United States as well as planning kidnappings and murders of rivals.

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2013 Mount Fuji Becomes World Heritage Site

2013 : Unesco listed Japan's Mount Fuji as a World Heritage site because of its cultural value in Japanese society. The volcano is an iconic image in Japanese arts and literature and is located just outside of Tokyo.

Today in Labor History June 22, 2026

 

Mass grave of victims from the Deadly Hammond Circus Train Wreck

A horrific train wreck in northwest Indiana between Gary and Hammond, killed an estimated 86 people and injured 127 others. The train was carrying the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus. The victims were buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery in Forest Park, Illinois in an area set aside as Showmen’s Rest that was purchased by the Showmen’s League of America. – 1918

After calls for revenge against Standard Oil for the Ludlow Massacre, an anarchist bomb intended for the Rockefeller Mansion unintentionally detonated in the Ferrer Center on this date, killing three anarchists and putting a temporary end to the Modern School, which was housed there. – 1914

Several hundred striking miners seized a group of strikebreakers scabbing for the Southern Illinois Coal Company killing 19, in what would become known as the “Herrin Massacre.” Several strikers were held in the Williamson County jail, which is now a historical museum focusing on the conflict. Those who were tried for the murders were all acquitted. – 1922

Saturday Morning in the Blogosphere

 

The Salt Lake Tribune drops its paywall - E&P Magazine

How to decide whether it’s time to leave your journalism job - Poynter

News sites are the new newspapers: People are abandoning them for social media - NL

The future of news could depend on gaming, creators and creative friction - E&P Reports

All That AI Money, New Philanthropy and What It Means for Journalism - Second Rough Draft

Important Events From This day in History June 20

 

 

1975 U.S.A. Jaws

1975 : The summer blockbuster movie "Jaws" is released about a great white shark attacking swimmers at Amity Island, a fictional summer resort town.

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1893 U.S.A. Lizzie Borden

1893 : In the case of the murder of her father Andrew Jackson Borden, and her stepmother, Abby Borden despite incriminating circumstances but with no murder weapon found and no blood evidence found. A jury in New Bedford, Mass., found Lizzie Borden innocent of the ax murders of her father and stepmother. The case was is best remembered by the popular jump-rope rhyme: Lizzie Borden took an axe And gave her mother forty whacks. And when she saw what she had done She gave her father forty-one.

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1923 U.S.A. Rum Smugglers

1923 : A large fleet of Seaplanes are to be mobilized in an attempt to catch rum smugglers off the Atlantic Coast, it is believed these will be more successful than current means of catching the rum runners who are equipped with very fast boats that are outrunning federal agents.

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1929 U.S.A. Rum Smugglers

1929 : Exchanges of gunfire on the Detroit river between rum runners and federal agents ended with federal agents using machine guns to sink the smugglers vessel, French boats are anchored off the coast outside of US jurisdiction and the rum runners are going between shore and the ships anchored off shore carrying cases of rum.

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1937 U.S.A. "Pirates of Penzance"

1937 : W2XBS (later WCBS-TV) televised the first TV operetta. The work was the "Pirates of Penzance" by Gilbert and Sullivan. The operetta became the duo's most popular creation and is still parodied in cartoons and other pop culture references today.

1947 U.S.A. Mob Killing

1947 : Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel is murdered at the Beverly Hills, Calif., mansion of his girlfriend, Virginia Hill, at the order of mob associates angered over the soaring costs of Siegel’s pet project, the Flamingo resort now costing in the region of $6,000,000 in Las Vegas, Nev. In the 1972 movie the Godfather the character of Moe Greene is heavily based on Siegel.

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1956 Plane Crash

1956 : Venezuelan airliner plunges into Atlantic.

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1963 Hot Line Established Between US and Soviet Union

1963 : To lessen the threat of an accidental nuclear war, the United States and the Soviet Union agree to establish a "hot line" communication system between the two nations.

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1967 U.S.A. Muhammad Ali

1967 : After appearing for his scheduled induction into the U.S. Armed Forces on April 28th, 1967 in Houston, he refused three times to step forward at the call of his name. On 20th June Muhammad Ali is convicted in Houston of violating Selective Service laws by refusing to be drafted. The decision is later overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.

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1976 Lebanon Evacuation over Continued Fighting

1976 : As the fighting continues to escalate in Beirut and with westerners now facing increasing danger after the murder of the American ambassador Francis Meloy. Westerners are being evacuated by the US military and taken to safety in Syria.

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1977 U.S.A. Alaska Oil Pipeline

1977 : Crude oil from North Alaska begins flowing south down the trans-Alaska pipeline to the ice-free port of Valdez, Alaska.

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1984 UK O'Levels and CSE's To Be Replaced By GCSE's

1984 : General Certificate of Education / GCE O-Level and CSE exams are to be abolished and replaced by a new examination for 16 year olds in Great Britain. General Certificate of Education / GCE O-Level and GCE A-Level were introduced in Great Britain replacing the older School Certificate (SC) and Higher School Certificate (HSC) in 1951. Certificate of Secondary Education (CSE) were introduced in 1965 designed for those students who were not capable of taking the "O Levels". The A-Level Examinations are still taken in the UK and are still used by most British Universities as a de facto university entrance examination, though some universities also require applicants to take separate entrance examinations.