Los Angeles Times Pressmens 20 Year Club: June 2025

Monday, June 30, 2025

Important Events From This day in History June 30

1953 U.S.A. The Corvette

1953 : The first all-fiberglass-bodied American sports car, the Corvette was produced on this day and with it's sleek lines is among the best car design ever produced by the American Car Industry.

1900 U.S.A. New Jersey Ships Fire

1900 : A major fire broke out on a Pier in New Jersey (Pier 3 in Hoboken) engulfing 4 German ships that were docked and spreading to over 27 ships before the fire was bought under control.

1931 U.S.A. Al Capone

1931 : Al Capone's attorney has asked for and been granted a one month period for Al Capone to put his business affairs in order and spend time with his family prior to sentencing for tax evasion and jail time.

1934 Germany Party Purge

1934 : Adolf Hitler orders a purge of his own political party, assassinating hundreds of Nazis whom he believed had the potential to become political enemies in the future later known as the Night of the Long Knives.

1936 U.S.A. Gone With The Wind

1936 : The book Gone with the Wind is Published. In 1939 Gone With The Wind was made into the Oscar Winning Film.

1937 Hitler Tells American Businessmen No War

1937 : Adolf Hitler meets a number of American Businessmen in Berlin and tells them there will be no war Germany can not afford a war and does not a war, most believe his sincere style.

1937 Great Britain 999

1937 : 999 emergency service is started in London When 999 was dialed, a buzzer sounded and a red light flashed in the exchange to attract an operator's attention.

1950 U.S.A. Korea War

1950 : President Harry S. Truman orders U.S. armed forces to assist in defending South Korea from invading North Korean armies.

1950 Russia Blames South Korea

1950 : America has asked the Russians to act as peace mediators in Korea but Russia has stated that the blame lies with South Korea for an unprovoked attack on North Korea.

1954 Total Eclipse Of The Sun

1954 : The total eclipse of the sun is seen around the world in Europe, United States, and Asia including Pakistan and India. The longest duration of total eclipse was two minutes 35 seconds. Solar eclipses are normally only seen by a small specific area of the world so this was unusual as it was seen from so many continents.

1969 Biafra 3 Million Starving

1969 : Food aid and medical supplies from the International Committee of the Red Cross to war torn Biafra been banned by Nigeria. It is estimated as many as three million people who are going to starve to death in the next few weeks unless something is done. Two weeks later due to International Pressure Nigerian leader, General Gowon, allowed the Red Cross to airlift urgent medical supplies and food to Biafra.

1971 Space Soyuz 11

1971 : Three Soviet cosmonauts who had spent 23 days orbiting the earth began reentry procedures and when they fired the explosive bolts to separate the Soyuz 11 , a critical valve was jerked open and the capsule was suddenly exposed to the nearly pressure less environment of space seconds later, the cosmonauts were dead.

1976 U.S.A. Artificial Heart Use Predicted

1976 : During the 125th Annual Convention of American Medical Association a pioneer in Cardio Vascular has predicted that by the turn of the century we will be able to use an artificial heart for heart attack victims.

Today in Labor History June 30th, 2025

Eugene V Debs

The Chicago Streetcar Strike began on this day and continued through July 7 – 1885

Following a series of speeches in which he condemned US involvement in World War I, labor leader Eugene Debs was arrested in Cleveland, Ohio for violating the Espionage Act with the “intent to interfere with the operation or success of the military or naval forces of the United States.” At his trial, Debs said, “I would oppose war if I stood alone.” He was found guilty and sentenced to ten years in prison. – 1918

Alabama outlawed the leasing of convicts to mine coal, a practice that had been in place since 1848. In 1898, 73 percent of the state’s total revenue came from this source. Twenty-five percent of all black leased convicts died. – 1928

The Walsh-Healey Act took effect today. It required companies that supply goods to the government to pay wages according to a schedule set by the Secretary of Labor. – 1936

The storied Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers, a union whose roots traced back to the militant Western Federation of Miners, and which helped found the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), merged into the United Steelworkers of America. – 1967

Up to 40,000 New York construction workers demonstrated in midtown Manhattan, protesting the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s awarding of a $33 million contract to a nonunion company. Eighteen police and three demonstrators were injured. “There were some scattered incidents and some minor violence,” Police Commissioner Howard Safir told the New York Post. “Generally, it was a pretty well-behaved crowd.” – 1998

Nineteen firefighters died when they were overtaken by a wildfire they were battling in a forest northwest of Phoenix, Arizona. It was the deadliest wildfire involving firefighters in the US in at least 30 years. – 2013

Sunday, June 29, 2025

Important Events From This day in History June 29

1974 Argentina Evita

1974 : President Isabel Peron, Juan Peron's third wife, was the Western Hemisphere's first female head of government after becoming President when her husband died. Argentina was suffering from serious economic and political strife and she was unable to form a government and the countries problems continued to worsen. After a military coup in 1976 she was imprisoned for five years on a charge of abuse of power and upon her release in 1981 settled in Madrid.

1956 U.S.A. Federal Aid Highway Act

1956 : Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 bill into law. The National Interstate and Defense Highways Act was for the construction of 41,000 miles of interstate highways over a 20-year period and was the largest public works project ever undertaken. For each highway created 90 percent of construction costs were paid by the Federal budget and 10% from the local state.

1925 Santa Barbara Earthquake

1925 : The picturesque Santa Barbara was rocked by an earthquake causing heavy loss of life when the dam burst and water mains burst causing some of areas of the city to be flattened . The quake was felt as far away as San Francisco and Los Angeles with many millions of dollars worth of damage across California, The earthquake was also felt in other states including Montana with more damage.

1936 U.S.A. Public Works Program

1936 : 3 millions job program launched as part of the relief and public works program the WPA average wage has been set at $25.00 per month, this was a major part of the bills passed in the 1930s to help the country during the Great Depression.

1936 U.S.A. Drought Midwest

1936 : Following the severe drought in the Midwest with a continuing lack of rain in the corn belt many fear soaring food prices.

1941 Germany Invades Russia

1941 : German divisions make major advances on Leningrad, Moscow, and Kiev due to the surprise attack and the use of the Luftwaffe.

1943 U.S.A. Manhattan Project

1943 : Following problems between Manhattan Project physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer and General Leslie Groves, the military leader in charge of the project. President Roosevelt sent a letter to Oppenheimer congratulating him on the progress of the project and asking for his understanding for the conditions he and his fellow scientists were working under due to the strict security required on a project of this importance and magnitude.

1947 U.S.A. Inflated Car Prices Due To Shortages

1947 : Buying a new car from a main new car dealer can mean months or even years to wait but if you go to your local used car dealer you can find the latest 1947 models brand new but at a price of between $500 and $1000 more than the list price, they go direct to the factories and buy them then transport around the country.

1964 Vietnam New Zealand Support

1964 : New Zealand shows support for Americas involvement in Vietnam by sending 24 engineers.

1966 Vietnam Hanoi Bombing

1966 : The US steps up it's use of bombers and for the first time bombs major North Vietnamese population centers of Hanoi and Haiphong.

Today in Labor History June 29, 2025

What was to be a 7-day streetcar strike began in Chicago after several workers were unfairly fired. Wrote the police chief at the time, describing the strikers’ response to scabs: “One of my men said he was at the corner of Halsted and Madison Streets, and although he could see fifty stones in the air, he couldn’t tell where they were coming from.” The strike was settled to the workers’ satisfaction. – 1885

Michael Schwab, who was convicted for the Haymarket bombing, died from tuberculosis, having been pardoned and released from prison just a few months prior. – 1898

An Executive Order signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the National Labor Relations Board. A predecessor organization, the National Labor Board, established by the Depression-era National Industrial Recovery Act in 1933, was struck down by the Supreme Court. – 1934

IWW struck Weyerhaeuser and other Idaho lumber camps. – 1936

Jesus Pallares, founder of the 8,000-member coal miners union, Liga Obrera de Habla Esanola, was deported from the US as an “undesirable alien.” One hundred miners were arrested during the 1934 La Liga strike against the Gallup American Company in New Mexico. – 1936

The Boilermaker and Blacksmith unions merged to become International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers. – 1954

The US Supreme Court ruled in CWA v. Beck that in a union security agreement, a union can collect as dues from non-members only that money necessary to perform its duties as a collective bargaining representative. – 1988

Saturday, June 28, 2025

Saturday Morning in the Blogosphere

Los Angeles twelve years ago

Fujifilm to feature new Jet Press in live online event - Print Week

Top 50 news websites in the US: Top sites see steep traffic falls in May - PG

Nonprofit news executives share tips on handling the tough times - Nieman Lab

Platinum Press Commences Large-Scale Runs on Rapida Presses - Printing Impressions

At least 40 journalists have fled El Salvador, fearing imprisonment - Investigative Journalists

Important Events From This day in History June 28

1997 Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield

1997 : Mike Tyson was disqualified after biting off part of Evander Holyfield's ear.

1837 Queen Victoria Coronation

1837 : Queen Victoria moves to Buckingham Palace, and the coronation takes place at Westminster Abbey on June 28th, 1837.

1919 : Germany signs the Treaty of Versailles with the Allies, officially ending World War I.

1925 U.S.A. Jack Dempsey

1925 : A match between Jack Dempsey and Georges Carpentier scheduled for July 2nd will attract the largest crowd ever for a Boxing match with over 70,000 tickets sold and all accommodation in the area and for many miles sold out when the World Heavyweight Champion defends his title in Jersey City.

1940 England Free French Forces

1940 : Following the German occupation of France General Charles De Gaulle, set up headquarters in England for free French Forces and is recognized as the Leader.

1952 South Africa Nelson Mandela Jailed

1952 : Police struck at the heart of the resistance to segregation by throwing top jailing the leaders of the movement for crossing forbidden race barriers the leaders included Nelson Mandela.

1958 Algeria Political Prisoners Released

1958 : With tensions increasing in Algeria and the call by Muslim nationalists for independence. General Charles de Gaulle has announced the release of 30 Algerian political prisoners prior to local elections in Algeria, and a referendum of all French citizens on changes to the constitution which may well include additional independence for Algeria.

1960 Great Britain Mining Disaster

1960 : A gas explosion at a coal mine at the Six Bells Colliery in Abertillery, Monmouthshire, Wales has left 37 dead and a further 8 missing presumed dead.

1969 U.S.A. The Stonewall Riot

1969 : A police raid of the Stonewall Inn a gay club located on New York City's Christopher Street turns violent as patrons and local sympathizers begin rioting against the police this was known as The Stonewall Riot.

1972 U.S.A. Vietnam

1972 : President Nixon announces that no more draftees will be sent to Vietnam unless they volunteer and a continuing decrease in US troops in Vietnam will continue.

1991 UK Margaret Thatcher

1991 : The former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher who has held her Finchley seat for more than 30 years has announced she is to give up her seat (Member of Parliament for Finchley) in the House of Commons at the next general election.

1992 U.S.A. California Earthquakes

1992 : Two of the strongest earthquakes ever to hit California strike the desert area east of Los Angeles, a 7.3-magnitude quake in Landers, 100 miles east of Los Angeles. Just over three hours later, a second 6.3-magnitude tremor hit in Big Bear just e few miles from the first quake.

1999 U.S.A. Trillion Dollar Surplus

1999 : Following nine straight years of economic growth in the US, the US Government says that its budget surplus will be $1,000bn which it plans to use for strengthening Medicare and paying off some of the countries $3,700bn national debt. The current National debt is $9.0 trillion or $90,000.0 billion or nearly 24 X what it was in 1990 just 9 years ago.

Today in Labor History June 28, 2025

New York City - Grand Demonstration

This date marked the birthday of machinist Matthew Maguire, who many believe first suggested Labor Day. Others believe it was Peter McGuire, a carpenter. – 1850

President Grover Cleveland signed legislation declaring Labor Day an official US holiday. – 1894

The federal government sued the Teamsters to force reforms on the union, the nation’s largest. The following March, the government and the union signed a consent decree requiring direct election of the union’s president and creation of an Independent Review Board. – 1988

Friday, June 27, 2025

Friday Morning in the Blogosphere

Sell like a Navy Seal - E&P Magazine

BBC website in US launches paid subscription service - BBC

How writing fiction helped me deal with PTSD - Journalism UK

Retooling development for a post-broadcast world - E&P Magazine

Tech giants win again as Oregon bill to save local news dies - Seattle Times Free Press

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'.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Today in Labor History June 27, 2025

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

Thursday, June 26, 2025

Thursday Afternoon in the Blogosphere

Sgt. Cesar retirement party

34% of U.S. adults have used ChatGPT - Pew Research Center

Portland Tribune to stop publishing print edition, trim staff - OPB

The audience opportunity local media is missing - E&P Magazine

Improving news coverage in paradise: Hawai’i Journalism Initiative - E&P Magazine

How information voids can fuel a crisis: lessons from Southport's media response - JUK

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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%.

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.

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.

Today in Labor History June 26, 2025

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

Wednesday, June 25, 2025

Today in Labor History June 25, 2025

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

Tuesday, June 24, 2025

Tuesday Afternoon in the Blogosphere

Camp Pendleton California

Phone users, bombarded by news alerts, are switching them off - CNN

U.S. researchers are speaking up for science in local newspapers - Science

Ohio Senate proposes ending 90-year newspaper tax exemption - Cleveland.com

Few Americans pay for news when they encounter paywalls - Pew Research Center

City Bureau is scaling civic journalism, one Documenter at a time - E&P Magazine

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.