In History, Today on June 29

A gunman opened fire at the Capital Gazette newsroom in Annapolis, Maryland, killing five people and injuring two others, in one of the deadliest attacks on journalists in U.S. history.

A massive cyberattack, known as the Petya or NotPetya ransomware attack, spreads from Ukraine across the world, affecting various organizations including banks, electrical grids, and shipping companies.

The United States Supreme Court ruled in Glossip v. Gross that the use of midazolam in lethal injections does not violate the Eighth Amendment's prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) declared the establishment of a caliphate, naming Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as its caliph, marking a significant moment in the Syrian Civil War and global terrorism.

A derecho, a widespread and long-lived wind storm, swept across the eastern United States, causing extensive damage and power outages for millions.

The French Air Force conducts airstrikes against a military base in Libya's central region as part of the multinational effort to enforce United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 and protect civilians during the Libyan Civil War.

Thomas M. Disch, an American science fiction author known for works like 'The Genocides' and 'Camp Concentration', passed away.

Apple Inc. released the first iPhone, revolutionizing the smartphone industry and significantly impacting global communication and technology.

The Space Shuttle Atlantis docked with the Russian space station Mir for the first time, marking a significant moment in U.S.-Russia space cooperation.

Isabel Perón was sworn in as the first female President of Argentina, following the illness of her husband, President Juan Perón.

The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 was signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, creating the Interstate Highway System in the United States.

South Africa implemented the Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act, one of the first pieces of apartheid legislation designed to enforce racial segregation.

The Bird of Paradise, a U.S. Army Air Corps aircraft, completed the first transpacific flight from the mainland United States to Hawaii.

William Ramsey and Sir John William Strutt, known as Lord Rayleigh, jointly announced the discovery of a new element, argon, adding a new noble gas to the periodic table.

France annexed Tahiti, solidifying its control over the island and marking a significant expansion of French colonial influence in the Pacific.

The Canadian Confederation Conference began in Charlottetown, leading to the formation of Canada.

Henry Clay introduced a compromise bill in the U.S. Senate that would become known as the Compromise of 1850.

The First Virginia Convention adopted the Virginia Declaration of Rights, which influenced the United States Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights.

The Townshend Acts are passed by the British Parliament, imposing duties on common products imported into the American colonies, heightening tensions leading to the American Revolution.

The Globe Theatre in London, associated with William Shakespeare, burned down after a cannon shot during a performance of Henry VIII ignited the thatched roof.

Jacques Cartier became the first European to reach Prince Edward Island.

The Battle of Torvioll took place, where Skanderbeg, the Albanian national hero, defeated the Ottoman forces.

Henry II of Jerusalem was crowned King of Cyprus.

The Battle of Inab took place during the Second Crusade, where Nur ad-Din Zangi defeated the Crusader forces led by Raymond of Antioch.

Pope Agatho was elected as the 79th pope of the Roman Catholic Church. His papacy is noted for resolving the Monothelitism controversy, which was a significant theological dispute in the early church.

A solar eclipse was recorded in the Byzantine Empire, which was noted by Byzantine chroniclers. Such celestial events were often seen as significant omens during this period.