Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1405, Ming admiral Zheng He sets sail to explore the world for the first time. In 1914, The US Navy launches the USS Nevada (BB-36) as its first standard-type battleship. In 1943, World War II: Allied invasion of Sicily: German and Italian troops launch a counter-attack on Allied forces in Sicily. In 1953, Piyasvasti Amranand, Thai businessman and politician, Thai Minister of Energy was born. In 1962, Project Apollo: At a press conference, NASA announces lunar orbit rendezvous as the means to land astronauts on the Moon, and return them to Earth. In 1977, Martin Luther King Jr., assassinated in 1968, is awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 1978, Los Alfaques disaster: A truck carrying liquid gas crashes and explodes at a coastal campsite in Tarragona, Spain killing 216 tourists. In 2015, Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán escapes from the maximum security Altiplano prison in Mexico, his second escape. In 2015, Giacomo Biffi, Italian cardinal (born 1928) passed away. In 2021, Richard Branson becomes the first civilian to be launched into space via his Virgin Galactic spacecraft. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.