Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1302, Pierre Flotte, French politician and lawyer passed away. In 1905, Betty Allan, Australian statistician and biometrician (died 1952) was born. In 1906, Murder of Grace Brown by Chester Gillette in the United States, inspiration for Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy. In 1927, Theodore Maiman, American-Canadian physicist and engineer (died 2007) was born. In 1953, Ivan Toms, South African physician and activist (died 2008) was born. In 1968, Michael Geist, Canadian journalist and academic was born. In 1973, Varig Flight 820 crashes near Paris on approach to Orly Airport, killing 123 of the 134 on board. In response, the FAA bans smoking in airplane lavatories. In 1978, Los Alfaques disaster: A truck carrying liquid gas crashes and explodes at a coastal campsite in Tarragona, Spain killing 216 tourists. In 1983, A TAME airline Boeing 737-200 crashes near Cuenca, Ecuador, killing all 119 passengers and crew on board. In 1991, Nigeria Airways Flight 2120 crashes in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, killing all 261 passengers and crew on board. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.