Today in News History

On July 11, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1302, Battle of the Golden Spurs (Guldensporenslag in Dutch): A coalition around the Flemish cities defeats the king of France's royal army. In 1735, Mathematical calculations suggest that it is on this day that dwarf planet Pluto moved inside the orbit of Neptune for the last time before 1979. In 1789, Jacques Necker is dismissed as France's Finance Minister sparking the Storming of the Bastille. In 1864, American Civil War: Battle of Fort Stevens; Confederate forces attempt to invade Washington, D.C. In 1897, Salomon August Andrée leaves Spitsbergen to attempt to reach the North Pole by balloon. In 1960, Congo Crisis: The State of Katanga breaks away from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 1978, Los Alfaques disaster: A truck carrying liquid gas crashes and explodes at a coastal campsite in Tarragona, Spain killing 216 tourists. In 1979, America's first space station, Skylab, is destroyed as it re-enters the Earth's atmosphere over the Indian Ocean. In 1990, Oka Crisis: First Nations land dispute in Quebec begins. In 2006, Mumbai train bombings: 209 people are killed in a series of bomb attacks in Mumbai, India. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.