Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1789, Jacques Necker is dismissed as France's Finance Minister sparking the Storming of the Bastille. In 1906, Murder of Grace Brown by Chester Gillette in the United States, inspiration for Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy. In 1921, A truce in the Irish War of Independence comes into effect. In 1930, Harold Bloom, American literary critic (died 2019) was born. In 1960, Congo Crisis: The State of Katanga breaks away from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 1966, Kentaro Miura, Japanese author and illustrator (died 2021) 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 1979, America's first space station, Skylab, is destroyed as it re-enters the Earth's atmosphere over the Indian Ocean. In 1995, Yugoslav Wars: Srebrenica massacre begins; lasts until 22 July. 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.