Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1675, Evaristo Felice Dall'Abaco, Italian violinist and composer (died 1742) was born. In 1789, In response to the dismissal of the French finance minister Jacques Necker, the radical journalist Camille Desmoulins gives a speech which results in the storming of the Bastille two days later. In 1924, Faidon Matthaiou, Greek basketball player and coach (died 2011) was born. In 1928, Alastair Burnet, English journalist (died 2012) was born. In 1948, Elias Khoury, Lebanese intellectual, playwright and novelist (died 2024) was born. In 2006, The 2006 Lebanon War begins. In 2007, U.S. Army Apache helicopters engage in airstrikes against armed insurgents in Baghdad, Iraq, where civilians are killed; footage from the cockpit is later leaked to the Internet. In 2012, Hamid Samandarian, Iranian director and playwright (born 1931) passed away. In 2013, Alan Whicker, Egyptian-English journalist (born 1921) passed away. In 2014, Jamil Ahmad, Pakistani author (born 1931) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.