Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1801, French astronomer Jean-Louis Pons makes his first comet discovery. In the next 27 years he discovers another 36 comets, more than any other person in history. In 1897, Salomon August Andrée leaves Spitsbergen to attempt to reach the North Pole by balloon. In 1912, Sergiu Celibidache, Romanian conductor and composer (died 1996) was born. In 1943, Massacres of Poles in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia by the Ukrainian Insurgent Army within the Reichskommissariat Ukraine (Volhynia) peak. In 1953, Bramwell Tovey, English-Canadian conductor and composer (died 2022) was born. In 1960, France legislates for the independence of Dahomey (later Benin), Upper Volta (later Burkina Faso) and Niger. In 1971, The nationalization of all large copper mines in Chile is completed. In 1974, Pär Lagerkvist, Swedish novelist, playwright, and poet Nobel Prize laureate (born 1891) passed away. In 1978, Los Alfaques disaster: A truck carrying liquid gas crashes and explodes at a coastal campsite in Tarragona, Spain killing 216 tourists. In 1985, Orestis Karnezis, Greek footballer was born. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.