Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1723, Jean-François Marmontel, French historian and author (died 1799) was born. In 1789, Jacques Necker is dismissed as France's Finance Minister sparking the Storming of the Bastille. In 1899, Wilfrid Israel, German businessman and philanthropist (died 1943) was born. In 1950, Pakistan joins the International Monetary Fund and the International Bank. In 1960, Congo Crisis: The State of Katanga breaks away from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 1961, Antony Jenkins, English banker and businessman was born. In 1962, Project Apollo: At a press conference, NASA announces lunar orbit rendezvous as the means to land astronauts on the Moon, and return them to Earth. In 1968, Michael Geist, Canadian journalist and academic was born. In 2007, Ed Mirvish, American-Canadian businessman and philanthropist, founded Honest Ed's (born 1914) passed away. In 2015, Satoru Iwata, Japanese game programmer and businessman (born 1959) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.