Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. 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 1916, Mortimer Caplin, American tax attorney, educator, and IRS Commissioner (died 2019) was born. In 1943, Richard Carleton, Australian journalist (died 2006) was born. In 1950, Pakistan joins the International Monetary Fund and the International Bank. 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 1999, Jan Sloot, Dutch computer scientist and electronics technician (born 1945) passed away. In 2004, Laurance Rockefeller, American financier and philanthropist (born 1910) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.