Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 911, Signing of the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between Charles the Simple and Rollo of Normandy. In 1897, Salomon August Andrée leaves Spitsbergen to attempt to reach the North Pole by balloon. In 1906, Murder of Grace Brown by Chester Gillette in the United States, inspiration for Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy. In 1943, World War II: Allied invasion of Sicily: German and Italian troops launch a counter-attack on Allied forces in Sicily. In 1953, Leon Spinks, American boxer (died 2021) 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 1977, Martin Luther King Jr., assassinated in 1968, is awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 1990, Oka Crisis: First Nations land dispute in Quebec begins. In 2009, Reg Fleming, Canadian-American ice hockey player (born 1936) passed away. In 2009, Arturo Gatti, Italian-Canadian boxer (born 1972) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.