Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1862, The Medal of Honor is authorized by the United States Congress. In 1916, Lyudmila Pavlichenko, Ukrainian-Russian soldier and sniper (died 1974) was born. In 1952, Irina Bokova, Bulgarian politician, Bulgarian Minister of Foreign Affairs was born. In 1960, Orlyonok, the main Young Pioneer camp of the Russian SFSR, is founded. 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 2008, Tony Snow, American journalist, 26th White House Press Secretary (born 1955) passed away. In 2012, Hamid Samandarian, Iranian director and playwright (born 1931) passed away. In 2012, Syrian Civil War: Government forces target the homes of rebels and activists in Tremseh and kill anywhere between 68 and 150 people. In 2013, Alan Whicker, Egyptian-English journalist (born 1921) passed away. In 2014, Valeriya Novodvorskaya, Russian journalist and politician (born 1950) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.