Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1174, Baldwin IV, 13, becomes King of Jerusalem, with Raymond III, Count of Tripoli as regent and William of Tyre as chancellor. In 1836, The Fly-fisher's Entomology is published by Alfred Ronalds. The book transformed the sport and went to many editions. In 1914, The US Navy launches the USS Nevada (BB-36) as its first standard-type battleship. In 1920, In the East Prussian plebiscite the local populace decides to remain with Weimar Germany. In 1921, A truce in the Irish War of Independence comes into effect. 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 1978, Los Alfaques disaster: A truck carrying liquid gas crashes and explodes at a coastal campsite in Tarragona, Spain killing 216 tourists. In 1979, America's first space station, Skylab, is destroyed as it re-enters the Earth's atmosphere over the Indian Ocean. In 1995, Yugoslav Wars: Srebrenica massacre begins; lasts until 22 July. In 2021, Richard Branson becomes the first civilian to be launched into space via his Virgin Galactic spacecraft. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.