Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1882, James Larkin White, American miner, explorer, and park ranger (died 1946) was born. In 1901, Gwendolyn Lizarraga, Belizean businesswoman, activist, and politician (died 1975) was born. In 1906, Murder of Grace Brown by Chester Gillette in the United States, inspiration for Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy. In 1931, Thurston Harris, American doo-wop singer (died 1990) was born. In 1932, Alex Hassilev, French-born American folk singer and musician (died 2024) was born. In 1955, Balaji Sadasivan, Singaporean neurosurgeon and politician, Singaporean Minister of Health (died 2010) was born. In 1973, Varig Flight 820 crashes near Paris on approach to Orly Airport, killing 123 of the 134 on board. In response, the FAA bans smoking in airplane lavatories. In 1978, Los Alfaques disaster: A truck carrying liquid gas crashes and explodes at a coastal campsite in Tarragona, Spain killing 216 tourists. In 1983, A TAME airline Boeing 737-200 crashes near Cuenca, Ecuador, killing all 119 passengers and crew on board. In 1991, Nigeria Airways Flight 2120 crashes in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, killing all 261 passengers and crew on board. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.