Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1796, The United States takes possession of Detroit from Great Britain under terms of the Jay Treaty. In 1864, American Civil War: Battle of Fort Stevens; Confederate forces attempt to invade Washington, D.C. In 1906, Murder of Grace Brown by Chester Gillette in the United States, inspiration for Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy. In 1922, The Hollywood Bowl opens. In 1960, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is first published, in the United States. In 1961, Antony Jenkins, English banker and businessman was born. In 1972, The first game of the World Chess Championship 1972 between challenger Bobby Fischer and defending champion Boris Spassky starts. In 1979, America's first space station, Skylab, is destroyed as it re-enters the Earth's atmosphere over the Indian Ocean. In 1990, Oka Crisis: First Nations land dispute in Quebec begins. In 2015, Satoru Iwata, Japanese game programmer and businessman (born 1959) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.