Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1914, The US Navy launches the USS Nevada (BB-36) as its first standard-type battleship. In 1916, Alexander Prokhorov, Australian-Russian physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2002) was born. In 1962, First transatlantic satellite television transmission. 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 1991, Nigeria Airways Flight 2120 crashes in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, killing all 261 passengers and crew on board. In 1994, Gary Kildall, American computer scientist, founded Digital Research (born 1942) passed away. In 2006, Mumbai train bombings: 209 people are killed in a series of bomb attacks in Mumbai, India. In 2007, Ed Mirvish, American-Canadian businessman and philanthropist, founded Honest Ed's (born 1914) passed away. In 2014, John Seigenthaler, American journalist and academic (born 1927) passed away. 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.