Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1580, The Ostrog Bible, one of the early printed Bibles in a Slavic language, is published. In 1789, In response to the dismissal of the French finance minister Jacques Necker, the radical journalist Camille Desmoulins gives a speech which results in the storming of the Bastille two days later. In 1790, The Civil Constitution of the Clergy is passed in France by the National Constituent Assembly. In 1862, The Medal of Honor is authorized by the United States Congress. In 1908, Paul Runyan, American golfer and sportscaster (died 2002) was born. In 1913, The Second Revolution breaks out against the Beiyang government, as Li Liejun proclaims Jiangxi independent from the Republic of China. In 1917, The Bisbee Deportation occurs as vigilantes kidnap and deport nearly 1,300 striking miners and others from Bisbee, Arizona. In 1918, The Imperial Japanese Navy battleship Kawachi blows up at Shunan, western Honshu, Japan, killing at least 621. In 1973, A fire destroys the entire sixth floor of the National Personnel Records Center of the United States. 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. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.