Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1688, Narai, Thai king (born 1629) passed away. In 1912, Sergiu Celibidache, Romanian conductor and composer (died 1996) was born. In 1950, Pakistan joins the International Monetary Fund and the International Bank. In 1955, Balaji Sadasivan, Singaporean neurosurgeon and politician, Singaporean Minister of Health (died 2010) was born. In 1960, Congo Crisis: The State of Katanga breaks away from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 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 1971, The nationalization of all large copper mines in Chile is completed. In 1978, Los Alfaques disaster: A truck carrying liquid gas crashes and explodes at a coastal campsite in Tarragona, Spain killing 216 tourists. In 1995, Yugoslav Wars: Srebrenica massacre begins; lasts until 22 July. In 2009, Ji Xianlin, Chinese linguist and paleographer (born 1911) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.