Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1906, Murder of Grace Brown by Chester Gillette in the United States, inspiration for Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy. In 1921, A truce in the Irish War of Independence comes into effect. In 1924, Charlie Tully, Northern Irish footballer and manager (died 1971) was born. In 1935, Oliver Napier, Northern Irish lawyer and politician (died 2011) was born. In 1943, Richard Carleton, Australian journalist (died 2006) was born. In 1960, Congo Crisis: The State of Katanga breaks away from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 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 1990, Oka Crisis: First Nations land dispute in Quebec begins. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.