Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1302, Pierre Flotte, French politician and lawyer passed away. In 1723, Jean-François Marmontel, French historian and author (died 1799) was born. In 1826, Alexander Afanasyev, Russian ethnographer and author (died 1871) was born. In 1912, Sergiu Celibidache, Romanian conductor and composer (died 1996) was born. In 1925, Nicolai Gedda, Swedish operatic tenor (died 2017) was born. In 1925, Charles Chaynes, French composer (died 2016) was born. In 1953, Angélica Aragón, Mexican film, television, and stage actress and singer was born. In 1976, León de Greiff, Colombian poet and educator (born 1895) passed away. 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, Peter Cincotti, American singer-songwriter and pianist was born. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.