Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 911, Signing of the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between Charles the Simple and Rollo of Normandy. In 1302, Battle of the Golden Spurs (Guldensporenslag in Dutch): A coalition around the Flemish cities defeats the king of France's royal army. In 1789, Jacques Necker is dismissed as France's Finance Minister sparking the Storming of the Bastille. In 1864, American Civil War: Battle of Fort Stevens; Confederate forces attempt to invade Washington, D.C. In 1916, Mortimer Caplin, American tax attorney, educator, and IRS Commissioner (died 2019) was born. In 1960, Congo Crisis: The State of Katanga breaks away from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 1978, Los Alfaques disaster: A truck carrying liquid gas crashes and explodes at a coastal campsite in Tarragona, Spain killing 216 tourists. In 1990, Oka Crisis: First Nations land dispute in Quebec begins. In 2003, Zahra Kazemi, Iranian-Canadian freelance photographer (born 1948) passed away. In 2004, Laurance Rockefeller, American financier and philanthropist (born 1910) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.