Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. 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 1881, Natalia Goncharova, Russian theatrical costume and set designer, painter and illustrator (died 1962) was born. In 1895, Oscar Hammerstein II, American director, producer, and songwriter (died 1960) was born. In 1928, Imero Fiorentino, American lighting designer (died 2013) was born. In 1933, Victor Poor, American engineer, developed the Datapoint 2200 (died 2012) was born. In 1948, Ben Burtt, American director, screenwriter, and sound designer was born. In 1957, Dave Semenko, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster (died 2017) was born. In 1967, Riots begin in Newark, New Jersey. In 1995, Chinese seismologists successfully predict the 1995 Myanmar-China earthquake, reducing the number of casualties to 11. In 2024, Tonke Dragt, Dutch children's writer and illustrator (born 1930) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.