Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1789, Jacques Necker is dismissed as France's Finance Minister sparking the Storming of the Bastille. In 1801, French astronomer Jean-Louis Pons makes his first comet discovery. In the next 27 years he discovers another 36 comets, more than any other person in history. In 1930, Trevor Storer, English businessman, founded Pukka Pies (died 2013) was born. In 1936, The Triborough Bridge in New York City is opened to traffic. 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 1977, Martin Luther King Jr., assassinated in 1968, is awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 1979, America's first space station, Skylab, is destroyed as it re-enters the Earth's atmosphere over the Indian Ocean. In 1990, Oka Crisis: First Nations land dispute in Quebec begins. In 1994, Gary Kildall, American computer scientist, founded Digital Research (born 1942) passed away. In 2007, Ed Mirvish, American-Canadian businessman and philanthropist, founded Honest Ed's (born 1914) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.