Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 70, The armies of Titus attack the walls of Jerusalem after a six-month siege. Three days later they breach the walls, which enables the army to destroy the Second Temple. In 1191, Third Crusade: Saladin's garrison surrenders to Philip Augustus, ending the two-year siege of Acre. 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 1922, Mark Hatfield, American soldier and politician, 29th Governor of Oregon (died 2011) was born. In 1924, Faidon Matthaiou, Greek basketball player and coach (died 2011) was born. In 1948, Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion orders the expulsion of Palestinians from the towns of Lod and Ramla. In 1961, Indian city Pune floods due to failure of the Khadakwasla and Panshet dams, killing at least two thousand people. In 1995, Chinese seismologists successfully predict the 1995 Myanmar-China earthquake, reducing the number of casualties to 11. In 2007, U.S. Army Apache helicopters engage in airstrikes against armed insurgents in Baghdad, Iraq, where civilians are killed; footage from the cockpit is later leaked to the Internet. In 2012, A tank truck explosion kills more than 100 people in Okobie, Nigeria. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.