Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1599, Chōsokabe Motochika, Japanese daimyō (born 1539) passed away. In 1937, Pai Hsien-yung, Chinese-Taiwanese author was born. In 1955, Balaji Sadasivan, Singaporean neurosurgeon and politician, Singaporean Minister of Health (died 2010) was born. In 1960, Congo Crisis: The State of Katanga breaks away from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 1977, Martin Luther King Jr., assassinated in 1968, is awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 1978, Los Alfaques disaster: A truck carrying liquid gas crashes and explodes at a coastal campsite in Tarragona, Spain killing 216 tourists. In 1987, Shigeaki Kato, Japanese singer was born. In 1991, Nigeria Airways Flight 2120 crashes in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, killing all 261 passengers and crew on board. In 1995, Yugoslav Wars: Srebrenica massacre begins; lasts until 22 July. In 2009, Ji Xianlin, Chinese linguist and paleographer (born 1911) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.