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 1790, The Civil Constitution of the Clergy is passed in France by the National Constituent Assembly. In 1967, Riots begin in Newark, New Jersey. In 1969, Chantal Jouanno, French politician, French Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports was born. In 1975, São Tomé and Príncipe declare independence from Portugal. In 1998, The Ulster Volunteer Force attacked a house in Ballymoney, County Antrim, Northern Ireland with a petrol bomb, killing the Quinn brothers. In 2006, The 2006 Lebanon War begins. 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, Syrian Civil War: Government forces target the homes of rebels and activists in Tremseh and kill anywhere between 68 and 150 people. In 2014, Alfred de Grazia, American political scientist and author (born 1919) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.