Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1576, While exploring the North Atlantic Ocean in an attempt to find the Northwest Passage, Martin Frobisher sights Greenland, mistaking it for the hypothesized (but non-existent) island of "Frisland". In 1911, Erna Flegel, German nurse who was still present in the Führerbunker when it was captured by Soviet troops (died 2006) was born. In 1960, Congo Crisis: The State of Katanga breaks away from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 1967, Guy Favreau, Canadian lawyer, judge, and politician, 28th Canadian Minister of Justice (born 1917) passed away. In 1968, Michael Geist, Canadian journalist and academic was born. In 1974, Pär Lagerkvist, Swedish novelist, playwright, and poet Nobel Prize laureate (born 1891) passed away. In 1976, León de Greiff, Colombian poet and educator (born 1895) passed away. In 1978, Los Alfaques disaster: A truck carrying liquid gas crashes and explodes at a coastal campsite in Tarragona, Spain killing 216 tourists. In 1990, Oka Crisis: First Nations land dispute in Quebec begins. In 2015, Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán escapes from the maximum security Altiplano prison in Mexico, his second escape. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.