Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1848, Waterloo railway station in London opens. In 1899, Fiat founded by Giovanni Agnelli in Turin, Italy. In 1944, Michael Levy, Baron Levy, English philanthropist was born. In 1950, Pakistan joins the International Monetary Fund and the International Bank. In 1960, France legislates for the independence of Dahomey (later Benin), Upper Volta (later Burkina Faso) and Niger. In 1960, Congo Crisis: The State of Katanga breaks away from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 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 2004, Laurance Rockefeller, American financier and philanthropist (born 1910) passed away. In 2021, Richard Branson becomes the first civilian to be launched into space via his Virgin Galactic spacecraft. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.