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 1804, Alexander Hamilton, American general, economist, and politician, 1st United States Secretary of the Treasury (born 1755) passed away. In 1933, Victor Poor, American engineer, developed the Datapoint 2200 (died 2012) was born. In 1961, Shiva Rajkumar, Indian actor, singer, and producer was born. In 1975, São Tomé and Príncipe declare independence from Portugal. In 1995, Chinese seismologists successfully predict the 1995 Myanmar-China earthquake, reducing the number of casualties to 11. In 2001, Space Shuttle program: Space Shuttle Atlantis is launched on mission STS-104, carrying the Quest Joint Airlock to the International Space Station. In 2006, The 2006 Lebanon War begins. In 2008, Tony Snow, American journalist, 26th White House Press Secretary (born 1955) passed away. In 2010, Pius Njawé, Cameroonian journalist (born 1957) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.