Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1174, Baldwin IV, 13, becomes King of Jerusalem, with Raymond III, Count of Tripoli as regent and William of Tyre as chancellor. In 1616, Samuel de Champlain returns to Quebec. In 1760, Peggy Shippen, American wife of Benedict Arnold and American Revolutionary War spy (died 1804) was born. In 1864, American Civil War: Battle of Fort Stevens; Confederate forces attempt to invade Washington, D.C. In 1943, World War II: Allied invasion of Sicily: German and Italian troops launch a counter-attack on Allied forces in Sicily. In 1960, Congo Crisis: The State of Katanga breaks away from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 1960, France legislates for the independence of Dahomey (later Benin), Upper Volta (later Burkina Faso) and Niger. 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 2014, Bill McGill, American basketball player (born 1939) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.