Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1723, Jean-François Marmontel, French historian and author (died 1799) was born. In 1846, Léon Bloy, French author and poet (died 1917) was born. In 1849, N. E. Brown, English plant taxonomist and authority on succulents (died 1934) was born. In 1912, Sergiu Celibidache, Romanian conductor and composer (died 1996) was born. In 1925, Charles Chaynes, French composer (died 2016) was born. In 1960, France legislates for the independence of Dahomey (later Benin), Upper Volta (later Burkina Faso) and Niger. In 1998, Panagiotis Kondylis, Greek philosopher and author (born 1943) passed away. In 2014, Carin Mannheimer, Swedish author and screenwriter (born 1934) passed away. In 2015, Giacomo Biffi, Italian cardinal (born 1928) passed away. In 2023, Milan Kundera, Czech-French writer (born 1929) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.