Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1899, Wilfrid Israel, German businessman and philanthropist (died 1943) was born. In 1960, Congo Crisis: The State of Katanga breaks away from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 1976, Eduardo Nájera, Mexican-American basketball player and coach was born. 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 1995, Yugoslav Wars: Srebrenica massacre begins; lasts until 22 July. In 1999, Jan Sloot, Dutch computer scientist and electronics technician (born 1945) passed away. In 2003, Zahra Kazemi, Iranian-Canadian freelance photographer (born 1948) passed away. In 2006, Mumbai train bombings: 209 people are killed in a series of bomb attacks in Mumbai, India. In 2011, Ninety-eight containers of explosives self-detonate killing 13 people in Zygi, Cyprus. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.