Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1174, Amalric I of Jerusalem (born 1136) passed away. In 1899, Wilfrid Israel, German businessman and philanthropist (died 1943) was born. In 1901, Gwendolyn Lizarraga, Belizean businesswoman, activist, and politician (died 1975) was born. In 1960, Congo Crisis: The State of Katanga breaks away from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 1973, Varig Flight 820 crashes near Paris on approach to Orly Airport, killing 123 of the 134 on board. In response, the FAA bans smoking in airplane lavatories. In 1976, León de Greiff, Colombian poet and educator (born 1895) passed away. 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 2003, Zahra Kazemi, Iranian-Canadian freelance photographer (born 1948) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.