Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1850, Otto Schoetensack, German anthropologist and academic (died 1912) was born. In 1900, Marcel Paul, French communist politician and Holocaust survivor (died 1982) was born. In 1943, World War II: Battle of Kursk: German and Soviet forces engage in the Battle of Prokhorovka, one of the largest armored engagements of all time. In 1954, Wolfgang Dremmler, German footballer and coach was born. In 1967, Riots begin in Newark, New Jersey. In 1995, Chinese seismologists successfully predict the 1995 Myanmar-China earthquake, reducing the number of casualties to 11. In 2006, The 2006 Lebanon War begins. In 2007, U.S. Army Apache helicopters engage in airstrikes against armed insurgents in Baghdad, Iraq, where civilians are killed; footage from the cockpit is later leaked to the Internet. In 2012, Syrian Civil War: Government forces target the homes of rebels and activists in Tremseh and kill anywhere between 68 and 150 people. In 2012, A tank truck explosion kills more than 100 people in Okobie, Nigeria. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.