Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1302, Battle of the Golden Spurs (Guldensporenslag in Dutch): A coalition around the Flemish cities defeats the king of France's royal army. In 1848, Waterloo railway station in London opens. In 1903, Sidney Franklin, American bullfighter (died 1976) was born. In 1924, Eric Liddell won the gold medal in 400m at the 1924 Paris Olympics, after refusing to run in the heats for 100m, his favoured distance, on a Sunday. 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 1971, The nationalization of all large copper mines in Chile is completed. In 1977, Martin Luther King Jr., assassinated in 1968, is awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 1990, Mona Barthel, German tennis player was born. In 2004, Laurance Rockefeller, American financier and philanthropist (born 1910) passed away. In 2005, Gretchen Franklin, English actress and dancer (born 1911) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.