Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1754, Thomas Bowdler, English physician and philanthropist (died 1825) was born. In 1930, Harold Bloom, American literary critic (died 2019) was born. In 1937, Pai Hsien-yung, Chinese-Taiwanese author was born. In 1943, Howard Gardner, American psychologist and academic was born. In 1943, Richard Carleton, Australian journalist (died 2006) was born. In 1953, Ivan Toms, South African physician and activist (died 2008) was born. In 1955, Balaji Sadasivan, Singaporean neurosurgeon and politician, Singaporean Minister of Health (died 2010) 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 1998, Panagiotis Kondylis, Greek philosopher and author (born 1943) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.