Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1191, Third Crusade: Saladin's garrison surrenders to Philip Augustus, ending the two-year siege of Acre. In 1789, In response to the dismissal of the French finance minister Jacques Necker, the radical journalist Camille Desmoulins gives a speech which results in the storming of the Bastille two days later. In 1817, Alvin Saunders, Territorial Governor and Senator from Nebraska (died 1899) was born. In 1909, Herbert Zim, American naturalist, author, and educator (died 1994) was born. In 1948, Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion orders the expulsion of Palestinians from the towns of Lod and Ramla. In 1961, Indian city Pune floods due to failure of the Khadakwasla and Panshet dams, killing at least two thousand people. In 1961, ČSA Flight 511 crashes at Casablanca-Anfa Airport in Morocco, killing 72. In 1967, Riots begin in Newark, New Jersey. 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. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.