Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1174, Baldwin IV, 13, becomes King of Jerusalem, with Raymond III, Count of Tripoli as regent and William of Tyre as chancellor. In 1893, A revolution led by the liberal general and politician José Santos Zelaya takes over state power in Nicaragua. In 1912, William F. Walsh, American captain and politician, 48th Mayor of Syracuse (died 2011) was born. In 1930, Ezra Vogel, American sociologist (died 2020) was born. In 1930, Mike Foster, American politician, 53rd Governor of Louisiana (died 2020) was born. 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 1977, Martin Luther King Jr., assassinated in 1968, is awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 1977, Brandon Short, American football player and sportscaster 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 1995, Tyler Medeiros, Canadian singer-songwriter and dancer was born. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.