Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1900, Marcel Paul, French communist politician and Holocaust survivor (died 1982) was born. In 1916, Lyudmila Pavlichenko, Ukrainian-Russian soldier and sniper (died 1974) was born. In 1917, The Bisbee Deportation occurs as vigilantes kidnap and deport nearly 1,300 striking miners and others from Bisbee, Arizona. 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 1957, Rick Husband, American colonel, pilot, and astronaut (died 2003) was born. In 1961, ČSA Flight 511 crashes at Casablanca-Anfa Airport in Morocco, killing 72. In 1961, Indian city Pune floods due to failure of the Khadakwasla and Panshet dams, killing at least two thousand people. 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, 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.