Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1561, Luis de Góngora, Spanish cleric and poet (died 1627) was born. In 1599, Chōsokabe Motochika, Japanese daimyō (born 1539) passed away. In 1801, French astronomer Jean-Louis Pons makes his first comet discovery. In the next 27 years he discovers another 36 comets, more than any other person in history. In 1904, Niño Ricardo, Spanish guitarist and composer (died 1972) was born. In 1912, Sergiu Celibidache, Romanian conductor and composer (died 1996) was born. In 1931, Tullio Regge, Italian physicist and academic (died 2014) was born. In 1958, Stephanie Dabney, American ballerina (died 2022) was born. In 1969, Ned Boulting, British sports journalist and television presenter 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 1984, Tanith Belbin, Canadian-American ice dancer was born. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.