Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1562, Fray Diego de Landa, acting Bishop of Yucatán, burns the sacred idols and books of the Maya. 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 1928, Alastair Burnet, English journalist (died 2012) was born. In 1943, Paul Silas, American basketball player and coach (died 2022) was born. In 1948, Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion orders the expulsion of Palestinians from the towns of Lod and Ramla. In 1948, Elias Khoury, Lebanese intellectual, playwright and novelist (died 2024) was born. 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, Syrian Civil War: Government forces target the homes of rebels and activists in Tremseh and kill anywhere between 68 and 150 people. In 2014, Jamil Ahmad, Pakistani author (born 1931) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.