Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1709, Johan Gottschalk Wallerius, Swedish chemist and mineralogist (died 1785) was born. In 1836, The Fly-fisher's Entomology is published by Alfred Ronalds. The book transformed the sport and went to many editions. In 1894, Erna Mohr, German zoologist (died 1968) was born. In 1903, Sidney Franklin, American bullfighter (died 1976) was born. In 1906, Murder of Grace Brown by Chester Gillette in the United States, inspiration for Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy. In 1927, Theodore Maiman, American-Canadian physicist and engineer (died 2007) 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 1979, America's first space station, Skylab, is destroyed as it re-enters the Earth's atmosphere over the Indian Ocean. In 1995, Yugoslav Wars: Srebrenica massacre begins; lasts until 22 July. In 2011, Ninety-eight containers of explosives self-detonate killing 13 people in Zygi, Cyprus. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.