Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 981, Xue Juzheng, Chinese scholar-official and historian passed away. In 1926, Gertrude Bell, English archaeologist and spy (born 1868) passed away. In 1933, Victor Poor, American engineer, developed the Datapoint 2200 (died 2012) was born. In 1961, Indian city Pune floods due to failure of the Khadakwasla and Panshet dams, killing at least two thousand people. In 1976, Dan Boyle, Canadian ice hockey player was born. In 1995, Chinese seismologists successfully predict the 1995 Myanmar-China earthquake, reducing the number of casualties to 11. In 1998, The Ulster Volunteer Force attacked a house in Ballymoney, County Antrim, Northern Ireland with a petrol bomb, killing the Quinn brothers. In 1998, Arkady Ostashev, Soviet/Russian scientist and engineer (born 1925) passed away. 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.