Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1723, Jean-François Marmontel, French historian and author (died 1799) was born. In 1789, Jacques Necker is dismissed as France's Finance Minister sparking the Storming of the Bastille. 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 1912, Sergiu Celibidache, Romanian conductor and composer (died 1996) was born. In 1920, In the East Prussian plebiscite the local populace decides to remain with Weimar Germany. In 1924, César Lattes, Brazilian physicist and academic (died 2005) was born. In 1974, Pär Lagerkvist, Swedish novelist, playwright, and poet Nobel Prize laureate (born 1891) passed away. In 1976, León de Greiff, Colombian poet and educator (born 1895) passed away. In 1978, Los Alfaques disaster: A truck carrying liquid gas crashes and explodes at a coastal campsite in Tarragona, Spain killing 216 tourists. In 1988, Étienne Capoue, French footballer was born. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.