Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 154, Bardaisan, Syrian astrologer, scholar, and philosopher (died 222) was born. In 1302, Robert II, Count of Artois (born 1250) passed away. In 1302, Battle of the Golden Spurs (Guldensporenslag in Dutch): A coalition around the Flemish cities defeats the king of France's royal army. In 1789, Jacques Necker is dismissed as France's Finance Minister sparking the Storming of the Bastille. In 1924, Eric Liddell won the gold medal in 400m at the 1924 Paris Olympics, after refusing to run in the heats for 100m, his favoured distance, on a Sunday. In 1925, Charles Chaynes, French composer (died 2016) was born. In 1973, Varig Flight 820 crashes near Paris on approach to Orly Airport, killing 123 of the 134 on board. In response, the FAA bans smoking in airplane lavatories. In 1986, Yoann Gourcuff, French footballer was born. In 2004, Renée Saint-Cyr, French actress and producer (born 1904) passed away. In 2021, Renée Simonot, French actress (born 1911) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.