Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1798, The United States Marine Corps is re-established; they had been disbanded after the American Revolutionary War. In 1864, American Civil War: Battle of Fort Stevens; Confederate forces attempt to invade Washington, D.C. In 1882, The British Mediterranean Fleet begins the Bombardment of Alexandria in Egypt as part of the Anglo-Egyptian War. In 1914, The US Navy launches the USS Nevada (BB-36) as its first standard-type battleship. In 1943, World War II: Allied invasion of Sicily: German and Italian troops launch a counter-attack on Allied forces in Sicily. In 1962, Project Apollo: At a press conference, NASA announces lunar orbit rendezvous as the means to land astronauts on the Moon, and return them to Earth. 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 2011, Ninety-eight containers of explosives self-detonate killing 13 people in Zygi, Cyprus. In 2021, Richard Branson becomes the first civilian to be launched into space via his Virgin Galactic spacecraft. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.