Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1562, Fray Diego de Landa, acting Bishop of Yucatán, burns the sacred idols and books of the Maya. In 1789, In response to the dismissal of the French finance minister Jacques Necker, the radical journalist Camille Desmoulins gives a speech which results in the storming of the Bastille two days later. In 1852, Hipólito Yrigoyen, Argentinian lawyer and politician, 19th President of Argentina (died 1933) was born. In 1937, Mickey Edwards, American lawyer and politician was born. In 1979, Maya Kobayashi, Japanese journalist was born. In 1994, Kanako Momota, Japanese singer-songwriter was born. In 2006, The 2006 Lebanon War begins. 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, Syrian Civil War: Government forces target the homes of rebels and activists in Tremseh and kill anywhere between 68 and 150 people. In 2015, Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, Tibetan monk and activist (born 1950) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.