Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1804, A duel occurs in which the Vice President of the United States Aaron Burr mortally wounds former Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton. In 1864, American Civil War: Battle of Fort Stevens; Confederate forces attempt to invade Washington, D.C. In 1905, Betty Allan, Australian statistician and biometrician (died 1952) was born. In 1950, Pervez Hoodbhoy, Pakistani physicist and academic was born. In 1951, Ed Ott, American baseball player and coach (died 2024) was born. In 1953, Piyasvasti Amranand, Thai businessman and politician, Thai Minister of Energy was born. In 1955, Balaji Sadasivan, Singaporean neurosurgeon and politician, Singaporean Minister of Health (died 2010) 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 1978, Los Alfaques disaster: A truck carrying liquid gas crashes and explodes at a coastal campsite in Tarragona, Spain killing 216 tourists. In 2008, Michael E. DeBakey, American surgeon and educator (born 1908) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.