Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1527, Lê Cung Hoàng ceded the throne to Mạc Đăng Dung, ending the Lê dynasty and starting the Mạc dynasty. In 1562, Fray Diego de Landa, acting Bishop of Yucatán, burns the sacred idols and books of the Maya. In 1812, The American Army of the Northwest briefly occupies the Upper Canadian settlement at what is now at Windsor, Ontario. In 1884, Amedeo Modigliani, Italian painter and sculptor (died 1920) was born. In 1918, The Imperial Japanese Navy battleship Kawachi blows up at Shunan, western Honshu, Japan, killing at least 621. In 1961, Indian city Pune floods due to failure of the Khadakwasla and Panshet dams, killing at least two thousand people. In 1967, Riots begin in Newark, New Jersey. In 1973, A fire destroys the entire sixth floor of the National Personnel Records Center of the United States. 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, A tank truck explosion kills more than 100 people in Okobie, Nigeria. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.