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 1174, Baldwin IV, 13, becomes King of Jerusalem, with Raymond III, Count of Tripoli as regent and William of Tyre as chancellor. In 1735, Mathematical calculations suggest that it is on this day that dwarf planet Pluto moved inside the orbit of Neptune for the last time before 1979. In 1864, American Civil War: Battle of Fort Stevens; Confederate forces attempt to invade Washington, D.C. In 1967, Guy Favreau, Canadian lawyer, judge, and politician, 28th Canadian Minister of Justice (born 1917) passed away. In 1979, America's first space station, Skylab, is destroyed as it re-enters the Earth's atmosphere over the Indian Ocean. In 1995, Yugoslav Wars: Srebrenica massacre begins; lasts until 22 July. In 1999, Jan Sloot, Dutch computer scientist and electronics technician (born 1945) passed away. In 2021, Richard Branson becomes the first civilian to be launched into space via his Virgin Galactic spacecraft. In 2021, Renée Simonot, French actress (born 1911) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.