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 1881, Natalia Goncharova, Russian theatrical costume and set designer, painter and illustrator (died 1962) was born. In 1895, Kirsten Flagstad, Norwegian soprano (died 1962) was born. In 1909, Motoichi Kumagai, Japanese photographer and illustrator (died 2010) was born. In 1951, Piotr Pustelnik, Polish mountaineer was born. In 1967, Bruny Surin, Canadian sprinter was born. In 1971, Kristi Yamaguchi, American figure skater was born. In 1979, Maya Kobayashi, Japanese journalist was born. In 2001, Space Shuttle program: Space Shuttle Atlantis is launched on mission STS-104, carrying the Quest Joint Airlock to the International Space Station. In 2004, Betty Oliphant, English-Canadian ballerina, co-founded the National Ballet School of Canada (born 1918) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.