Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1906, Murder of Grace Brown by Chester Gillette in the United States, inspiration for Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy. In 1921, Former president of the United States William Howard Taft is sworn in as 10th chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, becoming the only person ever to hold both offices. In 1925, Peter Kyros, American lawyer and politician (died 2012) was born. In 1930, Harold Bloom, American literary critic (died 2019) was born. In 1935, Frederick Hemke, American saxophonist and educator (died 2019) was born. In 1960, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is first published, in the United States. In 1967, Guy Favreau, Canadian lawyer, judge, and politician, 28th Canadian Minister of Justice (born 1917) passed away. 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 1981, Susana Barreiros, Venezuelan judge was born. In 1990, Oka Crisis: First Nations land dispute in Quebec begins. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.