Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1628, Tokugawa Mitsukuni, Japanese daimyō (died 1701) was born. In 1789, Jacques Necker is dismissed as France's Finance Minister sparking the Storming of the Bastille. In 1919, The eight-hour day and free Sunday become law for workers in the Netherlands. In 1957, Patsy O'Hara, Irish Republican hunger striker (died 1981) was born. In 1960, Congo Crisis: The State of Katanga breaks away from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 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 2006, Mumbai train bombings: 209 people are killed in a series of bomb attacks in Mumbai, India. In 2011, Ninety-eight containers of explosives self-detonate killing 13 people in Zygi, Cyprus. In 2015, Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán escapes from the maximum security Altiplano prison in Mexico, his second escape. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.