Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1789, In response to the dismissal of the French finance minister Jacques Necker, the radical journalist Camille Desmoulins gives a speech which results in the storming of the Bastille two days later. In 1900, Marcel Paul, French communist politician and Holocaust survivor (died 1982) was born. In 1917, Luigi Gorrini, Italian soldier and pilot (died 2014) was born. In 1918, The Imperial Japanese Navy battleship Kawachi blows up at Shunan, western Honshu, Japan, killing at least 621. In 1927, Françoys Bernier, Canadian pianist, conductor, and educator (died 1993) was born. In 1930, Guy Ligier, French race car driver and team owner (died 2015) was born. In 1941, Benny Parsons, American race car driver and sportscaster (died 2007) was born. In 1957, Dave Semenko, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster (died 2017) was born. In 1969, Chantal Jouanno, French politician, French Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports was born. In 2015, Cheng Siwei, Chinese engineer, economist, and politician (born 1935) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.