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 1868, Stefan George, German poet and translator (died 1933) was born. In 1900, Marcel Paul, French communist politician and Holocaust survivor (died 1982) was born. In 1931, Eric Ives, English historian and academic (died 2012) was born. In 1934, Van Cliburn, American pianist and composer (died 2013) was born. In 1948, Ben Burtt, American director, screenwriter, and sound designer was born. In 1948, Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion orders the expulsion of Palestinians from the towns of Lod and Ramla. In 1959, David Brown, Australian meteorologist was born. In 1993, Dan Eldon, English photographer and journalist (born 1970) passed away. 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.