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 1849, William Osler, Canadian physician and author (died 1919) was born. In 1920, Pierre Berton, Canadian journalist and author (died 2004) was born. In 1920, Paul Gonsalves, American saxophonist (died 1974) was born. In 1928, Alastair Burnet, English journalist (died 2012) was born. In 1931, Eric Ives, English historian and academic (died 2012) was born. In 1951, Piotr Pustelnik, Polish mountaineer was born. In 1955, Timothy Garton Ash, English historian and author was born. In 2010, Harvey Pekar, American author and critic (born 1939) passed away. In 2010, James P. Hogan, English-American author (born 1941) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.