Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1191, Third Crusade: Saladin's garrison surrenders to Philip Augustus, ending the two-year siege of Acre. In 1493, Hartmann Schedel's Nuremberg Chronicle, one of the best-documented early printed books, is published. In 1691, Battle of Aughrim (Julian calendar): The decisive victory of William III of England's forces in Ireland. 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 1961, Indian city Pune floods due to failure of the Khadakwasla and Panshet dams, killing at least two thousand people. In 1995, Chinese seismologists successfully predict the 1995 Myanmar-China earthquake, reducing the number of casualties to 11. In 2001, Space Shuttle program: Space Shuttle Atlantis is launched on mission STS-104, carrying the Quest Joint Airlock to the International Space Station. In 2006, The 2006 Lebanon War begins. In 2007, U.S. Army Apache helicopters engage in airstrikes against armed insurgents in Baghdad, Iraq, where civilians are killed; footage from the cockpit is later leaked to the Internet. In 2012, Else Holmelund Minarik, Danish-American author and illustrator (born 1920) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.