Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1864, American Civil War: Battle of Fort Stevens; Confederate forces attempt to invade Washington, D.C. In 1899, E. B. White, American essayist and journalist (died 1985) was born. In 1906, Murder of Grace Brown by Chester Gillette in the United States, inspiration for Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy. In 1960, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is first published, in the United States. In 1960, Congo Crisis: The State of Katanga breaks away from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 1972, The first game of the World Chess Championship 1972 between challenger Bobby Fischer and defending champion Boris Spassky starts. In 1979, America's first space station, Skylab, is destroyed as it re-enters the Earth's atmosphere over the Indian Ocean. In 1990, Oka Crisis: First Nations land dispute in Quebec begins. In 1995, Yugoslav Wars: Srebrenica massacre begins; lasts until 22 July. In 2014, Bill McGill, American basketball player (born 1939) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.