Today in News History

On July 11, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1302, Battle of the Golden Spurs (Guldensporenslag in Dutch): A coalition around the Flemish cities defeats the king of France's royal army. In 1302, Pierre Flotte, French politician and lawyer passed away. In 1789, Jacques Necker is dismissed as France's Finance Minister sparking the Storming of the Bastille. In 1924, Eric Liddell won the gold medal in 400m at the 1924 Paris Olympics, after refusing to run in the heats for 100m, his favoured distance, on a Sunday. In 1940, World War II: Vichy France regime is formally established. Philippe Pétain becomes Chief of the French State. In 1963, Dean Richards, English rugby player and coach was born. In 1973, Varig Flight 820 crashes near Paris on approach to Orly Airport, killing 123 of the 134 on board. In response, the FAA bans smoking in airplane lavatories. In 1978, Los Alfaques disaster: A truck carrying liquid gas crashes and explodes at a coastal campsite in Tarragona, Spain killing 216 tourists. In 2004, Renée Saint-Cyr, French actress and producer (born 1904) passed away. In 2021, Renée Simonot, French actress (born 1911) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.