Today in News History

On July 12, 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 1405, Ming admiral Zheng He sets sail to explore the world for the first time. In 1916, Gough Whitlam, Australian lieutenant, lawyer, and politician, 21st Prime Minister of Australia (died 2014) was born. In 1953, Piyasvasti Amranand, Thai businessman and politician, Thai Minister of Energy was born. In 1955, Balaji Sadasivan, Singaporean neurosurgeon and politician, Singaporean Minister of Health (died 2010) was born. In 1960, Congo Crisis: The State of Katanga breaks away from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 1962, Project Apollo: At a press conference, NASA announces lunar orbit rendezvous as the means to land astronauts on the Moon, and return them to Earth. In 1990, Oka Crisis: First Nations land dispute in Quebec begins. In 1995, Yugoslav Wars: Srebrenica massacre begins; lasts until 22 July. In 2015, Satoru Iwata, Japanese game programmer and businessman (born 1959) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.