Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1899, Wilfrid Israel, German businessman and philanthropist (died 1943) was born. In 1906, Herbert Wehner, German politician, Minister of Intra-German Relations (died 1990) was born. In 1950, Pakistan joins the International Monetary Fund and the International Bank. 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 1970, Sajjad Karim, English lawyer and politician was born. In 1978, Los Alfaques disaster: A truck carrying liquid gas crashes and explodes at a coastal campsite in Tarragona, Spain killing 216 tourists. In 1995, Yugoslav Wars: Srebrenica massacre begins; lasts until 22 July. In 2011, Ninety-eight containers of explosives self-detonate killing 13 people in Zygi, Cyprus. 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.