Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 911, Signing of the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between Charles the Simple and Rollo of Normandy. In 937, Rudolph II of Burgundy (born 880) passed away. In 1864, American Civil War: Battle of Fort Stevens; Confederate forces attempt to invade Washington, D.C. In 1882, The British Mediterranean Fleet begins the Bombardment of Alexandria in Egypt as part of the Anglo-Egyptian War. In 1895, Dorothy Wilde, English author and poet (died 1941) was born. In 1897, Salomon August Andrée leaves Spitsbergen to attempt to reach the North Pole by balloon. In 1906, Murder of Grace Brown by Chester Gillette in the United States, inspiration for Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy. In 1920, In the East Prussian plebiscite the local populace decides to remain with Weimar Germany. 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, Laurance Rockefeller, American financier and philanthropist (born 1910) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.