Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 154, Bardaisan, Syrian astrologer, scholar, and philosopher (died 222) was born. In 1405, Ming admiral Zheng He sets sail to explore the world for the first time. In 1864, American Civil War: Battle of Fort Stevens; Confederate forces attempt to invade Washington, D.C. In 1914, Babe Ruth makes his debut in Major League Baseball. In 1953, Leon Spinks, American boxer (died 2021) was born. In 1960, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is first published, in the United States. In 1960, France legislates for the independence of Dahomey (later Benin), Upper Volta (later Burkina Faso) and Niger. 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 1978, Los Alfaques disaster: A truck carrying liquid gas crashes and explodes at a coastal campsite in Tarragona, Spain killing 216 tourists. In 1979, America's first space station, Skylab, is destroyed as it re-enters the Earth's atmosphere over the Indian Ocean. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.