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 1864, American Civil War: Battle of Fort Stevens; Confederate forces attempt to invade Washington, D.C. In 1897, Salomon August Andrée leaves Spitsbergen to attempt to reach the North Pole by balloon. In 1899, Fiat founded by Giovanni Agnelli in Turin, Italy. In 1914, Babe Ruth makes his debut in Major League Baseball. In 1936, The Triborough Bridge in New York City is opened to traffic. 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 1999, Jan Sloot, Dutch computer scientist and electronics technician (born 1945) passed away. 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.