Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1801, French astronomer Jean-Louis Pons makes his first comet discovery. In the next 27 years he discovers another 36 comets, more than any other person in history. In 1921, A truce in the Irish War of Independence comes into effect. In 1928, Greville Janner, Baron Janner of Braunstone, Welsh-English lawyer and politician (died 2015) was born. In 1934, Clark R. Rasmussen, American politician (died 2024) was born. In 1967, Guy Favreau, Canadian lawyer, judge, and politician, 28th Canadian Minister of Justice (born 1917) passed away. In 1979, America's first space station, Skylab, is destroyed as it re-enters the Earth's atmosphere over the Indian Ocean. In 1994, Gary Kildall, American computer scientist, founded Digital Research (born 1942) passed away. In 1995, Yugoslav Wars: Srebrenica massacre begins; lasts until 22 July. In 1999, Jan Sloot, Dutch computer scientist and electronics technician (born 1945) passed away. 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.