Here’s a look at what happened on this day, 12 July, throughout history. We remember the news, events, and people that influenced the course of history forever.
ON THIS DAY: 12 JULY
2013 | Six people were killed and 200 injured in a French passenger train crash in Brétigny-sur-Orge.
2012 | Syrian Civil War: Government forces targeted the homes of rebels and activists in Tremseh and killed anywhere between 68 and 150 people.
2007 | U.S. Army Apache helicopters engaged in airstrikes against civilians in Baghdad, Iraq; footage from the cockpit was later leaked to the Internet.
1998 | The Ulster Volunteer Forces attacked a house in Ballymoney, County Antrim, Northern Ireland with a petro bomb, and Quinn’s brothers were killed.
1979 | The island nation of Kiribati became independent from the United Kingdom.
1973 | A fire destroyed the entire sixth floor of the National Personnel Records Center of the United States.
ALSO READ: What happened on 11 July?
BIRTHDAYS
1965 | American singer and guitarist, Robin Wilson.
1930 | Canadian actor, director, and screenwriter, Gordon Pinsent.
1997 | English cricketer, Daniel Lawrence.
1988 | American football player, LeSean McCoy.
1985 | Italian footballer, Gianluca Curci.
ON THIS DAY: DEATHS
1999 | Bollywood actor, Rajendra Kumar, 78.
2007 | Australian radio and television host, Stan Zemanek, 60.
1929 | American painter and educator, Robert Henri, 64.
2004 | English-Canadian ballerina, co-founded the National Ballet School of Canada, Betty Oliphant,86.
2014 | American political scientist and author, Alfred de Grazia, 95.
SPORTS
1974 | On this day, Liverpool signed Ray Kennedy from Arsenal for £180 000 and Bill Shankly announced that he was retiring as manager of Liverpool.
ENTERTAINMENT
2019 | On this day in Germany, “Kidnapping Stella” was released. It was directed by Thomas Sieben.
AFRICA FACT
More than half of the African continent is covered by grassland or savannah.