On This Day — February 12

🕰️ Notable Events on February 12

• 2009 — Colgan Air Flight 3407 crashes into a house in Clarence Center, New York while on approach to Buffalo Niagara International Airport, killing all on board and one on the ground. Wikipedia ↗
• 2004 — The city of San Francisco begins issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in response to a directive from Mayor Gavin Newsom. Wikipedia ↗
• 2002 — The trial of Slobodan Milošević, the former President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, begins at the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague, Netherlands. He dies four years later before its conclusion. Wikipedia ↗
• 2002 — An Iran Airtour Tupolev Tu-154 crashes in the mountains outside Khorramabad, Iran while descending for a landing at Khorramabad Airport, killing 119. Wikipedia ↗
• 2001 — NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft touches down in the "saddle" region of 433 Eros, becoming the first spacecraft to land on an asteroid. Wikipedia ↗
• 1999 — United States President Bill Clinton is acquitted by the United States Senate in his impeachment trial. Wikipedia ↗
• 1994 — Four thieves break into the National Gallery of Norway and steal Edvard Munch's iconic painting The Scream. Wikipedia ↗
• 1993 — Two-year-old James Bulger is abducted from New Strand Shopping Centre by two ten-year-old boys, who later torture and murder him. Wikipedia ↗
• 1992 — The current Constitution of Mongolia comes into effect. Wikipedia ↗
• 1990 — Carmen Lawrence becomes the first female Premier in Australian history when she becomes Premier of Western Australia. Wikipedia ↗
• 1983 — One hundred women protest in Lahore, Pakistan against military dictator Zia-ul-Haq's proposed Law of Evidence. The women were tear-gassed, baton-charged and thrown into lock-up. The women were successful in repealing the law. Wikipedia ↗
• 1974 — Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1970, is exiled from the Soviet Union. Wikipedia ↗
• 1968 — Phong Nhị and Phong Nhất massacre. Wikipedia ↗
• 1965 — Malcolm X visits Smethwick following the racial charged 1964 general election.[1] Wikipedia ↗
• 1963 — Construction begins on the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. Wikipedia ↗
• 1961 — Soviet Union launches Venera 1 towards Venus. Wikipedia ↗
• 1954 — Lyons's LEO produces a payroll report. It is the first time in history a computer is used in business. Wikipedia ↗
• 1947 — The largest observed iron meteorite until that time creates an impact crater in Sikhote-Alin, in the Soviet Union. Wikipedia ↗
• 1947 — Christian Dior unveils a "New Look", helping Paris regain its position as the capital of the fashion world. Wikipedia ↗
• 1946 — World War II: Operation Deadlight ends after scuttling 121 of 154 captured U-boats. Wikipedia ↗
• 1946 — African American United States Army veteran Isaac Woodard is severely beaten by a South Carolina police officer to the point where he loses his vision in both eyes. The incident later galvanizes the Civil Rights Movement and partially inspires Orson Welles' film Touch of Evil. Wikipedia ↗
• 1935 — USS Macon, one of the two largest helium-filled airships ever created, crashes into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California and sinks. Wikipedia ↗
• 1924 — George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue received its premiere in a concert titled "An Experiment in Modern Music", in Aeolian Hall, New York, by Paul Whiteman and his band, with Gershwin playing the piano. Wikipedia ↗
• 1921 — Bolsheviks launch a revolt in Georgia as a preliminary to the Red Army invasion of Georgia. Wikipedia ↗
• 1915 — In Washington, D.C., the first stone of the Lincoln Memorial is put into place. Wikipedia ↗
• 1912 — The Xuantong Emperor, the last Emperor of China, abdicates. Wikipedia ↗
• 1909 — The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is founded. Wikipedia ↗
• 1909 — New Zealand's worst maritime disaster of the 20th century happens when the SS Penguin, an inter-island ferry, sinks and explodes at the entrance to Wellington Harbour. Wikipedia ↗
• 1894 — Anarchist Émile Henry hurls a bomb into the Cafe Terminus in Paris, killing one person and wounding 20. Wikipedia ↗
• 1855 — Michigan State University is established. Wikipedia ↗
• 1851 — Edward Hargraves announces he has found gold in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia, starting the Australian gold rushes. Wikipedia ↗
• 1832 — Ecuador annexes the Galápagos Islands. Wikipedia ↗
• 1825 — The Creek cede the last of their lands in Georgia to the United States government by the Treaty of Indian Springs, and migrate west. Wikipedia ↗
• 1818 — Bernardo O'Higgins formally approves the Chilean Declaration of Independence near Concepción, Chile. Wikipedia ↗
• 1817 — An Argentine/Chilean patriotic army, after crossing the Andes, defeats Spanish troops on the Battle of Chacabuco. Wikipedia ↗
• 1771 — Gustav III becomes the King of Sweden. Wikipedia ↗
• 1733 — Englishman James Oglethorpe founds Georgia, the 13th colony of the Thirteen Colonies, and its first city at Savannah (known as Georgia Day). Wikipedia ↗
• 1689 — The Convention Parliament declares that the flight to France in 1688 by James II, the last Roman Catholic British monarch, constitutes an abdication. Wikipedia ↗
• 1593 — Japanese invasion of Korea: Approximately 3,000 Joseon defenders led by general Kwon Yul successfully repel more than 30,000 Japanese forces in the Siege of Haengju. Wikipedia ↗
• 1554 — A year after claiming the throne of England for nine days, Lady Jane Grey is beheaded for treason. Wikipedia ↗
• 1541 — Santiago, Chile is founded by Pedro de Valdivia. Wikipedia ↗
• 1502 — Isabella I issued an edict outlawing Islam in the Crown of Castile, forcing virtually all her Muslim subjects to convert to Christianity. Wikipedia ↗
• 1502 — Vasco da Gama sets sail from Lisbon, Portugal, on his second voyage to India. Wikipedia ↗
• 1429 — English forces under Sir John Fastolf defend a supply convoy carrying rations to the army besieging Orléans in the Battle of the Herrings. Wikipedia ↗
• 881 — Pope John VIII crowns Charles the Fat, the King of Italy: Holy Roman Emperor Wikipedia ↗

🎂 Notable Births on February 12

• 1995 — Josh King, Australian rugby league player Wikipedia ↗
• 1991 — Patrick Herrmann, German footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1990 — Robert Griffin III, American football player Wikipedia ↗
• 1988 — DeMarco Murray, American football player Wikipedia ↗
• 1988 — Mike Posner, American singer-songwriter and producer Wikipedia ↗
• 1984 — Brad Keselowski, American race car driver Wikipedia ↗
• 1984 — Andrei Sidorenkov, Estonian footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1984 — Peter Vanderkaay, American swimmer Wikipedia ↗
• 1983 — Carlton Brewster, American football player and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1982 — Jonas Hiller, Swiss ice hockey player Wikipedia ↗
• 1982 — Louis Tsatoumas, Greek long jumper Wikipedia ↗
• 1982 — Anthony Tuitavake, New Zealand rugby player Wikipedia ↗
• 1981 — Wade McKinnon, Australian rugby league player Wikipedia ↗
• 1980 — Juan Carlos Ferrero, Spanish tennis player Wikipedia ↗
• 1980 — Sarah Lancaster, American actress Wikipedia ↗
• 1980 — Christina Ricci, American actress and producer Wikipedia ↗
• 1980 — Gucci Mane, American rapper Wikipedia ↗
• 1979 — Antonio Chatman, American football player Wikipedia ↗
• 1979 — Jesse Spencer, Australian actor and violinist Wikipedia ↗
• 1978 — Brett Hodgson, Australian rugby league player and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1977 — Jimmy Conrad, American soccer player and manager Wikipedia ↗
• 1976 — Christian Cullen, New Zealand rugby player Wikipedia ↗
• 1974 — Naseem Hamed, English boxer Wikipedia ↗
• 1973 — Gianni Romme, Dutch speed skater Wikipedia ↗
• 1973 — Tara Strong, Canadian voice actress and singer Wikipedia ↗
• 1971 — Scott Menville, American voice actor, singer, actor and musician Wikipedia ↗
• 1970 — Jim Creeggan, Canadian singer-songwriter and bass player Wikipedia ↗
• 1970 — Bryan Roy, Dutch footballer and manager Wikipedia ↗
• 1970 — Judd Winick, American author and illustrator Wikipedia ↗
• 1969 — Darren Aronofsky, American director, producer, and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1969 — Alemayehu Atomsa, Ethiopian educator and politician (d. 2014) Wikipedia ↗
• 1969 — Steve Backley, English javelin thrower Wikipedia ↗
• 1969 — Anneli Drecker, Norwegian singer and actress Wikipedia ↗
• 1969 — Hong Myung-bo, South Korean footballer and manager Wikipedia ↗
• 1968 — Josh Brolin, American actor Wikipedia ↗
• 1968 — Chynna Phillips, American singer and actress Wikipedia ↗
• 1966 — Paul Crook, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer Wikipedia ↗
• 1965 — Rubén Amaro, Jr., American baseball player and manager Wikipedia ↗
• 1965 — Christine Elise, American actress and producer Wikipedia ↗
• 1965 — David Westlake, English singer-songwriter and guitarist Wikipedia ↗
• 1961 — Jim Harris, Canadian environmentalist and politician Wikipedia ↗
• 1961 — Michel Martelly, Haitian singer and politician, 56th President of Haiti Wikipedia ↗
• 1958 — Omar Hakim, American drummer, producer, arranger, and composer Wikipedia ↗
• 1958 — Outback Jack, Australian-American wrestler Wikipedia ↗
• 1956 — Joe Dever, English fantasy author (d. 2016) Wikipedia ↗
• 1956 — Arsenio Hall, American actor and talk show host Wikipedia ↗
• 1956 — Ad Melkert, Dutch lawyer and politician, Dutch Minister of Social Affairs and Employment Wikipedia ↗
• 1956 — Brian Robertson, Scottish rock guitarist and songwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1955 — Bill Laswell, American bass player and producer Wikipedia ↗
• 1955 — Chet Lemon, American baseball player and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1954 — Joseph Jordania, Georgian-Australian musicologist and academic Wikipedia ↗
• 1954 — Tzimis Panousis, Greek comedian, singer, and author Wikipedia ↗
• 1954 — Phil Zimmermann, American cryptographer and programmer Wikipedia ↗
• 1953 — Joanna Kerns, American actress and director Wikipedia ↗
• 1952 — Simon MacCorkindale, English actor, director, and producer (d. 2010) Wikipedia ↗
• 1952 — Michael McDonald, American singer-songwriter and keyboard player Wikipedia ↗
• 1950 — Angelo Branduardi, Italian singer-songwriter and guitarist Wikipedia ↗
• 1950 — Steve Hackett, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer Wikipedia ↗
• 1950 — Michael Ironside, Canadian actor, director, and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1948 — Ray Kurzweil, American computer scientist and engineer Wikipedia ↗
• 1948 — Nicholas Soames, English politician, Minister of State for the Armed Forces Wikipedia ↗
• 1946 — Jean Eyeghé Ndong, Gabonese politician, Prime Minister of Gabon Wikipedia ↗
• 1946 — Ajda Pekkan, Turkish singer-songwriter and actress Wikipedia ↗
• 1945 — Maud Adams, Swedish model and actress Wikipedia ↗
• 1945 — David D. Friedman, American economist, physicist, and scholar Wikipedia ↗
• 1942 — Ehud Barak, Israeli general and politician, 10th Prime Minister of Israel Wikipedia ↗
• 1942 — Pat Dobson, American baseball player, coach, and manager (d. 2006) Wikipedia ↗
• 1941 — Dominguinhos, Brazilian singer-songwriter and accordion player (d. 2013) Wikipedia ↗
• 1941 — Naomi Uemura, Japanese mountaineer and explorer (d. 1984) Wikipedia ↗
• 1939 — Ray Manzarek, American singer-songwriter, keyboard player, and producer (d. 2013) Wikipedia ↗
• 1938 — Judy Blume, Jewish-American author and educator Wikipedia ↗
• 1935 — Gene McDaniels, American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2011) Wikipedia ↗
• 1934 — Annette Crosbie, Scottish actress Wikipedia ↗
• 1934 — Anne Osborn Krueger, American economist and academic Wikipedia ↗
• 1934 — Bill Russell, American basketball player and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1933 — Costa-Gavras, Greek-French director and producer Wikipedia ↗
• 1933 — Brian Carlson, Australian rugby league player (d. 1987) Wikipedia ↗
• 1932 — Axel Jensen, Norwegian author and poet (d. 2003) Wikipedia ↗
• 1932 — Julian Simon, American economist, author, and academic (d. 1998) Wikipedia ↗
• 1931 — Janwillem van de Wetering, Dutch-American author and translator (d. 2008) Wikipedia ↗
• 1930 — John Doyle, Irish hurler and politician (d. 2010) Wikipedia ↗
• 1930 — Arlen Specter, American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician (d. 2012) Wikipedia ↗
• 1928 — Vincent Montana, Jr., American drummer and composer (d. 2013) Wikipedia ↗
• 1926 — Rolf Brem, Swiss sculptor and illustrator (d. 2014) Wikipedia ↗
• 1926 — Joe Garagiola, Sr., American baseball player and sportscaster (d. 2016) Wikipedia ↗
• 1926 — Charles Van Doren, American academic Wikipedia ↗
• 1925 — Joan Mitchell, American-French painter (d. 1992) Wikipedia ↗
• 1923 — Franco Zeffirelli, Italian director, producer, and politician Wikipedia ↗
• 1922 — Hussein Onn, Malaysian lawyer and politician, 3rd Prime Minister of Malaysia (d. 1990) Wikipedia ↗
• 1920 — Raymond Mhlaba, The South African anti-apartheid and ANC activist (d. 2005) Wikipedia ↗
• 1919 — Forrest Tucker, American actor (d. 1986) Wikipedia ↗
• 1918 — Norman Farberow, American psychologist and academic (d. 2015) Wikipedia ↗
• 1918 — Julian Schwinger, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1994) Wikipedia ↗
• 1917 — Dom DiMaggio, American baseball player (d. 2009) Wikipedia ↗
• 1916 — Joseph Alioto, American lawyer and politician, 36th Mayor of San Francisco (d. 1998) Wikipedia ↗
• 1915 — Andrew Goodpaster, American general (d. 2005) Wikipedia ↗
• 1915 — Lorne Greene, Canadian-American actor (d. 1987) Wikipedia ↗
• 1915 — Olivia Hooker, African-American sailor Wikipedia ↗
• 1914 — Tex Beneke, American singer, saxophonist, and bandleader (d. 2000) Wikipedia ↗
• 1912 — R. F. Delderfield, English author and playwright (d. 1972) Wikipedia ↗
• 1911 — Charles Mathiesen, Norwegian speed skater (d. 1994) Wikipedia ↗
• 1909 — Zoran Mušič, Slovene painter and illustrator (d. 2005) Wikipedia ↗
• 1909 — Sigmund Rascher, German physician (d. 1945) Wikipedia ↗
• 1908 — Jean Effel, French painter, caricaturist, illustrator and journalist (d. 1982) Wikipedia ↗
• 1908 — Jacques Herbrand, French mathematician and philosopher (d. 1931) Wikipedia ↗
• 1907 — Joseph Kearns, American actor (d. 1962) Wikipedia ↗
• 1904 — Ted Mack, American radio and television host (d. 1976) Wikipedia ↗
• 1903 — Chick Hafey, American baseball player and manager (d. 1973) Wikipedia ↗
• 1902 — William Collier, Jr., American actor, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1987) Wikipedia ↗
• 1900 — Roger J. Traynor, American lawyer and jurist, 23rd Chief Justice of California (d. 1983) Wikipedia ↗
• 1898 — Wallace Ford, English-American actor and singer (d. 1966) Wikipedia ↗
• 1897 — Charles Groves Wright Anderson, South African-Australian colonel and politician (d. 1988) Wikipedia ↗
• 1897 — Lincoln LaPaz, American astronomer and academic (d. 1985) Wikipedia ↗
• 1895 — Kristian Djurhuus, Faroese lawyer and politician, 2nd Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands (d. 1984) Wikipedia ↗
• 1893 — Omar Bradley, American general (d. 1981) Wikipedia ↗
• 1889 — Bhante Dharmawara, Cambodian monk, lawyer, and judge (d. 1999) Wikipedia ↗
• 1885 — Julius Streicher, German publisher, founded Der Stürmer (d. 1946) Wikipedia ↗
• 1884 — Max Beckmann, German painter and sculptor (d. 1950) Wikipedia ↗
• 1884 — Johan Laidoner, Estonian-Russian general (d. 1953) Wikipedia ↗
• 1884 — Alice Roosevelt Longworth, American author (d. 1980) Wikipedia ↗
• 1884 — Marie Vassilieff, Russian-French painter (d. 1957) Wikipedia ↗
• 1882 — Walter Nash, English-New Zealand lawyer and politician, 27th Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1968) Wikipedia ↗
• 1881 — Anna Pavlova, Russian-English ballerina and actress (d. 1931) Wikipedia ↗
• 1880 — George Preca, Maltese priest and saint (d. 1962) Wikipedia ↗
• 1880 — John L. Lewis, American miner and union leader (d. 1969) Wikipedia ↗
• 1877 — Louis Renault, French engineer and businessman, co-founded Renault (d. 1944) Wikipedia ↗
• 1876 — 13th Dalai Lama (d. 1933) Wikipedia ↗
• 1870 — Marie Lloyd, English actress and singer (d. 1922) Wikipedia ↗
• 1869 — Kiến Phúc, Vietnamese emperor (d. 1884) Wikipedia ↗
• 1861 — Lou Andreas-Salomé, Russian-German psychoanalyst and author (d. 1937) Wikipedia ↗
• 1857 — Eugène Atget, French photographer (d. 1927) Wikipedia ↗
• 1857 — Bobby Peel, English cricketer and coach (d. 1943) Wikipedia ↗
• 1837 — Thomas Moran, British-American painter and printmaker of the Hudson River School (d. 1926) Wikipedia ↗
• 1828 — George Meredith, English novelist and poet (d. 1909) Wikipedia ↗
• 1824 — Dayananda Saraswati, Indian monk and philosopher, founded Arya Samaj (d. 1883) Wikipedia ↗
• 1819 — William Wetmore Story, American sculptor, architect, poet and editor Wikipedia ↗
• 1809 — Charles Darwin, English geologist and theorist (d. 1882) Wikipedia ↗
• 1809 — Abraham Lincoln, American lawyer and politician, 16th President of the United States (d. 1865) Wikipedia ↗
• 1804 — Heinrich Lenz, German-Italian physicist and academic (d. 1865) Wikipedia ↗
• 1794 — Alexander Petrov, Russian chess player and composer (d. 1867) Wikipedia ↗
• 1791 — Peter Cooper, American businessman and philanthropist, founded Cooper Union (d. 1883) Wikipedia ↗
• 1788 — Carl Reichenbach, German chemist and philosopher (d. 1869) Wikipedia ↗
• 1787 — Norbert Provencher, Canadian bishop and missionary (d. 1853) Wikipedia ↗
• 1785 — Pierre Louis Dulong, French physicist and chemist (d. 1838) Wikipedia ↗
• 1777 — Bernard Courtois, French chemist and academic (d. 1838) Wikipedia ↗
• 1777 — Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué, German author and poet (d. 1843) Wikipedia ↗
• 1775 — Louisa Adams, English-American wife of John Quincy Adams, 6th First Lady of the United States (d. 1852) Wikipedia ↗
• 1768 — Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1835) Wikipedia ↗
• 1761 — Jan Ladislav Dussek, Czech pianist and composer (d. 1812) Wikipedia ↗
• 1753 — François-Paul Brueys d'Aigalliers, French admiral (d. 1798) Wikipedia ↗
• 1728 — Étienne-Louis Boullée, French architect (d. 1799) Wikipedia ↗
• 1706 — Johann Joseph Christian, German Baroque sculptor and woodcarver (d. 1777) Wikipedia ↗
• 1704 — Charles Pinot Duclos, French author (d. 1772) Wikipedia ↗
• 1665 — Rudolf Jakob Camerarius, German botanist and physician (d. 1721) Wikipedia ↗
• 1663 — Cotton Mather, English-American minister and author (d. 1728) Wikipedia ↗

📅 National Days on February 12 (Calendar.cx)

Also observed on February 12

🏛️ Public Holidays

US: Lincoln's Birthday Also in: Youth Day (VE)

✡️ Religious Observances

• Buddhist: Magha Puja