February 12 encyclopedia topics

Events

1429 - English Forces under Sir John Fastolf defend a supply convoy carrying rations to the army besieging Orleans from attack by the Comte de Clermont and John Stuart in the Battle of Rouvray (also known as the Battle of the Herrings).
1502 - Vasco da Gama sets sail from Lisbon, Portugal on his second voyage to India.
1541 - Santiago, Chile is founded by Pedro de Valdivia.
1554 - A year after claiming the throne of England for nine days, Lady Jane Grey is beheaded for treason.
1689 - The Convention Parliament convenes and declares that the flight to France in 1688 by James II, the last Roman Catholic British monarch, constitutes an abdication.
1700 - The Great Northern War begins in Northern Europe.
1719 - The Onderlinge van 1719 u.a., the oldest existing life insurance company in the Netherlands is founded.
1733 - Englishman James Oglethorpe founds the 13th United States colony of Georgia, and its first city at Savannah (known as Georgia Day).
1771 - Gustav III becomes the King of Sweden.
1816 - The San Carlo, the oldest working opera house in Europe, is destroyed by fire.
1817 - Argentine/Chilean patriotic army, after crossing the Andes, defeat Spanish troops on the battle of Chacabuco.
1818 - Bernardo O'Higgins signs the Independence of Chile near Concepción.
1825 - The Creek cede the last of their lands in Georgia to the United States government, and migrate west.
1832 - Ecuador annexes the Galápagos Islands.
1855 - Michigan State University was established.
1870 - Women gain the right to vote in Utah Territory.
1879 - At New York City's Madison Square Garden the first artificial ice rink in North America opens.
1894 - Anarchist Émile Henry hurls a bomb into Paris's Cafe Terminus, killing one and wounding 20.
1909 - The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is founded.
1912 - Xuantong Emperor of the Manchu Qing dynasty, the last Emperor of China, abdicates.
1912 - The Republic of China adopts the Gregorian calendar.
1914 - In Washington, DC, the first stone of the Lincoln Memorial is put into place.
1924 - Calvin Coolidge becomes the first President of the United States to deliver a political speech on radio.
1934 - The Austrian Civil War begins.
1934 - The Export-Import Bank of the United States is incorporated.
1934 - In Spain the national council of Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional-Sindicalista is inaugurated. The council decides to merge the movement with the Falange Española.
1946 - World War II: Operation Deadlight ends after scuttling 121 of 154 captured U-boats.
1961 - U.S.S.R. launches Venera 1 towards Venus.
1966 - Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, announced famous Six Points in Karachi as election manifesto of Awami League that later led to formation of Bangladesh.
1973 - Vietnam War: The first United States prisoners of war are released by the Viet Cong.
1990 - Carmen Lawrence becomes the first female Premier in Australian History when she becomes premier of Western Australia.
1997 - Hwang Jang-yop, secretary in the Workers' Party of Korea and a prime architect of North Korea's Juche doctrine, defects at the South Korean embassy in Beijing along with his aide, Kim Dok-hong.
1999 - President Bill Clinton is acquitted by the United States Senate in his impeachment trial.
2001 - NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft touchdown in the "saddle" region of 433 Eros becoming the first spacecraft to land on an asteroid.
2002 - The trial of former President of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Slobodan Milošević begins at the United Nations war crimes tribunal in The Hague. He eventually dies four years later before its conclusion.
2002 - US Secretary of Energy makes the decision that Yucca Mountain is suitable to be the United States' nuclear waste repository.
2002 - An Iran Air Tupolev Tu-154 crashes prior to landing in Khorramabad, Iran, killing 119.
2004 - The city of San Francisco, California begins issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in response to a directive from Mayor Gavin Newsom.
2006 - A powerful winter storm blankets the Northeastern United States dumping 1 to 2 feet of snow from Washington DC up to Boston, Massachusetts. The storm dumped a record 26.9 inches of snow in New York City.
2007 - A gunman opens fire in a mall in Salt Lake City, killing 5 people in the Trolley Square shooting.

Births

1074 - Conrad, King of Germany and Italy (d. 1101)
1218 - Kujo Yoritsune, Japanese shogun (d. 1256)
1567 - Thomas Campion, English composer and poet (d. 1620)
1606 - John Winthrop, the Younger, Governor of Connecticut (d. 1676)
1637 - Jan Swammerdam, Dutch biologist (d. 1680)
1663 - Cotton Mather, New England minister (d. 1728)
1665 - Rudolf Jakob Camerarius, German botanist and physician (d. 1721)
1704 - Charles Pinot Duclos, French writer (d. 1772)
1728 - Étienne-Louis Boullée, French architect (d. 1799)
1746 - Tadeusz Kościuszko (Thaddeus Kosciusko), Polish, Belarusian and Lithuanian national hero and general (d.1817)
1753 - François-Paul Brueys D'Aigalliers, French admiral (d. 1798)
1768 - Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1835)
1775 - Louisa Adams, First Lady of the United States, wife of John Quincy Adams (d. 1852)
1777 - Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué, German poet (d. 1843)
1785 - Pierre Louis Dulong, French physicist (d. 1838)
1788 - Carl Reichenbach, German chemist and philosopher (d. 1869)
1791 - Peter Cooper, American Industrialist, inventor and philanthropist (d. 1883)
1794 - Alexander Petrov, Russian chess player (d. 1867)
1804 - Heinrich Lenz, German physicist (d. 1865)
1809 - Charles Darwin, English naturalist (d. 1882)
1809 - Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States (d. 1865)
1828 - George Meredith, English writer (d. 1909)
1843 - John Graham Chambers, English athlete who wrote the Queensberry rules for boxing (d. 1883)
1857 - Bobby Peel, English cricketer (d. 1943)
1861 - Lou Andreas-Salome, Russian-born author (d. 1937)
1865 - Kazimierz Tetmajer, Polish poet and writer (d. 1940)
1870 - Marie Lloyd, English music-hall performer (d. 1922)
1876 - Thubten Gyatso, 13th Dalai Lama (d. 1933)
1880 - John L. Lewis, American labor union leader (d. 1969)
1881 - Anna Pavlova, Russian ballerina (d. 1931)
1884 - Max Beckmann, German artist (d. 1950)
1884 - Marie Vassilieff, Russian artist (d. 1957)
1884 - Johan Laidoner, Estonian military commander (d. 1953)
1885 - Julius Streicher, Nazi German publisher (d. 1946)
1893 - Omar Bradley, American general (d. 1981)
1897 - Vola Vale, American actress (d. 1970)
1898 - Wallace Ford, English-born actor (d. 1966)
1900 - Roger J. Traynor, American judge (d. 1980)
1902 - William Collier, American stage and film actor (d. 1987)
1903 - Chick Hafey, baseball player (d. 1973)
1903 - Joseph F. Biroc, American cinematographer (d. 1996)
1904 - Ted Mack, American television host (d. 1976)
1907 - Clifton C. Edom, American photojournalism educator (d. 1991)
1908 - Jacques Herbrand, French logician and mathematician (d. 1931)
1908 - Jean Effel, French painter and journalist (d. 1982)
1908 - August Neo, Estonian wrestler (d. 1982)
1909 - Sigmund Rascher, German SS doctor (d. 1945)
1911 - Stephen H. Sholes, American recording executive (d. 1968)
1912 - R. F. Delderfield, English author (d. 1972)
1914 - Tex Beneke, American musician and band leader (d. 2000)
1914 - Arvid Pardo, Maltese diplomat, a.k.a "Father of the Law of the Sea Conference" (d. 1999)
1915 - Lorne Greene, American actor (d. 1987)
1916 - Joseph Alioto, Mayor of San Francisco (d. 1998)
1917 - Raizo Matsuno, Japanese politician (d. 2006)
1918 - Julian Schwinger, American physicist, Nobel laureate (d. 1994)
1919 - Forrest Tucker, American actor (d. 1986)
1920 - William Roscoe Estep, Baptist historian and professor (d. 2000)
1920 - Pran, Indian actor
1923 - Franco Zeffirelli, Italian film and opera director and designer
1923 - Chaskel Besser, Orthodox rabbi
1925 - Sir Anthony Berry, British politician (d. 1984)
1926 - Joe Garagiola, American baseball player and announcer
1926 - Charles Van Doren, American quiz show contestant
1930 - Arlen Specter, U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania
1931 - Janwillem van de Wetering, Dutch author
1932 - Axel Jensen, Norwegian author (d. 2003)
1932 - Julian Lincoln Simon, American economist and author (d. 1998)
1934 - Anne Krueger, American economist
1934 - Bill Russell, American basketball player
1934 - Annette Crosbie, Scottish actress
1935 - Gene McDaniels, American singer
1936 - Joe Don Baker, American actor
1936 - Paul Shenar, American actor
1937 - Charles Dumas, American athlete (d. 2004)
1938 - Judy Blume, American author
1938 - Johnny Rutherford, American race car driver
1938 - Peter Temple-Morris, Baron Temple-Morris, British politician
1939 - Ray Manzarek, American keyboardist (The Doors)
1940 - Richard Lynch, American actor
1941 - Naomi Uemura, Japanese adventurer
1942 - Ehud Barak, Prime Minister of Israel
1942 - Pat Dobson, American baseball player (d. 2006)
1944 - Moe Bandy, American singer
1945 - Maud Adams, Swedish actress
1945 - David Friedman, American economist
1946 - Cliff DeYoung, American actor and musician
1946 - Jean Eyeghe Ndong, Prime Minister of Gabon
1946 - Ajda Pekkan, Turkish singer
1947 - Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, Indian leader of Damdami Taksal (d. 1984)
1948 - Raymond Kurzweil, American inventor and author
1948 - Mike Robitaille, Canadian ice hockey player
1949 - Joaquín Sabina, Spanish singer and songwriter
1950 - Michael Ironside, Canadian actor
1950 - Steve Hackett, English guitarist (Genesis)
1951 - Steven Parent, Manson murder victim (d. 1969)
1952 - Michael McDonald, American musician
1952 - Simon MacCorkindale, British actor
1953 - Joanna Kerns, American actress
1953 - Nabil Shaban, British actor
1953 - Robin Thomas, American actor
1954 - Tzimis Panousis, Greek musician and stand-up comedian
1954 - Philip Zimmermann, American cryptographer
1955 - Arsenio Hall, American actor and talk show host
1955 - Bill Laswell, American bassist and record producer
1955 - Chet Lemon, American baseball player
1956 - Brian Robertson, Scottish musician (Thin Lizzy and Motörhead)
1958 - Grant McLennan, Australian musician (The Go-Betweens) (d. 2006)
1958 - Bobby Smith, Canadian ice hockey player
1959 - Sigrid Thornton, Australian actress
1959 - Larry Nance, American basketball player
1961 - Jim Harris, Canadian politician
1962 - Jimmy Kirkwood, Irish-born field hockey player
1963 - John Michael Higgins, American actor
1963 - Ed Lover, American radio personality
1967 - Chris McKinstry, Canadian computer scientist
1967 - Chitravina N. Ravikiran, Indian composer and musician
1968 - Josh Brolin, American actor
1968 - Grégory Charles, French Canadian singer, dancer, pianist, radio and television host
1968 - Christopher McCandless, American nomad, subject of biography Into the Wild (d. 1992)
1968 - Chynna Phillips, American singer
1969 - Darren Aronofsky, American director and writer
1969 - Hong Myung-Bo, Korean footballer
1969 - Meja, Swedish singer
1969 - Brad Werenka, Canadian ice hockey player
1970 - Jim Creeggan, Canadian bassist (Barenaked Ladies)
1970 - Judd Winick, writer and artist
1972 - Ajay Naidu, Indian-American actor
1972 - Owen Nolan, Canadian ice hockey player
1973 - Gianni Romme, Dutch speed skater
1973 - Kath Soucie, American voice actress
1973 - Tara Strong, Canadian voice actress
1974 - Toranosuke Takagi, Japanese race car driver
1974 - Fonzworth Bentley, American hip-hop artist
1975 - Scot Pollard, American basketball player
1976 - Anna Benson, American model
1976 - Christian Cullen, New Zealand rugby union footballer
1976 - Silvia Saint, Czech actress
1977 - Jimmy Conrad, American soccer player
1978 - Brett Hodgson, Australian rugby league footballer
1978 - Gethin Jones, British (Welsh) television presenter
1978 - Silver Meikar, Estonian politician
1979 - Antonio Chatman, National Football League runningback
1979 - Matt Mauck, American football player
1979 - Jesse Spencer, Australian actor
1980 - Juan Carlos Ferrero, Spanish tennis player
1980 - Sarah Lancaster, American actress
1980 - Christina Ricci, American actress
1982 - Onil Joseph, Dominican baseball player
1982 - Louis Tsatoumas, Greek long jumper
1983 - Carlton Brewster, National Football League player
1984 - Peter Vanderkaay, American mid-distance swimmer
1984 - Brad Keselowski, NASCAR Nationwide Series Driver
1984 - Lolly Badcock, English pornographic actress
1985 - Saskia Burmeister Croft, Australian actress
1991 - Faisal ibn Hamad Al Khalifah, prince of Bahrain (d. 2006)
1993 - Jennifer Stone, American actress