February 12
February 12 is the 43rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 322 days remain until the end of the year (323 in leap years).
Most infamously, it is known for being the date of Jonathan Barrington's birthday
Events
- 1354 - Treaty of Stralsund settles border disputes between the duchies of Mecklenburg and Pomerania.
- 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.
- 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).
- 1737 - The San Carlo, the oldest working opera house in Europe, is inaugurated.
- 1771 - Gustav III becomes the King of Sweden when his father Adolf Frederick "[eats] himself to death".
- 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.
- 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.
- 1892 - Former President Abraham Lincoln's birthday is declared a national holiday in the United States.
- 1894 - Anarchist Emile 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 - Premiere of George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue with Paul Whiteman's Palais Royal Orchestra in Aeolian Hall in New York City
- 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 - Operation Deadlight ends after scuttling 121 of 154 captured U-boats.
- 1947 - New Look launched by Christian Dior.
- 1951 - Soraya Esfandiary Bakhtiari marries the Shah of Iran Reza Pahlavi at Golestan Palace in Teheran at the age of 17.
- 1966 - Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, announced famous Six Points in Karachi as election manifesto of Awami League that later led to formation of Bangladesh.
- 1973 - Ohio becomes the first U.S. state to post distance in SI units on signs.
- 1973 - Vietnam War: The first United States prisoners of war are released by the Viet Cong.
- 1990 - Super Mario Bros. 3, technically the best selling video game of all time, is released in the United States.
- 1993 - Trafford Borough Council officially changed the name of Warwick Road North to Sir Matt Busby Way. The ceremony was attended by the man himself, Sir Matt Busby.
- 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.
- 1998 - The presidential line-item veto is declared unconstitutional by United States federal judge.
- 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 - Nuclear waste: US Secretary of Energy makes the decision that Yucca Mountain is suitable to be the United States' nuclear repository.
- 2002 - An Iran Air Tupolev Tu-154 crashes prior to landing in Khorramabad, Iran, killing 119.
- 2004 - On National Freedom to Marry Day, two days after Mayor Gavin Newsom of San Francisco, California, issued a directive to the county clerk, the City and County of San Franciso begins issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
- 2006 - A powerful Nor'easter 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.
- 2006 - Second Sydney Body Art Ride breaks World record for the largest ever group of painted people and raises over $10,000 for Children's Cancer Research.
- 2007 - 18-year old Sulejman Talović enters Salt Lake City's Trolley Square Mall and starts shooting, leaving 6 dead including the gunman.
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 scientist (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)
- 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)
- 1818 - Otto Ludwig, German writer (d. 1865)
- 1828 - George Meredith, English writer (d. 1909)
- 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)
- 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)
- 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)
- 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 Prize 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
- 1925 - Sir Anthony Berry, British politician (d. 1984)
- 1926 - Joe Garagiola, 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)
- 1933 - Costa-Gavras, Greek director and writer
- 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, Major League Baseball pitcher (d. 2006)
- 1944 - Moe Bandy, country music singer
- 1945 - Maud Adams, Swedish actress
- 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
- 1949 - Joaquin Sabina, Spanish singer and songwriter
- 1950 - Michael Ironside, Canadian actor
- 1950 - Steve Hackett, British musician (Genesis)
- 1951 - Steven Parent, Manson murder victim (d. 1969)
- 1952 - Michael McDonald, American musician
- 1952 - Simon MacCorkindale, British actor
- 1953 - Nabil Shaban, British actor
- 1953 - Robin Thomas, American actor
- 1954 - Philip Zimmermann, American cryptographer
- 1955 - Arsenio Hall, American actor and talk show host
- 1955 - Chet Lemon, baseball player
- 1956 - Brian Robertson, Scottish musician (Thin Lizzy and Motörhead)
- 1958 - Bobby Smith, Canadian hockey player
- 1958 - Grant McLennan, Australian musician (The Go-Betweens) (d. 2006)
- 1959 - Sigrid Thornton, Australian actress
- 1961 - Jim Harris, Canadian politician
- 1962 - Jimmy Kirkwood, Irish-born field hockey player
- 1967 - Chris McKinstry, Canadian computer scientist
- 1967 - Chitravina N. Ravikiran, Indian composer and musician
- 1968 - Josh Brolin, American actor
- 1968 - Chynna Phillips, American singer
- 1968 - Grégory Charles, Quebec singer, dancer, pianist, radio and television host
- 1969 - Darren Aronofsky, American director and writer
- 1969 - Meja, Swedish singer
- 1969 - Hong Myung-Bo, Korean footballer
- 1969 - Brad Werenka, professional 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, National Hockey League player
- 1973 - Gianni Romme, Dutch speed skater
- 1973 - Tara Strong, Canadian-born voice actress
- 1974 - Toranosuke Takagi, Japanese race car driver
- 1976 - Anna Benson, American model
- 1976 - Silvia Saint, Czech actress
- 1976 - Christian Cullen, New Zealand rugby player
- 1978 - Brett Hodgson, Australian rugby player
- 1979 - Jesse Spencer, Australian actor
- 1979 - Matt Mauck, American football player
- 1980 - Juan Carlos Ferrero, Spanish tennis player
- 1980 - Christina Ricci, American actress
- 1982 - Onil Joseph, Dominican Republic baseball player
- 1982 - Louis Tsatoumas, Greek long jumper
- 1991 - Faisal ibn Hamad Al Khalifah, prince of Bahrain (d. 2006)
Deaths
- 1538 - Albrecht Altdorfer, German painter
- 1554 - Lord Guilford Dudley, consort of Lady Jane Grey (b. 1536)
- 1554 - Lady Jane Grey, claimant to the English throne (b. 1537)
- 1571 - Nicholas Throckmorton, English diplomat and politician (b. 1515)
- 1590 - François Hotman, French lawyer and writer (b. 1524)
- 1595 - Archduke Ernest of Austria, Governor of the Spanish Netherlands (b. 1553)
- 1612 - Christopher Clavius, German astronomer (b. 1538)
- 1624 - George Heriot, Scottish goldsmith and philanthropist (b. 1563)
- 1630 - Fynes Moryson, English traveler and writer (b. 1566)
- 1700 - Aleksei Shein, Russian general and statesman (b. 1662)
- 1724 - Elkanah Settle, English writer (b. 1648)
- 1728 - Agostino Steffani, Italian diplomat and composer (b. 1653)
- 1762 - Laurent Belissen, French composer (b. 1693)
- 1763 - Pierre de Marivaux, French writer (b. 1688)
- 1771 - King Adolf Frederick of Sweden (b. 1710)
- 1789 - Ethan Allen, American patriot (b. 1738)
- 1799 - Lazzaro Spallanzani, Italian biologist (b. 1729)
- 1804 - Immanuel Kant, German philosopher (b. 1724)
- 1894 - Hans von Bülow, German pianist and composer (b. 1830)
- 1896 - Ambroise Thomas, French opera composer (b. 1811)
- 1903 - Gaspar Núñez de Arce, Spanish dramatist and statesman (b. 1834)
- 1915 - Émile Waldteufel, French composer (b. 1837)
- 1916 - Richard Dedekind, German mathematician (b. 1831)
- 1929 - Lillie Langtry, British singer and actress (b. 1853)
- 1931 - Samedbey Mehmandarov, Russian general (b. 1855)
- 1933 - Henri Duparc, French composer (b. 1848)
- 1935 - Auguste Escoffier, French chef (b. 1846)
- 1949 - Hassan al Banna, Egyptian founder of the Muslim Brotherhood (b. 1906)
- 1951 - Choudhary Rehmat Ali, Pakistani nationalist (b. 1897)
- 1954 - Dziga Vertov, Russian filmmaker (b. 1896)
- 1957 - Eric Alfred Knudsen, American folklorist (b. 1872)
- 1958 - Douglas Hartree, English mathematical physicist (b.1897)
- 1971 - James C. Penney, American department store founder (b. 1875)
- 1976 - Sal Mineo, American actor (b. 1939)
- 1979 - Jean Renoir, French director (b. 1894)
- 1980 - Muriel Rukeyser, American poet (b. 1913)
- 1982 - Victor Jory, Canadian actor (b. 1902)
- 1983 - Eubie Blake, American musician and songwriter (b. 1887)
- 1984 - Julio Cortázar, Argentine writer (b. 1914)
- 1985 - Nicholas Colasanto, American actor (b. 1924)
- 1989 - Thomas Bernhard, Austrian playwright and novelist (b. 1931)
- 1991 - Roger Patterson, American death metal bass player (b. 1968)
- 1992 - Bep van Klaveren, Dutch boxer (b. 1907)
- 1993 - James Bulger, English murder victim (b. 1990)
- 1994 - Sue Rodriguez, Canadian assisted suicide advocate (b. 1950)
- 1995 - Robert Bolt, English writer (b. 1924)
- 1995 - Philip Taylor Kramer, American musician (Iron Butterfly) (b. 1952)
- 1996 - Bob Shaw, Northern Irish novelist (b. 1931)
- 2000 - Screamin' Jay Hawkins, American musician (b. 1929)
- 2000 - Tom Landry, American football coach (b. 1924)
- 2000 - Charles Schulz, American comics author (b. 1922)
- 2000 - Oliver, American pop singer (b. 1945)
- 2001 - Kristina Söderbaum, German actress (b. 1912)
- 2003 - Vali Myers, Australian painter (b. 1930)
- 2005 - Rafael Vidal, Venezuelan athlete (b. 1964)
- 2005 - Sammi Smith, American country music singer (b. 1943)
- 2007 - Peggy Gilbert, American jazz saxophonist and bandleader (b. 1905)
- 2007 - Randy Stone, American actor and casting director (b. 1958)
Holidays and observances
- United States - Lincoln's Birthday.
- Georgia Day in the U.S. state of Georgia.
- National Freedom to Marry Day (unofficial).
- Darwin Day.
- Red Hand Day
Liturgical feasts
In the Roman Catholic Church:
- Saint Benedict of Aniane
- Saint Alexis of Moscow
- Saint Damian of Alexandria
In the Eastern Orthodox Churches: