October 12



Events

Up to 1900 
 539 BC  The army of Cyrus the Great of Persia takes Babylon.
 1216  King John of England loses his own crown jewels in The Wash.
 1492  In his first voyage, Christopher Columbus lands in the present-day Bahamas, in the belief that he'd reached East Asia.
 1654  An explosion devastates the city of Delft, Netherlands, killing over 100 people.
 1692  The Salem Witch Trials are ended by a letter from Massachusetts Governor William Phips.
 1748  War of Jenkins' Ear: Battle of Havana between British and Spanish naval forces.
 1773  The United States' first insane asylum opens in Virginia.
 1792  First US celebration of Columbus Day, in New York City.
 1799  Jeanne Genevieve Labrosse becomes the first woman to jump from a balloon with a parachute.
 1810  The tradition of the Munich Oktoberfest begins.
 1822  Pedro I of Brazil is proclaimed Emperor.
 1823  Charles Macintosh, of Scotland, sells the first raincoat.
 1892  The Pledge of Allegiance is first recited by students in many public schools.
 1899  First fighting of the Second Boer War.

1901  2000 
 1901  The 'Executive Mansion' is renamed the White House by US President Theodore Roosevelt.
 1902  The Austria national football team plays its first game, defeating the Hungary national football team 5-0.
 1915  World War I: British nurse Edith Cavell is executed by a German firing squad.
 1917  World War I: The first Battle of Passchendaele takes place.
 1918  A massive forest fire kills 453 people in Minnesota.
 1928  An iron lung respirator is first used at the Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
 1931  The Christ the Redeemer statue on Sugar Loaf Mountain over Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is officially inaugurated.
 1942  World War II: Japanese ships retreat after defeat to the US in the Battle of Esperance on Guadalcanal.
 1944  World War II: Athens, Greece, is liberated from occupying German forces.
 1962  A storm hits the Pacific Northwest of the United States, killing 46 people.
 1964  The Soviet Union launches Voskhod 1 into Earth orbit as the first spacecraft with a multi-person crew.
 1968  Equatorial Guinea becomes independent from Spain.
 1968  The 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City begin.
 1970  Vietnam War: Richard Nixon announces the withdrawal of 40,000 US troops before Christmas.
 1979  The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams is first published.
 1983  Prime Minister of Japan Tanaka Kakuei is found guilty of bribery and sent to four years in jail.
 1984  The Provisional IRA carries out the Brighton Hotel Bombing in an attempt to kill Margaret Thatcher, who escapes unhurt, though 5 people are killed and 31 injured.
 1986  Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh visit the People's Republic of China.
 1987  General Junhao Zhang fails the Juliet battalion in a skirmish versus the Han Chinese resulting in 50 casualties and the loss of a warehouse containing tonnes of gold.
 1988  Birchandra Manu massacre in Tripura, India.
 1991  Askar Akayev is confirmed as President of Kyrgyzstan.
 1992  A magnitude 5.8 earthquake in Cairo, Egypt kills 510 people.
 1994  NASA loses radio contact  with the Magellan spacecraft as it passes through the atmosphere of the planet Venus, probably because of the extreme gravity there.
 1997  Sidi Daous massacre occurs in Algeria, as 43 people are killed at a fake roadblock.
 1999  In Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf takes control in a military coup. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is placed under house arrest.
 1999  Abkhazia declares independence from Georgia.
 1999  The UN officially designates this as the day that the world population reached six billion.
 2000  The USS Cole is badly damaged in Aden, Yemen, by two suicide bombers.

From 2001 
 2002  A terrorist bombing on the Indonesian island of Bali kills 202 people.
 2003  Germany wins the FIFA Women's World Cup, defeating Sweden 2-1.
 2005  The second Chinese space flight occurs as Shenzhou 6 is launched, with Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng on board.
 2007  Al Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change win the Nobel Peace Prize.
 2009  Elinor Ostrom becomes the first woman to win the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, sharing it with Oliver E. Williamson.
 2012  The European Union wins the Nobel Peace Prize.
 2013  Cyclone Phailin hits the east coast of India.
 2013  51 people are killed after a truck plunges off a cliff in Peru.
 2014  Southeastern India is hit by Cyclone Hudhud, while Japan is hit by a typhoon on the same day.
 2019  Typhoon Hagibis hits Japan, becoming the most powerful storm to hit the country in over 60 years.

Births

Up to 1900 
 1006  Emperor Go-Ichijo of Japan (d. 1036).
 1350  Dmitry Donskoy, Prince of Moscow (d. 1389).
 1490  Bernardo Pisano, Italian composer (d. 1548).
 1537  Lady Jane Grey, Queen of England for nine days (d. 1554).
 1537  King Edward VI of England (d. 1553).
 1558  Archduke Maximilian II of Austria (d. 1618).
 1576  Thomas Dudley, English-born American colonial magistrate (d. 1653).
 1664  Praskovia Saltykova, Tsarina of Russia (d. 1723).
 1687  Sylvius Leopold Weiss, German composer (d. 1750)
 1710  Jonathan Trumbull, 16th Governor of Connecticut (d. 1785).
 1775  Ludovico Micara, Italian cardinal (d. 1847).
 1792  Christian Gmelin, German chemist (d. 1860).
 1798  Pedro I, Emperor of Brazil  and (as Pedro IV) King of Portugal (d. 1834).
 1801  Friedrich Frey-Herosé, Swiss statesman (d. 1873).
 1812  Ascanio Sobrero, Italian chemist and inventor (d. 1888).
 1815  William G. Hardee, American Confederate general (d. 1873).
 1827  George Lawson, Canadian botanist (d. 1895).
 1834  Infanta Amelia Philippina of Spain (d. 1905).
 1840  Helena Modjeska, Polish actress (d. 1909).
 1844  George Washington Cable, American writer (d. 1925).
 1853  Edward F. Dunne, Governor of Illinois (d. 1937).
 1855  Arthur Nikisch, Hungarian conductor (d. 1922).
 1860  Elmer Ambrose Sperry, American inventor (d. 1930).
 1860  John G. Sargent, 53rd United States Attorney General (d. 1939).
 1865  Arthur Harden, English chemist (d. 1940).
 1866  Ramsay MacDonald, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1937).
 1868  August Horch, German engineer and automobile pioneer, founder of Audi (d. 1951).
 1868  Mariano Trias, 1st Vice President of the Philippines (d. 1914).
 1872  Ralph Vaughan Williams, English composer (d. 1958)
 1875  Aleister Crowley, English occultist and writer (d. 1947).
 1877  Howard Mason Gore, American politician, 17th Governor of West Virginia (d. 1947).
 1880  Louis Hemon, French novelist (d. 1913).
 1882  Akiba Rubinstein, Polish chess player (d. 1961).
 1891  Edith Stein, Roman Catholic nun (d. 1942).
 1891  Fumimaro Konoe, Prime Minister of Japan (d. 1945).
 1894  Elisabeth of Romania (d. 1956).
 1896  Eugenio Montale, Italian poet (d. 1981).

1901  1950 
 1904  Ding Ling, Chinese writer (d. 1986).
 1905  Barney Battles Jr., Scottish footballer (d. 1979).
 1906  Joe Cronin, American baseball player and executive (d. 1984).
 1910  Robert Fitzgerald, American poet and translator (d. 1985).
 1917  Roque Maspoli, Uruguayan footballer (d. 2004).
 1920  Christopher Soames, Baron Soames, British politician (d. 1987).
 1921  Art Clokey, American animator (d. 2010).
 1921  Jaroslav Drobny, Czech tennis and ice hockey player (d. 2001).
 1921  Logie Bruce Lockhart, Scottish rugby player and journalist.
 1921  Kenneth Griffith, Welsh actor (d. 2006).
 1923  Wendell Eugene, American jazz trombonist (d. 2017).
 1923  Jean Nidetch, American businesswoman (d. 2015).
 1924  Doris Grau, American actress (d. 1995).
 1925  Essie Mae Washington-Williams, American educator (d. 2013).
 1926  Allan Brown, Scottish footballer (d. 2011).
 1928  Rangel Valchanov, Bulgarian actor, director and screenwriter (d. 2013).
 1929  Magnus Magnusson, Icelandic-British television presenter (d. 2007).
 1931  Ole-Johan Dahl, Norwegian computer scientist (d. 2002).
 1932  Dick Gregory, American comedian and activist (d. 2017).
 1932  Ned Jarrett, American racing driver.
 1932  John Moffat, Danish-Canadian physicist.
 1934  Richard Meier, American architect.
 1934  Albert Shiryaev, Russian mathematician.
 1934  Thomas L. Judge, Governor of Montana (d. 2006).
 1935  Don Howe, English footballer (d. 2015).
 1935  Shivraj Patil, Indian politician.
 1935  Luciano Pavarotti, Italian opera singer (d. 2007).
 1937  Alberto Goldman, Brazilian politician (d. 2019).
 1938  Bob Miller, American NHL broadcaster.
 1939  Carolee Schneemann, American artist (d. 2019).
 1942  Melvin Franklin, American singer (The Temptations) (d. 1995).
 1942  Daliah Lavi, Israeli actress and singer (d. 2017).
 1943  Jakob Kuhn, Swiss footballer and coach.
 1944  Angela Rippon, British television journalist.
 1945  Dusty Rhodes, American professional wrestler (d. 2015).
 1946  Rosanna Marani, Italian journalist and television host.
 1947  George Lam, Hong Kong actor and singer.
 1948  Rick Parfitt, British musician (Status Quo) (d. 2016).
 1948  John Engler, former Governor of Missouri.
 1949  Carlos the Jackal, Venezuelan terrorist.
 1950  Dave Freudenthal, 31st Governor of Wyoming.

1951  1975 
 1951  Ed Royce, American politician.
 1952  Danielle Proulx, Canadian actress.
 1952  Roger Heath-Brown, English mathematician.
 1953  Les Dennis, English comedian and actor.
 1953  David Threlfall, English actor.
 1955  Ashley Adams, Australian target shooter (d. 2015).
 1955  Einar Jan Aas, Norwegian footballer.
 1955  Brian Flynn, Welsh footballer and coach.
 1955  Ante Gotovina, Croatian general.
 1955  Aggie MacKenzie, Scottish television presenter.
 1956  Allan Evans, Scottish footballer.
 1956  David Vanian, British singer (The Damned).
 1958  Bryn Merrick, British musician (The Damned) (d. 2015).
 1958  Hara Patnaik, Indian actor, director and writer (d. 2015).
 1959  Anna Escobedo Cabral, 42nd Treasurer of the United States.
 1960  Alexei Kudrin, Russian politician.
 1962  Branko Crvenkovski, former President of the Republic of Macedonia.
 1962  Chris Botti, American jazz trumpeter.
 1963  Satoshi Kon, Japanese movie director and screenwriter (d. 2010).
 1963  Alan McDonald, Northern Irish footballer (d. 2012).
 1963  Dave Legeno, British actor and mixed martial artist (d. 2014).
 1963  Donna Williams, Australian author (d. 2017).
 1964  Sally Rogers, British actress
 1965  Anja Niedringhaus, German photojournalist (d. 2014).
 1966  Rhona Martin, Scottish curler.
 1966  Brian Kennedy, Northern Irish musician and actor.
 1966  Jonathan Crombie, Canadian actor (d. 2015).
 1966  Wim Jonk, Dutch footballer.
 1966  Roberto Nestor Sensini, Argentine footballer.
 1968  Hugh Jackman, Australian actor.
 1968  Adam Rich, American actor.
 1969  Martie Maguire, American musician (Dixie Chicks).
 1969  Zejko Milinovic, Slovenian footballer.
 1970  Kirk Cameron, American actor.
 1970  Origa, Russian-Japanese singer (d. 2015).
 1973  Martin Corry, English rugby player.
 1974  Lascelles Brown, Jamaican-Canadian bobsledder.
 1974  Marie Wilson, American actress.
 1974  Stephen Lee, English snooker player.
 1975  Marion Jones, American athlete.

From 1976 
 1977  Jessica Barker, Canadian actress.
 1977  Bode Miller, American skier.
 1979  Paula Barila Bolopa, Equatoguinean footballer and swimmer.
 1980  Nadzeya Ostapchuk, Belarussian shot putter.
 1980  Ledley King, English footballer.
 1981  Shola Ameobi, English footballer.
 1983  Katie Piper, English model and television host.
 1985  Greig Laidlaw, Scottish rugby player.
 1986  Tyler Blackburn, American actor and singer.
 1987  Besian Idrizaj, Austrian footballer (d. 2010).
 1988  Sam Whitelock, New Zealand rugby player.
 1989  Aggro Santos, Brazilian-English rapper
 1990  Melody, Spanish singer.
 1991  Michael Carter-Williams, American basketball player
 1992  Josh Hutcherson, American actor.
 1992  Taylor Horn, American singer, songwriter and actress.
 1995  Jordan Howe, Welsh paralympic athlete.
 1997  Prince Boris of Bulgaria.
 2001  Raymond Ochoa, American actor.
 2004  Darci Lynne, American ventriloquist and singer.

Deaths

Up to 1900 
 322 BC  Demosthenes, Greek statesman (b. 384 BC).
 632  Edwin of Northumbria (b. 586).
 638  Pope Honorius I
 642  Pope John IV
 1095  Leopold II of Austria (b. 1050).
 1320  Michael IX Palaiologus, Emperor of the Byzantine Empire (b. 1277).
 1492  Piero della Francesca, Italian painter (b. 1415).
 1576  Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1527).
 1600  Luis Molina, Spanish Jesuit (b. 1535).
 1730  Frederick IV of Denmark (b. 1671).
 1845  Elizabeth Fry, British social reformer and philanthropist (b. 1780).
 1850  Pedro de Sousa Holstein, 1st Duke of Palmela, Prime Minister of Portugal (b. 1781).
 1870  Robert E. Lee, American Confederate General (b. 1807).
 1875  Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, French sculptor and painter (b. 1827).
 1891  Hobart B. Bigelow, Governor of Connecticut (b. 1834).
 1896  Christian Emil Krag-Juel-Vind-Frijs, Danish nobleman and politician (b. 1817).

1901  2000 
 1915  Edith Cavell, English nurse (b. 1865).
 1920  Yu Gwan-sun, Korean independence leader (b. 1904).
 1921  Philander C. Knox, United States Secretary of State (b. 1853).
 1924  Anatole France, French writer (b. 1844).
 1933  John Lister, English politician (b. 1847).
 1937  Al Brady, American gangster, killed by FBI
 1943  Willi Graf, German Resistance activist (b. 1918).
 1946  Joseph Stilwell, American general (b. 1883).
 1948  Alfred Kerr, German writer (b. 1867).
 1956  Lorenzo Perosi, Italian composer (b. 1872).
 1957  Arie de Jong, Dutch linguist (b. 1865).
 1960  Inejiro Asanuma, Japanese politician (b. 1898).
 1965  Paul Hermann Müller, Swiss chemist (b. 1899).
 1967  Ram Manohar Lohia, Indian activist and politician (b. 1910).
 1969  Sonja Henie, Norwegian figure skater (b. 1912).
 1970  Mustafa Zaidi, Pakistani poet (b. 1930).
 1971  Dean Acheson, American politician (b. 1893).
 1971  Gene Vincent, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1935).
 1973  Peter Aufschnaiter, Austrian mountaineer (b. 1899).
 1980  Alberto Demicheli, Uruguayan politician (b. 1896).
 1985  Johnny Olson, American television announcer (b. 1910).
 1987  Alf Landon, American politician (b. 1887).
 1993  Leon Ames, American actor (b. 1902).
 1996  René Lacoste, French tennis player (b. 1904).
 1997  John Denver, American singer (b. 1943).
 1998  Matthew Shepard, American murder victim (b. 1976).
 1999  Wilt Chamberlain, American basketball player (b. 1936).

From 2001 
 2002  Ray Conniff, American bandleader and musician (b. 1916).
 2002  Audrey Mestre, French diver (b. 1974).
 2003  Jim Cairns, Australian politician (b. 1914).
 2003  Willie Shoemaker, American jockey (b. 1931).
 2006  Gillo Pontecorvo, Italian movie director (b. 1919).
 2007  Kisho Kurokawa, Japanese architect (b. 1934).
 2009  Frank Vandenbroucke, Belgian cyclist (b. 1974).
 2010  Manuel Alexandre, Spanish actor (b. 1917).
 2011  Dennis Ritchie, American computer scientist (b. 1941).
 2012  Sukhdev Singh Kang, 14th Governor of Kerala (b. 1931).
 2013  Oscar Hijuelos, American writer (b. 1951).
 2014  Roberto Telch, Argentine footballer (b. 1943).
 2014  Ali Mazrui, Kenyan professor and writer (b. 1931).
 2015  Abdallah Kigoda, Tanzanian politician (b. 1953).
 2015  Joan Leslie, American actress and dancer (b. 1925).
 2017  Muntaka Connmassie, Nigerian jurist (b. 1946).
 2018  Pik Botha, South African politician (b. 1932).
 2019  Mel Aull, Canadian football player (b. 1928).
 2019  Carlo Croccolo, Italian actor (b. 1927).
 2019  Sara Danius, Swedish writer and professor (b. 1962).
 2019  Reg Watson, Australian television producer (b. 1926).
 2019  Yoshihiza Yoshikawa, Japanese sports shooter (b. 1936).

Observances 
 Many observances relating to Christopher Columbus reaching the Caribbean, celebrated around the Americas and Spain.
 Independence Day (Equatorial Guinea).

Days of the year