February 12
is the 43rd day of the year in the
Gregorian Calendar. There are 322 days remaining, 323 in
leap years.
*
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).
*
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
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 13
th American colony of
Georgia, and its first city at
Savannah.
*
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 -
China adopts the
Gregorian calendar.
*
1915 - 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.
*
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 on signs.
* 1973 -
Vietnam War: The first
American prisoners of war are released by the
Viet Cong.
*
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.
*
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. Milošević eventually dies 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
Northeast 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 - Vice President
Dick Cheney accidentally shoots friend
Harry Whittington in the face during a hunting trip in
Kenedy County, Texas, becoming the first Vice President to shoot a man since
Aaron Burr killed
Alexander Hamilton.
*
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, French poet (d.
1843)
*
1785 -
Pierre Louis Dulong, French physicist (d.
1838)
*
1788 -
Carl Reichenbach, German chemist and philosopher (d.
1869)
*
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
*
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 painter and graphic artist (d.
1950)
* 1884 -
Marie Vassilieff, Russian artist (d.
1957)
*
1893 -
Omar Bradley, American general (d.
1981)
*
1898 -
Wallace Ford, English-born actor (d.
1966)
*
1900 -
Roger J. Traynor, American judge (d.
1980)
*
1903 -
Chick Hafey, baseball player (d.
1973)
*
1904 -
Ted Mack, American television host (d.
1976)
*
1908 -
Jacques Herbrand, French logician-mathematician (d.
1931)
* 1908 -
August Neo, Estonian wrestler (d.
1982)
*
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)
*
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)
*
1923 -
Franco Zeffirelli, Italian film and opera director and designer
*
1925 - Sir
Anthony Berry, British politician (d.
1984)
*
1926 -
Joe Garagiola, baseball player
* 1926 -
Paul Kurtz, American philosopher
* 1926 -
Charles Van Doren, American quiz show contestant
*
1930 -
Arlen Specter, American politician,
United States 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-born director and writer
*
1934 -
Bill Russell, American basketball player
*
1936 -
Joe Don Baker, American actor
* 1936 -
Paul Shenar, American actor
*
1937 -
Charles Dumas, American athlete
*
1938 -
Judy Blume, American author
* 1938 -
Johnny Rutherford, American race car driver
*
1939 -
Ray Manzarek, American keyboardist (
The Doors)
*
1940 -
Richard Lynch, American actor
*
1941 -
Naomi Uemura, Japanese adventurer
*
1942 -
Ehud Barak,
Prime Minister of Israel*
1945 -
Maud Adams, Swedish actress
*
1946 -
Ajda Pekkan, Turkish singer
*
1946 -
Jean Eyeghe Ndong, Prime Minister of Gabon
*
1948 -
Raymond Kurzweil, American inventor and author
*
1949 -
Joaquin Sabina, Spanish singer/Songwriter
*
1950 -
Michael Ironside, Canadian actor
* 1950 -
Steve Hackett, British musician (
Genesis (band))
*
1952 -
Michael McDonald, American musician
*
1953 -
Nabil Shaban, British actor
* 1953 -
Robin Thomas, American actor
*
1954 -
Philip Zimmermann, American cryptographer
*
1955 -
Arsenio Hall, American actor and talk show host
*
1958 -
Bobby Smith, Canadian hockey player
* 1958 -
Grant McLennan, Australian musician (
The Go-Betweens)
*
1961 -
Jim Harris, Canadian polititian
*
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
*
1969 -
Darren Aronofsky, American director and writer
* 1969 -
Meja, Swedish singer
* 1969 -
Hong Myung-Bo, Korean footballer
*
1970 -
Jim Creeggan, Canadian bassist (
Barenaked Ladies)
* 1970 -
Judd Winick, writer and artist
*
1973 -
Gianni Romme, Dutch speed skater
* 1973 -
Tara Strong, American voice actress
*
1976 -
Silvia Saint, Czech pornographic 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
Major League Baseball baseball player
*
1989 -
Richard Fleeshman, English actor
*
1538 -
Albrecht Altdorfer, German painter
*
1554 -
Lord Guilford Dudley, consort of
Lady Jane Grey (executed) (b.
1536)
* 1554 -
Lady Jane Grey, claimant to the throne of England (executed) (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)
*
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 -
Imam 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 author, folklorist (b.
1872)
*
1971 -
James C. Penney, American department store founder (b.
1875)
*
1976 -
Sal Mineo, American actor (b.
1939)
*
1979 -
Jean Renoir, French director (b.
1894)
*
1982 -
Victor Jory, Canadian actor (b.
1902)
*
1983 -
Eubie Blake, American musician and songwriter
*
1984 -
Julio Cortázar, Argentine writer (b.
1914)
*
1985 -
Nicholas Colasanto, American actor (b.
1924)
*
1992 -
Bep van Klaveren, Dutch boxer (b.
1907)
* 1992 -
María Elena Moyano, Peruvian activist (b.
1960)
*
1993 -
James Bulger, English murder victim (b.
1990)
*
1995 -
Robert Bolt, English writer (b.
1924)
* 1995 -
Philip Taylor Kramer, American musician (
Iron Butterfly)
*
1996 -
Bob Shaw, Northern Irish science fiction writer (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)
*
2001 -
Kristina Söderbaum, German actress and photographer (b.
1912)
*
2005 -
Rafael Vidal, Venezuelan athlete (b.
1964)
*
2006 -
Richard Carlton, Australian reporter
*
United States -
Lincoln's Birthday (traditionally).
*
Georgia Day in the
U.S. state of
Georgia.
*
National Freedom to Marry Day (unofficial).
*
Darwin Day.
*
Red Hand Dayliturgical feasts and other devotional
*
Saint Benedict of Aniane*
Saint Alexis of Moscow*
Saint Damian of Alexandria*
On this day in Canada*
NY Times: On this day*
BBC: On This DayFebruary 11 -
February 13 -
January 12 -
March 12 –
listing of all days
