1912

Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century

Decades: 1860s 1870s 1880s 1890s 1900s - 1910s - 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s

Years: 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 - 1912 - 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917

• January 1 - Establishment of Republic of China in mainland China.
• January 6 - New Mexico is admitted as the 47th U.S. state.
• Alfred Wegener proposes the theory of continental drift
• February 12 - China adopts the Gregorian calendar
• February 14 - Arizona is admitted as the 48th U.S. state.
• February 14 - In Groton, Connecticut, the first diesel-powered submarine is commissioned.
• March 1 - Albert Berry[?] makes the first parachute jump from a moving airplane.
• March 5 - Italian forces are the first to use dirigibles for a military purpose by using them for reconnaissance west of Tripoli behind Turkish lines.
• March 7 - Roald Amundsen announces discovery of the South Pole
• March 10 - China becomes a republic following the overthrow of the Manchu Qing Dynasty.
• March 12 - The Girl Guides (later renamed the Girl Scouts) are founded.
• March 30 - France establishes a protectorate over Morocco.
• April 15 - Sinking of the S.S. Titanic.
• May 13 - In the United Kingdom, the Royal Flying Corps (now the Royal Air Force) in established.
• May 23 - John Payne[?], actor (+ 1989)
• July 30 - In Japanese History, end of the Meiji Era and beginning of the Taisho Era.
• August 25 - Kuomintang, the Chinese nationalist party is founded
• November - Woodrow Wilson defeats Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft in the U.S. presidential election
• December 14 - Norwegian polar explorer Roald Amundsen and a team of four, become the first people to reach the South Pole.
• Sea Scouting[?] begins under the aegis of the Boy Scouts of America
• Kazimierz Funk identifies vitamins

Art, Culture & Fashion

• 1912 in film
• 1912 in literature
• 1912 in music
  • The first blues song, "The Memphis Blues[?]," is published
• 1912 in sports[?]

Births:

• January 7 - Charles Addams, cartoonist
• January 8 - José Ferrer, actor (+ 1992)
• January 14 - Rudolf Hagelstange[?], German lyricist, narrator and essayist (+ 1984)
• January 16 - Franz Tumler[?], Austrian narrator (+ 1998)
• January 28 - Jackson Pollock, painter, initiator of Dripping painting[?] (+ 1956)
• January 30 - Barbara W. Tuchman, historian (+ 1989)
• February 6 - Eva Braun, Adolf Hitler's mistress (+ 1945)
• February 11 - Roy Fuller[?] English poet/novelist.
• February 11 - Rudolf Firkusny Napajedla[?], Czechoslovakian, pianist.
• February 18 - Heinz Kühn[?], politician (+ 1992)
• February 19 - Stan Kenton[?], musician (+ 1979)
• February 20 - Pierre Boulle, author
• February 27 - Lawrence Durrell, writer (+ 1990)
• March 12 - Irving Layton[?], poet
• March 14 - Les Brown, band leader (+ 2001)
• March 15 - Lightnin Hopkins[?], musician (+ 1982)
• March 16 - Pat Nixon[?], actress, First Lady (+ 1993)
• March 17 - Bayard Rustin, civil rights activist (+ 1987)
• March 22 - Karl Malden[?], actor
• March 23 - Wernher von Braun, physicist and engineer (+ 1977)
• March 27 - James Callaghan, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
• March 31 - Hermann Höcherl[?], politician (+ 1989)
• April 8 - Sonja Henie, Olympic and World Champion figure skater
• April 26 - A.E. van Vogt, science fiction writer (+ 2000)
• May 9 - Pedro Armendáriz[?], actor (+ 1963)
• May 12 - Archibald Cox, U.S. Solicitor General and Watergate special prosecutor
• May 14 - Ben Hogan, golfer (+ 1997)
• May 16 - Studs Terkel, writer
• May 18 - Walter Sisulu, anti-apartheid activist (+ 2003)
• May 18 - Perry Como[?], singer (+ 2001)
• May 27 - Sam Snead (+ 2002)
• May 28 - Patrick White, author (+ 1990)
• May 30 - Joseph Stein[?], playwright
• May 31 - Alfred Deller, singer, early modern countertenor (+ 1979)
• June 26 - Jay Silverheels, actor (+ 1980)
• July 14 - Woody Guthrie, folk musician (+ 1969)
• July 17 - Art Linkletter, television host
• September 5 - John Cage, American composer
• September 21 - Chuck Jones, animator
• September 29 - Michelangelo Antonioni, Italian film director
• October 21 - Georg Solti, conductor (+ 1997)
• October 27 - Conlon Nancarrow, composer (+ 1997)
• November 26 - Eugene Ionesco, playwright (+ 1994)

Deaths:

• March 29 - Robert Falcon Scott, explorer
• March 30 - Karl May, author
• April 15 - Most of crew and passengers on the Titanic
• April 15 - John Jacob Astor IV[?], businessman aboard the Titanic
• April 15 - Benjamin Guggenheim, businessman, aboard the Titanic
• May 14 - August Strindberg
• May 25 - Austin Lane Crothers, politician

Nobel Prizes

• Physics - Nils Gustaf Dalén[?]
• Chemistry - not awarded
• Medicine - Alexis Carrel
• Literature - Gerhart Johann Robert Hauptmann[?]
• Peace - Elihu Root[?]