December 12

December 12 is the 346th day (347th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 19 days remaining.

Events

• 627 - Battle of Nineveh (627)
• 1787 - Pennsylvania becomes the second state to ratify the United States Constitution
• 1870 - Joseph H. Rainey[?] of South Carolina becomes the first black U.S. congressman
• 1900 - US Steel[?] formed
• 1901 - First radio transmission across the Atlantic Ocean by Guglielmo Marconi
• 1913 - Mona Lisa recovered in Florence, two years after it was stolen
• 1917 - Father Edward J. Flanagan[?] founds Boys Town
• 1925 - Reza Pahlavi takes control of Iran as Shah
• 1941 - United States seizes French ship Normandie
• 1963 - Kenya gains its independence from the United Kingdom
• 1969 - Strage di Piazza Fontana[?] in Italy
• 1979 - Rhodesia changes its name to Zimbabwe
• 1996 - Uday Hussein is seriously injured in an assassination attempt

Births

• 1574 - Anne of Denmark, consort of James I of England.
• 1745 - John Jay, United States Supreme Court justice. (+ 1829)
• 1805 - William Lloyd Garrison, abolitionist.
• 1806 - Stand Watie[?], Confederate general, Cherokee leader (+ 1871)
• 1821 - Gustave Flaubert, French writer (+ 1880).
• 1863 - Edvard Munch, Norwegian painter (+ 1944).
• 1892 - Liesl Karlstadt[?], actress along with Karl Valentin[?] (+ 1960).
• 1892 - Herman Potočnik Noordung, Slovene pioneer of astronautics and cosmonautics, and rocket engineer (+ 1929).
• 1893 - Edward G. Robinson, actor (+ 1973)
• 1905 - Mànes Sperber[?], writer (+ 1984).
• 1914 - Patrick O'Brian, British author (+ 2000)
• 1915 - Frank Sinatra, American singer and actor (+ 1998)
• 1918 - Joe Williams, singer (+ 1999)
• 1919 - Hermann Neuberger[?], sports official (+ 1992).
• 1923 - Bob Barker[?], game show host, television personality
• 1924 - Ed Koch, former mayor of New York City.
• 1927 - Robert Noyce, American inventor.
• 1927 - Honor Blackman[?], actress
• 1929 - John Osborne, British dramatist (+ 1994).
• 1932 - Bob Pettit[?], basketball star
• 1938 - Connie Francis, American singer
• 1940 - Dionne Warwick, American singer.
• 1943 - Dickie Betts[?], musician (The Allman Brothers[?]).
• 1943 - Grover Washington Jr.[?], musician (+ 1999)
• 1952 - Cathy Rigby[?], gymnast, actress.
• 1957 - Sheila E.[?], musician

Deaths

• 884 - Carloman, King of the West Franks
• 1894 - Sir John Thompson, fourth Prime Minister of Canada
• 1929 - Charles Goodnight[?], cattle baron
• 1939 - Douglas Fairbanks, American actor.
• 1968 - Tallulah Bankhead, actress
• 1971 - David Sarnoff, radio and television pioneer
• 1996 - Vance Packard, American author on media manipulation
• 1999 - Joseph Heller, American author.
• 2001 - Jean Richard, French actor.

Holidays and observances

• Bahá'í Faith - Feast of Masá'il (Questions) - First day of the 15th month of the Bahá'í Calendar

December 11 - December 13 - November 12 - January 12 -- listing of all days

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