Today June 12th 2009 this day in history Read more below to view events, deaths, births, Holidays observances and video clips. Last database updated: Jan 17th, 2009
Events
1381 – Peasants Revolt: in England, rebels arrive at Blackheath.
1418 – An insurrection delivers Paris to the Burgundians.
1429 – Hundred Years War: Joan of Arc leads the French army in their capture of the city and the English commander, William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk in the second day of the Battle of Jargeau.
1560 – Battle of Okehazama: Oda Nobunaga defeats Imagawa Yoshimoto.
1653 – First Anglo-Dutch War: the Battle of the Gabbard begins and lasts until June 13.
1665 – England installs a municipal government in New York City (the former Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam).
1758 – French and Indian War: Siege of Louisbourg – James Wolfe s attack at Louisbourg, Nova Scotia commences.
1775 – American Revolution: British general Thomas Gage declares martial law in Massachusetts. The British offer a pardon to all colonists who lay down their arms. There would be only two exceptions to the amnesty: Samuel Adams and John Hancock, if captured, were to be hanged.
1830 – Beginning of the French colonization of Algeria: 34,000 French soldiers land 27 kilometers west of Algiers, at Sidi Ferruch.
1860 – The State Bank of the Russian Empire is established.
1864 – American Civil War Overland Campaign: Battle of Cold Harbor – Ulysses S. Grant gives the Confederate forces under Robert E. Lee a victory when he pulls his Union troops from their positions at Cold Harbor, Virginia and moves south.
1889 – 88 are killed in the Armagh rail disaster near Armagh in what is now Northern Ireland.
1896 – J.T. Hearne sets a cricket record for the earliest date of taking 100 first-class wickets in a season.
1898 – Philippine Declaration of Independence: General Emilio Aguinaldo declares the Philippines independence from Spain.
1899 – New Richmond Tornado: the eighth deadliest tornado in U.S. history kills 117 peoples and injures around 200.
1903 – The Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity is founded at the University of Michigan School of Music.
1922 – In Windsor Castle, King George V receives the colours of the six Irish regiments that are to be disbanded – the Royal Irish Regiment, the Connaught Rangers, the South Irish Horse, the Prince of Wales s Leinster Regiment, the Royal Munster Fusiliers and the Royal Dublin Fusiliers.
1931 – Charlie Parker equals cricket record for the earliest date to reach 100 wickets in a season. Tich Freeman reaches 100 wickets a day later.
1935 – Chaco War ends: a truce is called between Bolivia and Paraguay who had been fighting since 1932.
1939 – Shooting begins on Paramount Pictures Dr. Cyclops, the first horror film photographed in three-strip Technicolor.
1940 – World War II: 13,000 British and French troops surrender to Field Marshal Erwin Rommel at Saint-Valery-en-Caux.
1942 – Holocaust: future essayist Anne Frank receives a diary for her thirteenth birthday.
1943 – Holocaust: Germany liquidates the Jewish Ghetto in Berezhany, western Ukraine. 1,180 Jews are led to the city s old Jewish graveyard and shot.
1963 – Civil rights leader Medgar Evers is murdered in front of his home in Jackson, Mississippi by Ku Klux Klan member Byron De La Beckwith.
1964 – Anti-apartheid activist and ANC leader Nelson Mandela is sentenced to life in prison for sabotage in South Africa.
1967 – The United States Supreme Court in Loving v. Virginia declares all U.S. state laws which prohibit interracial marriage to be unconstitutional.
1967 – Venera program: Venera 4 is launched (it will become the first space probe to enter another planet s atmosphere and successfully return data).
1978 – David Berkowitz, the Son of Sam killer in New York City, is sentenced to 365 years in prison for six killings.
1979 – Bryan Allen wins the second Kremer prize for a man powered flight across the English Channel in the Gossamer Albatross.
1982 – Over 750,000 people attend a concert in New York s Central Park to support MUSE (or Musicians United for Safe Energy, aka: No Nukes), to see Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt (among others) perform.
1987 – The Central African Republic s former Emperor Jean-Bédel Bokassa is sentenced to death for crimes he had committed during his 13-year rule.
1987 – Cold War: U.S. President Ronald Reagan publicly challenges Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall at the Brandenburg Gate.
1990 – Russia Day – the parliament of the Russian Federation formally declares its sovereignty.
1991 – Russians elect Boris Yeltsin as the president of the republic.
1991 – 1991 Kokkadichcholai massacre, massacre of 152 minority Tamil civilians by the Sri Lankan Army in the village Kokkadichcholai near the eastern province town of Batticaloa, Sri Lanka.
1993 – Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola is elected President of Nigeria in record turnout for Nigerian elections.
1994 – Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman are murdered outside her home in Los Angeles, California. O.J. Simpson is later acquitted of the killings, but is held liable in a civil suit.
1996 – In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a panel of federal judges blocks a law against indecency on the internet.
1999 – Kosovo War: Operation Joint Guardian begins – a NATO-led United Nations peacekeeping force KFor enters the province of Kosovo in Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
2000 – Sandro Rosa do Nascimento takes hostages while robbing Bus #174 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; the highly-publicized standoff becomes a media circus and ends with the death of do Nascimento and a hostage.
2004 – A 1.3 kilogram chondrite type meteorite strikes a house in Ellerslie, New Zealand causing serious damage but no injuries.
2008 – Ireland rejects the Lisbon Treaty in a referendum, thus putting into question the reform programme of the European Union.
Births
1107 – Emperor Gaozong of China (d. 1187)
1519 – Cosimo I de Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (d. 1574)
1577 – Paul Guldin, Swiss astronomer and mathematician (d. 1643)
1659 – Yamamoto Tsunetomo, Japanese samurai (d. 1719)
1775 – Karl Freiherr von Müffling, Prussian field marshal (d. 1851)
1777 – Robert Clark, American politician (d. 1837)
1802 – Harriet Martineau, controversial journalist, political economist, abolitionist and life-long feminist (d. 1876)
1806 – John A. Roebling, German-America civil engineer (Brooklyn Bridge) (d. 1869)
1812 – Edmond Hébert, French geologist (d. 1890)
1819 – Charles Kingsley, English writer (d. 1875)
1827 – Johanna Spyri, Swiss author (d. 1901)
1861 – William Attewell, English cricketer (d. 1927)
1875 – Sam De Grasse, Canadian actor (d. 1953)
1888 – Zygmunt Janiszewski, Polish mathematician (d. 1920)
1890 – Egon Schiele, Austrian painter and graphic artist (d. 1918)
1892 – Djuna Barnes, American author (d. 1982)
1897 – Anthony Eden, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1977)
1899 – Fritz Albert Lipmann, American biochemist, Nobel laureate (d. 1986)
1902 – Hendrik Elias, Flemish politician (d. 1973)
1903 – Emmett Hardy, American musician (d. 1925)
1905 – Ray Barbuti, American athlete (d. 1988)
1906 – Sandro Penna, Italian poet (d. 1977)
1908 – Alphonse Ouimet, Canadian TV pioneer and president of the CBC (d. 1988)
1908 – Marina Semenova, Russian ballerina
1908 – Otto Skorzeny, Famous WWII German SS commando (d. 1975)
1910 – Bill Naughton, English playwright (d. 1992)
1912 – Jameel Jalibi, Pakistani scholar, writer, and Urdu linguist
1913 – Jean Victor Allard, Canadian army general (d. 1996)
1915 – Christopher Mayhew, British politician (d. 1997)
1915 – David Rockefeller, American banker
1916 – Irwin Allen, American film producer (d. 1991)
1918 – Samuel Z. Arkoff, American film producer (d. 2001)
1919 – Uta Hagen, American actress (d. 2004)
1920 – Dave Berg, American cartoonist (d. 2002)
1920 – Peter Jones, English actor (d. 2000)
1920 – Jim Siedow, American actor (d. 2003)
1921 – Christopher Derrick, British writer (d. 2007)
1921 – James Houston, Canadian artist (d. 2005)
1923 – Monty Westmore, American make-up artist (d. 2007)
1924 – George H. W. Bush, 41st President of the United States
1926 – Jackie Pallo, English professional wrestler (d. 2006)
1928 – Vic Damone, American singer
1928 – Richard M. Sherman, American songwriter
1929 – Brigid Brophy, British writer
1929 – Anne Frank, German-born Dutch Jewish diarist and Holocaust victim (d. 1945)
1930 – Donald Byrne, American chess player (d. 1976)
1930 – Jim Nabors, American actor
1930 – Innes Ireland, Scottish racing driver (d. 1993)
1932 – Mimi Coertse, a South African soprano
1932 – Rona Jaffe, American novelist
1932 – Mamo Wolde, Ethiopian athlete (d. 2002)
1933 – Eddie Adams, American photographer, won Pulitzer Prize (d. 2004)
1934 – John A. Alonzo, American cinematographer (d. 2001)
1937 – Vladimir Arnold, Russian mathematician
1937 – Antal Festetics, Austrian biologist
1938 – Tom Oliver, Australian actor
1939 – Frank McCloskey, American politician (d. 2003)
1941 – Marv Albert, American sportscaster
1941 – Chick Corea, American musician
1941 – Roy Harper, English musician
1942 – Bert Sakmann, German physiologist, Nobel laureate
1942 – Len Barry, American singer and musician (The Dovells)
1945 – Pat Jennings, Northern Irish footballer
1946 – Harry Glasper, English writer
1946 – Michel Bergeron, NHL head coach
1948 – Hans Binder, Austrian racing driver
1949 – Marc Tardif, Canadian ice hockey player
1949 – John Wetton, English musician (Asia)
1951 – Andranik Margaryan, 14th Prime Minister of Armenia (d. 2007)
1951 – Bun E. Carlos, American musician (Cheap Trick)
1951 – Brad Delp, American singer (Boston) (d. 2007)
1952 – Pete Farndon, English musician (The Pretenders) (d. 1983)
1952 – Spencer Abraham, Secretary of Energy under George W. Bush
1953 – Allan Weiner, American radio station owner
1954 – Neil Oatley, English engineer
1956 – Terry Alderman, Australian cricketer
1956 – Rob Collins, English musician (The Charlatans) (d. 1996)
1957 – Timothy Busfield, American actor
1957 – Javed Miandad, Pakistani cricketer and coach
1958 – Rebecca Holden, American actress and singer
1959 – John Linnell, American musician (They Might Be Giants)
1959 – Scott Thompson, Canadian comedian (Kids in the Hall)
1959 – Jervis Johnson, Games Designer for Games Workshop, Nottingham
1961 – Jim Goad, American author
1962 – Paul Clark, English musician (The Bolshoi)
1962 – John Enos III, American actor
1963 – Warwick Capper, Australian rules footballer
1963 – Tim DeKay, American actor
1963 – Jerry Lynn, American professional wrestler
1963 – Johnny Weiss, American professional wrestler
1963 – Philippe Bugalski, French rally driver
1964 – Paula Marshall, American actress
1964 – Derek Higgins, Irish racing driver
1965 – Filip Topol, Czech musician and writer
1965 – Vicky Vette, Norwegian-born adult film actress
1967 – Frances O Connor, Australian actress
1967 – Icíar Bollaín, Spanish actress, director and writer
1968 – Scott Aldred, American baseball player
1968 – Bobby Sheehan, American musician (Blues Traveler) (d. 1999)
1969 – Zsolt Daczi, Hungarian guitarist (Omen, Bikini) (d. 2007)
1969 – Mathieu Schneider, American ice hockey player
1969 – Heinz-Christian Strache, Austrian politician
1970 – Gordon Michael Woolvett, Canadian actor
1971 – Mark Henry, American professional wrestler
1971 – Ryan Klesko, American baseball player
1972 – Bounty Killer, Jamaican deejay
1973 – Takis Fyssas, Greek footballer
1973 – Darryl White, Australian rules footballer
1974 – Hideki Matsui, Japanese baseball player
1974 – Jason Mewes, American actor
1974 – Kerry Kittles, American basketball player
1976 – Thomas Sørensen, Danish footballer
1976 – Antawn Jamison, American basketball player
1977 – Kenny Wayne Shepherd, American blues-rock guitarist
1977 – Wade Redden, Canadian ice hockey player
1978 – DJ Qualls, American model and actor
1979 – Dallas Clark, American football player
1979 – Wil Horneff, American actor
1979 – Robyn, Swedish musician
1980 – Larry Foote, American football player
1980 – Marco Bortolami, Italian rugby union player
1981 – Adriana Lima, Brazilian supermodel
1982 – Ben Blackwell, American musician
1982 – Jason David, American football player
1982 – Loïc Duval, French racing driver
1983 – Josh Dies, American author and musician (Showbread)
1983 – Bryan Habana, South African rugby player
1983 – Christine Sinclair, Canadian soccer player
1985 – Blake Ross, American software developer
1985 – Tasha-Ray Evin, Canadian musician (Lillix)
1985 – Kendra Wilkinson, American Playboy bunny/Playmate/Television Personality
1985 – Sam Thaiday, Australian professional rugby league player
1985 – Chris Young, American musician
1986 – Sergio Rodriguez, Spanish basketball player
1987 – Ryu Deok-hwan, South Korean actor
1992 – Allie DiMeco American musician and actress (The Naked Brothers Band)
1992 – Ryan Malgarini, American actor
1992 – Philippe Coutinho, Brazilian football player
1997 – William Cuddy, Canadian actor
Deaths
816 – Pope Leo III
918 – Ethelfleda, Lady of the Mercians
1020 – Lyfing, Archbishop of Canterbury
1036 – Tedald, Bishop of Arezzo
1418 – Bernard VII, Count of Armagnac, Constable of France (b. 1360)
1435 – John FitzAlan, 14th Earl of Arundel, English military leader (b. 1408)
1560 – Imagawa Yoshimoto, Japanese daimyo (b. 1519)
1560 – Ii Naomori, Japanese warrior (b. 1506)
1565 – Adrianus Turnebus, French classical scholar (b. 1512)
1567 – Richard Rich, 1st Baron Rich, Lord Chancellor of England (b. 1490)
1647 – Thomas Farnaby, English grammarian
1675 – Duke Charles Emmanuel II of Savoy (b. 1634)
1734 – James FitzJames, 1st Duke of Berwick, French military commander (b. 1670)
1758 – Augustus William, Prince of Prussia (b. 1722)
1772 – Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne, French explorer (b. 1724)
1778 – Philip Livingston, American signer of the Declaration of Independence (b. 1716)
1816 – Pierre Augereau, Marshal of France and duc de Castiglione (b. 1757)
1818 – Egwale Seyon, Emperor of Ethiopia
1904 – Camille de Renesse, Belgian Count (b. 1836)
1912 – Frédéric Passy, French economist, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1822)
1917 – Teresa Carreño, Venezuelan pianist (b. 1853)
1937 – Mikhail Tukhachevsky, Marshal of the Soviet Union (b. 1893)
1957 – Jimmy Dorsey, American musician (b. 1904)
1962 – John Ireland, English composer (b. 1879)
1963 – Medgar Evers, American civil rights activist (b. 1925)
1966 – Hermann Scherchen, German conductor (b. 1891)
1969 – Alexander Deyneka, Ukrainian painter (b. 1899)
1978 – Guo Moruo, Chinese writer (b. 1892)
1980 – Milburn Stone, American actor (b. 1904)
1980 – Billy Butlin, Founder of the brand of holiday venues known as Butlins (b. 1899)
1980 – Masayoshi Ohira, Prime minister of Japan (b. 1910)
1982 – Karl von Frisch, Austrian zoologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1886)
1982 – Ian McKay, British soldier, Victoria Cross recipient (b. 1953)
1983 – Norma Shearer, Canadian actress (b. 1902)
1989 – Lou Monte, American singer (b. 1917)
1994 – Ronald Goldman, American actor and model (b. 1969)
1994 – Nicole Brown Simpson, American ex-wife of O.J. Simpson (b. 1959)
1994 – Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, Lubavitcher Rebbe (b. 1902)
1994 – Christopher Collins, American actor and comedian (b. 1949)
1995 – Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, Italian pianist (b. 1920)
1997 – Bulat Okudzhava, Russian writer and musician (b. 1924)
2000 – P. L. Deshpande, Marathi writer (b. 1919)
2002 – Bill Blass, American fashion designer (b. 1922)
2003 – Gregory Peck, American actor (b. 1916)
2005 – Scott Young, Canadian sportswriter, novelist, and journalist (b. 1918)
2006 – György Ligeti, Hungarian composer (b. 1923)
2006 – Kenneth Roy Thomson, 2nd Baron Thomson of Fleet, Canadian businessman and art collector (b. 1923)
2007 – Don Herbert aka Mr. Wizard, American television host (b. 1917)
2008 – Derek Tapscott, Welsh footballer (b. 1932)
Holidays and observances
Roman Empire – sixth day of the Vestalia in honor of Vesta
Philippines – Araw ng Kalayaan (Independence Day) 1898
Russian Federation – Russia Day (Independence Day) 1990
Brazil – Dia dos Namorados (Lover s Day; similar to St. Valentine s)
United States – Loving Day celebrates the legalization of interracial marriage
Saint John of Sahagun, hermit, confessor
Saint Leo III died 816
Saints Nabor and Nazarius, martyrs
Blessed Ternan, bishop, confessor
Saint Ursinus, bishop of Bourges, confessor (Translation day)
Saint Pharaildis, virgin
Wales – Dydd y Dywysoges Gwenllian (Welsh) – Princess Gwenllian s Day
