March 12th archived daily history

Today March 12th in history click read more below to view detail events, deaths, births, Holidays and observances, and video clips in hisotry. Please comments, last database updated: Jan 17th, 2009

Events
538 – Witiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving the city in the hands of the victorious Roman general, Belisarius.
1622 – Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, is canonized a saint by the Catholic Church.
1664 – New Jersey becomes a colony of England.
1832 – The ballet La Sylphide first premieres at the Opéra de Paris.
1868 – Henry O Farrell attempts to assassinate Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh.
1881 – Andrew Watson makes his Scotland debut as the world s first black international football player and captain.
1894 – In Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA, Coca-Cola is sold in bottles for the first time.
1908 – The Pan-Macedonian group is formed in Athens to support the Greek Struggle for Macedonia.
1912 – The Girl Guides (later renamed the Girl Scouts of the USA) are founded in the United States.
1913 – Canberra Day: The future capital of Australia is officially named Canberra. (Melbourne remained temporary capital until 1927 while the new capital was still under construction.)
1918 – Moscow becomes the capital of Russia again after Saint-Petersburg held this status for 215 years.
1928 – In California, the St. Francis Dam fails, killing over 600 people.
1930 – Mahatma Gandhi leads a 200-mile march known as Dandi March to the sea in defiance of British opposition, to protest the British monopoly on salt.
1933 – Great Depression: Franklin D. Roosevelt addresses the nation for the first time as President of the United States. This was also the first of his Fireside Chats.
1938 – Anschluss: German troops occupy Austria; annexation declared the following day.
1940 – Winter War: Finland signs the Moscow Peace Treaty with the Soviet Union, ceding almost all of Finnish Karelia. Finnish troops and the remaining population is immediately evacuated.
1947 – The Truman Doctrine is proclaimed to help stem the spread of Communism.
1967 – Suharto takes over from Sukarno to become President of Indonesia.
1968 – Mauritius achieves independence.
1971 – The March 12 Memorandum, second intervention of Turkish Army, is sent to the Demirel government and Demirel government resigned.
1992 – Mauritius becomes a republic while remaining a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.
1993 – Several bombs explode in Bombay (Mumbai), India, killing about 300 and injuring hundreds more.
1993 – North Korea nuclear weapons program: North Korea says that it plans to withdraw from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and refuses to allow inspectors access to nuclear sites.
1994 – The Church of England ordains its first female priests.
1999 – Former Warsaw Pact members the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland join NATO.
2003 – Zoran Ðindic, Prime Minister of Serbia, is assassinated in Belgrade.
2003 – Elizabeth Smart, was found after having been missing for 9 months.
2004 – Roh Moo-hyun, President of South Korea is impeached by its national assembly for the first time in the nation s history.
2005 – Tung Chee Hwa, the first Chief Executive of Hong Kong, steps down from his post after his resignation is approved by the Chinese central government.

Births
1270 – Charles of Valois, son of Philip III of France (d. 1325)
1478 – Giuliano di Lorenzo de Medici, ruler of Florence (d. 1516)
1607 – Paul Gerhardt, German hymnist (d. 1676)
1613 – André Le Nôtre, French landscape architect (d. 1700)
1620 – Johann Heinrich Hottinger, Swiss philologist and theologian (d. 1667)
1626 – John Aubrey, English antiquary and writer (d. 1697)
1637 – Anne Hyde, wife of James II of England (d. 1671)
1647 – Victor-Maurice, comte de Broglie, French general (d. 1727)
1672 – Richard Steele, Irish writer and politician (d. 1729)
1685 – George Berkeley, Irish theologian (d. 1753)
1710 – Thomas Arne, English composer (d. 1778)
1718 – Joseph Damer, English politician (d. 1798)
1781 – Frederica of Baden, Queen of Sweden (d. 1826)
1806 – Jane Pierce, First Lady of the United States (d. 1863)
1821 – Sir John Abbott, third Prime Minister of Canada (d. 1893)
1824 – Gustav Kirchhoff, German physicist (d. 1887)
1831 – Clement Studebaker, American automobile pioneer (d. 1901)
1832 – Charles Boycott, British land agent and originator of the term to boycott (d. 1897)
1835 – Simon Newcomb, American astronomer and mathematician (d. 1909)
1837 – Alexandre Guilmant, French organist and composer (d. 1911)
1838 – William Henry Perkin, English chemist (d. 1907)
1859 – Abraham H. Cannon, Mormon apostle (d. 1896)
1863 – Gabriele D Annunzio, Italian writer (d. 1938)
1863 – Vladimir Vernadsky, Russian mineralogist (d. 1945)
1864 – W. H. R. Rivers, British psychiatrist (d. 1922)
1880 – Nikolaos Georgantas, Greek discus thrower (d. 1958)
1880 – Henry Drysdale Dakin, British-American biochemist, known for the Dakin-West reaction (d. 1952)
1881 – Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, first President of Turkey (d. 1938)
1881 – Gunnar Nordström, Finnish physicist (d. 1923)
1883 – Zoltán Meskó, Hungarian Nazi (d. 1959)
1889 – Þórbergur Þórðarson, Icelandic author (d. 1974)
1890 – Vaslav Nijinsky, Polish ballet dancer (d. 1950)
1890 – William Dudley Pelley, American leader of the Silver Legion (d. 1965)
1891 – George W. Mason, American industrialist (d. 1954)
1895 – William C. Lee, U.S. Army general (d. 1948)
1907 – Arthur Hewlett, British actor (d. 1997)
1907 – Dorrit Hoffleit, American astronomer (d. 2007)
1908 – Rita Angus, New Zealand painter (d. 1970)
1908 – David Saul Marshall Singapore s first Chief Minister(d. 1995)
1910 – Masayoshi Ohira, Prime Minister of Japan (d. 1980)
1911 – Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, President of Mexico (d. 1979)
1912 – Irving Layton, Canadian poet (d. 2006)
1912 – Paul Weston, American pianist, arranger and conductor (d. 1996)
1914 – Julia Lennon, John Lennon s mother
1918 – Elaine de Kooning, American artist (d. 1989)
1921 – Gianni Agnelli, Italian auto executive (d. 2003)
1921 – Ülo Jõgi, Estonian freedom fighter (d. 2007)
1921 – Gordon MacRae, American singer and actor (d. 1986)
1922 – Jack Kerouac, American writer (d. 1969)
1922 – Lane Kirkland, American labor leader (d. 1999)
1923 – Hjalmar Andersen, Norwegian speed skater
1923 – Norbert Brainin, Austrian violinist (d. 2005)
1923 – Wally Schirra, American astronaut (d. 2007)
1923 – Mae Young, American professional wrestler
1925 – Louison Bobet, French cyclist (d. 1983)
1925 – Georges Delerue, French film composer (d. 1992)
1925 – Leo Esaki, Japanese physicist, Nobel laureate
1925 – Harry Harrison, American author
1928 – Edward Albee, American dramatist
1928 – Thérèse Lavoie-Roux, Quebec politician and senator
1928 – Aldemaro Romero, Venezuelan musician (d. 2007)
1929 – U Win Tin, jailed Burmese journalist
1930 – Vernon Law, American baseball player
1931 – Herbert Kelleher, Southwest Airlines co-founder
1931 – Billie Buckwheat Thomas, American actor (d. 1980)
1932 – Barbara Feldon, American actress and model
1932 – Andrew Young, American civil rights activist and politician
1935 – John Doherty, English footballer (d. 2007)
1936 – Patrick Procktor, English artist (d. 2003)
1938 – Johnny Rutherford, American automobile racer
1940 – Al Jarreau, American singer
1940 – M.A. Numminen, Finnish singer and writer
1942 – Ratko Mladic, Republika Srpska leader
1942 – Jimmy Wynn, American baseball player, 1963-1977
1945 – Sammy The Bull Gravano, American gangster
1946 – Liza Minnelli, American singer and actress
1946 – Frank Welker, American voice actor
1946 – Peter Whalley, British television writer and author
1946 – Serge Turgeon, Quebec actor and union leader (d. 2004)
1947 – Kalervo Palsa, Finnish artist (d. 1987)
1947 – Mitt Romney, 70th Governor of Massachusetts
1948 – James Taylor, American musician
1948 – Kent Conrad, Democratic Senator of North Dakota
1948 – Virginia Bottomley, British politician
1949 – Rob Cohen, American film director, producer and writer
1949 – Moctesuma Esparza, Mexican-American producer and filmmaker
1949 – Natalia Kuchinskaya, Soviet gymnast
1950 – Javier Clemente, Spanish football manager
1950 – Jon Provost, American actor
1950 – Wheeler Winston Dixon, American filmmaker, critic and author
1952 – Naomi Shihab Nye, American poet, songwriter, and novelist
1953 – Carl Hiaasen, American journalist and author
1953 – Ron Jeremy, American pornographic actor
1953 – Madhav Kumar Nepal, Nepalese politician
1956 – Steve Harris founder/bassist of the band Iron Maiden
1956 – Dale Murphy, American baseball player
1957 – Marlon Jackson, American singer and musician (The Jackson 5)
1958 – Matt Millen, American football player
1960 – Kipp Lennon, American singer
1960 – Minoru Niihara, Japanese singer
1960 – Maki Nomiya, Japanese singer (Pizzicato Five)
1960 – Courtney B. Vance, American actor
1961 – Joseph Facal, Quebec politician
1962 – Darryl Strawberry, American baseball player
1963 – Ian Holloway, English football manager
1963 – Joaquim Cruz, Brazilian runner
1965 – Steve Finley, American baseball player
1965 – Shawn Gilbert, American baseball player
1965 – Steve Levy, American sports journalist
1965 – Liza Umarova, Chechen torch singer
1966 – Grant Long, NBA Basketball Player
1966 – John Thompson III, NCAA Basketball Head Coach
1967 – Julio Dely Valdes, Panamanian footballer
1968 – Aaron Eckhart, American actor
1968 – Tammy Duckworth, American politician, former military aviator
1969 – Graham Coxon, English musician (Blur)
1969 – Jake Tapper, American journalist
1970 – Dave Eggers, American writer, editor, and publisher
1970 – Roy Khan, Norwegian singer (Kamelot)
1970 – John Nemechek, American NASCAR driver (d. 1997)
1971 – Tony Eveready (Duane Moore), American adult film actor
1971 – Isaiah Rider, American basketball player
1972 – Hector Luis Bustamante, Colombian actor
1972 – James Maritato, American professional wrestler
1975 – Kelle Bryan, English singer
1975 – Herman Li, Cantonese guitarist
1975 – Annabel Port, English radio presenter
1976 – Simon Young, English music journalist
1976 – Zhao Wei, Chinese actress
1977 – Ramiro Corrales, American footballer
1978 – Masuimi Max, American model
1978 – Casey Mears, American auto racer
1978 – Claudio Sanchez, American musician (Coheed and Cambria)
1978 – Arina Tanemura, Japanese mangaka
1979 – Pete Doherty, English musician
1979 – Nidia Guenard, American professional wrestler
1979 – Edwin Villafuerte, Ecuadorian footballer
1980 – Douglas Murray, Swedish ice-hockey player
1981 – Kenta Kobayashi, Japanese professional wrestler
1982 – Zach Miner, American baseball player
1982 – Tobias Schweinsteiger, German footballer
1984 – Shreya Ghoshal, Indian singer
1984 – Jaimie Alexander, American Actress
1985 – Bradley Wright-Phillips, English footballer
1985 – Tosh Townend, American skateboarder
1986 – Danny Jones, English singer (McFly)
1986 – Ben Offereins, Australian athlete
1987 – Chris Seitz, American footballer

Deaths
604 – Pope Gregory I
1289 – King Demetre II of Georgia (b. 1259)
1374 – Emperor Go-Kogon of Japan (b. 1336)
1447 – Shah Rukh, ruler of Persia and Transoxonia (b. 1377)
1507 – Cesare Borgia, Italian general and statesman (b. 1475)
1608 – Koriki Kiyonaga, Japanese warlord (b. 1530)
1628 – John Bull, English composer
1648 – Tirso de Molina, Spanish writer (b. 1571)
1681 – Frans van Mieris, Sr., Dutch painter (b. 1635)
1699 – Peder Griffenfeld, Danish statesman (b. 1635)
1757 – Giuseppe Galli-Bibiena, Italian architect/painter (b. 1696)
1790 – Andreas Hadik, Austro-Hungarian general (b. 1710)
1832 – Friedrich Kuhlau, German composer (b. 1786)
1872 – Zeng Guofan, Chinese politician and general (b. 1811)
1894 – Illarion Pryanishnikov, Russian painter (b. 1840)
1898 – Zacharias Topelius, Finnish-Swedish writer (b. 1818)
1908 – Edmondo De Amicis, Italian children s writer (b. 1846)
1909 – Joe Petrosino, NYPD lieutenant (b. 1860)
1914 – George Westinghouse, American entrepreneur and engineer (b. 1846)
1916 – Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach, Austrian writer (b. 1830)
1925 – Sun Yat-sen, Chinese revolutionary and politician (b. 1866)
1929 – Asa Griggs Candler, American businessman (b. 1851)
1930 – Alois Jirásek, Czech writer (b. 1851)
1930 – William George Barker, Canadian fighter ace (b. 1894)
1937 – Charles-Marie Widor, French organist and composer (b. 1844)
1937 – Jeno Hubay, Hungarian violinist (b. 1858)
1942 – Robert Bosch, German industrialist (b. 1861)
1943 – Gustav Vigeland, Norwegian sculptor (b. 1869)
1944 – Artur Gavazzi, Croatian geographer (b. 1861)
1946 – Ferenc Szálasi, Hungarian politician (executed) (b. 1897)
1947 – Winston Churchill the American, American novelist (b. 1871)
1955 – Charlie Parker, American jazz saxophonist (b. 1920)
1973 – Frankie Frisch, American baseball player (b. 1898)
1974 – George D. Sax, Drive-in bank and instant loan innovator. Owner of the Saxony Hotel. (b. 1904)
1978 – John Cazale, American actor (b. 1935)
1978 – Gene Moore, American baseball player (b. 1909)
1980 – Arthur Charles Dobson, British racing driver (b. 1914)
1984 – Arnold Ridley, English playwright and actor (b. 1896)
1985 – Eugene Ormandy, Hungarian conductor (b. 1899)
1987 – Woody Hayes, American football coach (b. 1913)
1989 – Maurice Evans, English-born actor (b. 1901)
1990 – Wallace Breem, British author (b. 1926)
1991 – Ragnar Granit, Finnish neuroscientist, Nobel laureate (b. 1900)
1995 – Juanin Clay, American actress (b. 1949)
1998 – Judge Dread, English musician (b. 1945)
1998 – Beatrice Wood, American artist and ceramist (b. 1893)
1998 – Jozef Kroner, Slovak actor (b. 1924)
1999 – Yehudi Menuhin, American-born violinist (b. 1916)
2001 – Morton Downey, Jr., American television talk show host (b. 1933)
2001 – Robert Ludlum, American author (b. 1927)
2002 – Spyros Kyprianou, Cypriot politician (b. 1932)
2002 – Jean-Paul Riopelle, Quebec painter and sculptor (b. 1923)
2003 – Zoran Ðindic, Prime Minister of Serbia (b. 1952)
2003 – Howard Fast, American author (b. 1914)
2003 – Andrei Kivilev, Kazakh cyclist (b. 1973)
2003 – Lynne Thigpen, American actress (b. 1948)
2005 – Bill Cameron, Canadian journalist (b. 1943)
2005 – Stavros Koujioumtzis, Greek songwriter (b. 1932)
2006 – Victor Sokolov, Russian dissident journalist and priest (b. 1947)
2008 – Lazare Ponticelli, the last poilu, French foot soldier of World War One, dies at 110 (b. 1897)
2008 – Jorge Guinzburg, Argentine journalist, producer, humorist, and TV, theater and radio host (b. 1949)

Holidays and observances
Faroe Islands – Grækarismessa (Mass of St. Gregor): According to tradition, the oystercatcher, the Faroes national bird returns this day. This event is celebrated in the capital, Tórshavn
Mauritius – National Day.
Ancient Latvia – Gregoru Diena observed.
Arbor Day in People s Republic of China and Taiwan.