December 12

Events

• 627 - Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II's Persian forces, commanded by General Rhahzadh.
• 884 - King Carloman II dies after a hunting accident.
• 1388 - Maria of Enghien sells the lordship of Argos and Nauplia to the Republic of Venice.
• 1862 - American Civil War: sinks on the Yazoo River.
• 1866 - Oaks explosion: The worst mining disaster in England kills 361 miners and rescuers.
• 1870 - Joseph H. Rainey of South Carolina becomes the second black U.S. congressman.
• 1901 - Guglielmo Marconi receives the first transatlantic radio signal, at Signal Hill in St John's, Newfoundland.
• 1917 - Father Edward J. Flanagan founds Boys Town as a farm village for wayward boys.
• 1935 - Lebensborn Project, a Nazi reproduction program, is founded by Heinrich Himmler.
• 1937 - Second Sino-Japanese War: USS Panay incident: Japanese aircraft bomb and sink U.S. gunboat on the Yangtze river in China.
• 1939 - sinks after a collision with off the coast of Scotland with the loss of 124 men.
• 1941 - World War II: Fifty-four Japanese A6M Zero fighters raid Batangas Field, Philippines. Jesús Villamor and four Filipino fighter pilots fend them off; César Basa is killed.
• 1941 - Adolf Hitler declares the imminent extermination of the Jews at a meeting in the Reich Chancellery.
• 1945 - The People's Republic of Korea is outlawed in the South, by order of the United States Army Military Government in Korea.
• 1946 - United Nations Security Council Resolution 13 relating to acceptance of Siam to United Nations is adopted.
• 1956 - United Nations Security Council Resolution 121 relating to acceptance of Japan to United Nations is adopted.
• 1979 - The 8.2 Tumaco earthquake shakes Colombia and Ecuador with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX, killing 300–600, and generating a large tsunami.
• 1985 - Arrow Air Flight 1285, a McDonnell Douglas DC-8, crashes after takeoff in Gander, Newfoundland, killing all 256 people on board, including 236 members of the United States Army's 101st Airborne Division.
• 1988 - The Clapham Junction rail crash kills thirty-five and injures hundreds after two collisions of three commuter trains—one of the worst train crashes in the United Kingdom.
• 2000 - The United States Supreme Court releases its decision in Bush v. Gore.
• 2001 - Prime Minister of Vietnam Phan Văn Khải announces the decision on upgrading the Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng nature reserve to a national park, providing information on projects for the conservation and development of the park and revised maps.
• 2012 - North Korea successfully launches its first satellite, Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3 Unit 2.
• 2015 - The Paris Agreement relating to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is adopted.

  Births

• 1526 - Álvaro de Bazán, 1st Marquis of Santa Cruz, Spanish admiral
• 1685 - Lodovico Giustini, Italian pianist and composer
• 1724 - Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood, English admiral and politician
• 1786 - William L. Marcy, American lawyer, judge, and politician, 21st United States Secretary of State
• 1799 - Karl Bryullov, Russian painter
• 1805 - Henry Wells, American businessman, co-founded Wells Fargo and American Express
• 1806 - Stand Watie, American general
• 1812 - John Sandfield Macdonald, Canadian lawyer and politician, 1st Premier of Ontario
• 1821 - Gustave Flaubert, French novelist
• 1830 - Joseph Orville Shelby, Confederate general
• 1842 - Adolf Bötticher, German journalist and historian
• 1845 - Bruce Price, American architect, designed the American Surety Building and Bank of the Metropolis
• 1866 - Alfred Werner, Swiss chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
• 1870 - Walter Benona Sharp, American businessman, co-founded Hughes Tool Company
• 1876 - Alvin Kraenzlein, American hurdler and runner
• 1881 - Louise Thuliez, French school teacher, resistance fighter during World War I and World War II and author
• 1893 - Edward G. Robinson, American actor
• 1901 - Harald Kaarmann, Estonian footballer
• 1907 - Roy Douglas, English pianist and composer
• 1912 - Henry Armstrong, American boxer
• 1915 - Frank Sinatra, American singer, actor, and producer
• 1918 - Joe Williams, American singer and pianist
• 1920 - Josef Doležal, Czech race walker
• 1923 - Bob Barker, American game show host and producer
• 1923 - Bob Dorough, American musician, composer, and producer
• 1925 - Ted Kennedy, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1925 - Dattu Phadkar, Indian cricketer
• 1925 - Vladimir Shainsky, Ukrainian-Russian pianist and composer
• 1927 - Robert Noyce, American inventor and businessman, co-founded the Intel Corporation
• 1928 - Helen Frankenthaler, American painter and academic
• 1929 - Toshiko Akiyoshi, Japanese pianist and composer
• 1932 - Bob Pettit, American basketball player and coach
• 1933 - Christa Stubnick, German sprinter
• 1934 - Miguel de la Madrid, Mexican lawyer and politician, 52nd President of Mexico
• 1936 - Iolanda Balaș, Romanian high jumper and educator
• 1937 - Philip Ledger, English pianist, composer, and academic
• 1940 - Sharad Pawar, Indian politician, Indian Minister of Agriculture
• 1943 - Grover Washington, Jr., American singer-songwriter, saxophonist, and producer
• 1945 - Tony Williams, American drummer, composer, and producer
• 1947 - Chris Mullin, English journalist and politician
• 1948 - Colin Todd, English football player and coach
• 1949 - Bill Nighy, English actor
• 1949 - Marc Ravalomanana, Malagasy businessman and politician, President of Madagascar
• 1950 - Pedro Ferriz de Con, Mexican journalist
• 1950 - Heiner Flassbeck, German economist and academic
• 1950 - Gorman Thomas, American baseball player
• 1950 - Rajinikanth, Indian actor
• 1950 - Billy Smith, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and manager
• 1951 - Rehman Malik, Pakistani politician, Pakistani Minister of Interior
• 1952 - Cathy Rigby, American gymnast
• 1953 - Martin Ferguson, Australian lawyer and politician
• 1953 - Rafael Septién, Mexican-American football player
• 1955 - Eddy Schepers, Belgian cyclist
• 1955 - Stephen Smith, Australian lawyer and politician, 53rd Australian Minister of Defence
• 1956 - Johan van der Velde, Dutch cyclist
• 1957 - Sheila E., American singer-songwriter, drummer, and actress
• 1958 - Alexander Crutchfield, American businessman, financier and investor
• 1959 - Jasper Conran, English fashion designer
• 1960 - Martina Hellmann, German discus thrower
• 1961 - Andrey Perlov, Russian race walker
• 1962 - Tracy Austin, American tennis player and sportscaster
• 1962 - Arturo Barrios, Mexican-American runner
• 1962 - Peter Bergen, American-English journalist and author
• 1962 - Mike Golic, American football player and radio host
• 1962 - Ulrike Tillmann, German mathematician and academic
• 1963 - Eduardo Castro Luque, Mexican businessman and politician
• 1964 - Reeta Chakrabarti, English journalist
• 1964 - Haywood Jeffires, American football player and coach
• 1964 - Sabu, American wrestler
• 1965 - Will Carling, English rugby player
• 1966 - Royce Gracie, Brazilian-American mixed martial artist and actor
• 1966 - Ian Paisley, Jr., Northern Irish politician
• 1967 - Yuzo Koshiro, Japanese composer and producer
• 1967 - John Randle, American football player
• 1968 - Rory Kennedy, American director and producer
• 1968 - Sašo Udovič, Slovenian footballer
• 1968 - Laurie Williams, Jamaican cricketer
• 1969 - Sophie Kinsella, English author and educator
• 1969 - Wilfred Kirochi, Kenyan runner
• 1969 - Fiona May, English-Italian long jumper
• 1969 - Michael Möllenbeck, German discus thrower
• 1970 - Tahir Bilgic, Turkish-Australian comedian and actor
• 1970 - Jennifer Connelly, American actress
• 1970 - Regina Hall, American actress
• 1971 - Sammy Korir, Kenyan runner
• 1972 - Nicky Eaden, English footballer and coach
• 1972 - Craig Field, Australian rugby league player
• 1972 - Wilson Kipketer, Kenyan-Danish runner
• 1972 - Georgios Theodoridis, Greek sprinter
• 1972 - Hank Williams III, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1973 - Tony Hsieh, American businessman, founded LinkExchange
• 1974 - Bernard Lagat, Kenyan-American runner
• 1974 - Nolberto Solano, Peruvian footballer and manager
• 1975 - Mayim Bialik, American actress
• 1975 - Craig Moore, Australian footballer and manager
• 1976 - Dan Hawkins, English guitarist, songwriter, and producer
• 1976 - Brent Johnson, Canadian football player
• 1977 - Yoel Hernández, Cuban hurdler
• 1977 - Dean Macey, English decathlete and bobsledder
• 1977 - Colin White, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1978 - Gbenga Akinnagbe, American actor and screenwriter
• 1978 - Shin Seung-hwan, South Korean actor
• 1979 - Nate Clements, American football player
• 1979 - John Salmons, American basketball player
• 1980 - Dejene Berhanu, Ethiopian runner
• 1980 - Dorin Goian, Romanian footballer
• 1980 - Berkant Göktan, Turkish-German footballer
• 1981 - Jeret Peterson, American skier
• 1981 - Pedro Ríos, Spanish footballer
• 1981 - Yuvraj Singh, Indian cricketer
• 1981 - Stephen Warnock, English footballer
• 1982 - Dmitry Tursunov, Russian tennis player
• 1984 - Daniel Agger, Danish footballer
• 1985 - Pat Calathes, Greek-American basketball player
• 1985 - Giannis Zaradoukas, Greek footballer
• 1986 - Daddy Birori, Rwandan footballer
• 1986 - Përparim Hetemaj, Finnish footballer
• 1986 - Nina Kolarič, Slovenian long jumper
• 1986 - T. J. Ward, American football player
• 1987 - Marte Eberson, Norwegian keyboard player and composer
• 1988 - Isaac John, New Zealand rugby league player
• 1988 - Tony Williams, Australian-Tongan rugby league player
• 1990 - Nixon Chepseba, Kenyan runner
• 1990 - Victor Moses, Nigerian footballer
• 1990 - Seungri, South Korean singer-songwriter
• 1991 - Joseph Leilua, Australian-Samoan rugby league player
• 1993 - Zeli Ismail, English footballer
• 1994 - Otto Warmbier, American student imprisoned in North Korea

  Deaths

• 884 - Carloman II, Frankish king
• 894 - Guy III, king of Italy and Holy Roman Emperor
• 948 - Li Song, Chinese official and chancellor
• 1143 - Kogyo-Daishi, restorer of Shingon Buddhism in Japan
• 1204 - Maimonides, Egyptian religious scholar, philosopher and physician
• 1212 - Geoffrey, English archbishop and politician, Lord Chancellor of England
• 1296 - Isabella of Mar, first wife of Robert Bruce VII
• 1475 - Joan of Portugal, Queen of Castile
• 1476 - Frederick I, Elector Palatine
• 1569 - Philip II, Metropolitan of Moscow
• 1572 - Loredana Marcello, Dogaressa of Venice, botanist, author
• 1574 - Selim II, Ottoman Sultan
• 1586 - Stephen Báthory, Polish king
• 1685 - John Pell, English mathematician and linguist
• 1751 - Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke, English philosopher and politician, Secretary at War
• 1758 - Françoise de Graffigny, French lettrist
• 1766 - Johann Christoph Gottsched, German philosopher, author, and critic
• 1782 - Charles Gray, English lawyer and politician
• 1789 - John Ponsonby, Irish lawyer and politician
• 1790 - Mikhail Shcherbatov, Russian historian and philosopher
• 1794 - Meshullam Feivush Heller, Ukrainian author
• 1803 - Prince Frederick Adolf of Sweden
• 1817 - Tekle Giyorgis I, Ethiopian emperor
• 1843 - William I of the Netherlands
• 1858 - Jacques Viger, Canadian archeologist and politician, 1st Mayor of Montreal
• 1889 - Robert Browning, English poet and playwright
• 1889 - Viktor Bunyakovsky, Ukrainian-Russian mathematician and theorist
• 1894 - John Sparrow David Thompson, Canadian lawyer, judge, and politician, 4th Prime Minister of Canada
• 1913 - Menelik II, Ethiopian emperor
• 1921 - Henrietta Swan Leavitt, American astronomer and academic
• 1923 - Raymond Radiguet, French author and poet
• 1924 - Alexander Parvus, Russian-German theorist and politician
• 1926 - Jean Richepin, French author, poet, and playwright
• 1934 - Thorleif Haug, Norwegian skier
• 1939 - Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., American actor, producer, and screenwriter
• 1941 - César Basa, Filipino lieutenant and pilot
• 1951 - Mildred Bailey, American singer
• 1952 - Bedřich Hrozný, Czech orientalist and linguist
• 1958 - Albert Walsh, Canadian lawyer and politician, 1st Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland
• 1963 - Yasujirō Ozu, Japanese director and screenwriter
• 1964 - Maithili Sharan Gupt, Indian poet and playwright
• 1964 - William Rootes, 1st Baron Rootes, English businessman, founded Rootes Group
• 1966 - Karl Ruberl, Austrian-American swimmer
• 1968 - Tallulah Bankhead, American actress
• 1970 - Doris Blackburn, Australian politician
• 1970 - George Terwilliger, American director and screenwriter
• 1971 - Yechezkel Kutscher, Israeli philologist and linguist
• 1971 - David Sarnoff, Belarusian-American businessman
• 1975 - Richard Baggallay, English colonel and cricketer
• 1976 - Jack Cassidy, American actor
• 1978 - Fay Compton, English actress
• 1980 - Jean Lesage, Canadian lawyer and politician, 19th Premier of Quebec
• 1985 - Anne Baxter, American actress
• 1985 - Ian Stewart, Scottish keyboard player and manager
• 1986 - Paul Verner, German politician
• 1987 - Enrique Jorrín, Cuban violinist and composer
• 1992 - Suzanne Lilar, Belgian author and playwright
• 1993 - József Antall, Hungarian historian and politician, 35th Prime Minister of Hungary
• 1994 - Stuart Roosa, American colonel, pilot, and astronaut
• 1994 - Donna J. Stone, American poet and philanthropist
• 1996 - Vance Packard, American journalist, author, and critic
• 1997 - Evgenii Landis, Ukrainian-Russian mathematician and academic
• 1998 - Lawton Chiles, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 41st Governor of Florida
• 1998 - Marco Denevi, Argentinian author and screenwriter
• 1998 - Mo Udall, American captain and politician
• 1999 - Paul Cadmus, American painter and illustrator
• 1999 - Joseph Heller, American novelist, short story writer, and playwright
• 2000 - George Montgomery, American actor, stuntman, director, producer, and screenwriter
• 2000 - Ndabaningi Sithole, Zimbabwean militant leader, founded Zimbabwe African National Union
• 2001 - Ardito Desio, Italian geologist and explorer
• 2002 - Dee Brown, American historian and author
• 2003 - Heydar Aliyev, Azerbaijani general and politician, 3rd President of Azerbaijan
• 2003 - Gangodawila Soma Thero, Sri Lankan monk and educator
• 2005 - Robert Newmyer, American actor and producer
• 2005 - Ramanand Sagar, Indian director, producer, and screenwriter
• 2005 - Annette Stroyberg, Danish actress
• 2005 - Gebran Tueni, Lebanese journalist and politician
• 2006 - Paul Arizin, American basketball player
• 2006 - Peter Boyle, American actor
• 2006 - Kenny Davern, American clarinet player and saxophonist
• 2006 - Raymond P. Shafer, American lawyer and politician, 38th Governor of Pennsylvania
• 2006 - Alan Shugart, American engineer and businessman, co-founded Seagate Technology
• 2007 - François al-Hajj, Lebanese general
• 2007 - Ike Turner, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
• 2008 - Avery Dulles, American cardinal and theologian
• 2008 - Van Johnson, American actor
• 2008 - Tassos Papadopoulos, Cypriot lawyer and politician, 5th President of Cyprus
• 2010 - Tom Walkinshaw, Scottish race car driver, founded Tom Walkinshaw Racing
• 2012 - Joe Allbritton, American banker, publisher, and philanthropist, founded the Allbritton Communications Company
• 2012 - Nityanand Swami, Indian lawyer and politician, 1st Chief Minister of Uttarakhand
• 2012 - David Tait, English rugby player
• 2013 - Tom Laughlin, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
• 2013 - Abdul Quader Molla, Bangladeshi journalist and politician
• 2013 - Leo Sachs, German-Israeli biologist and academic
• 2013 - Jang Sung-taek, North Korean general and politician
• 2013 - Audrey Totter, American actress
• 2014 - Norman Bridwell, American author and illustrator, created Clifford the Big Red Dog
• 2014 - Ivor Grattan-Guinness, English mathematician, historian, and academic
• 2014 - Herb Plews, American baseball player
• 2014 - Yury Shutov, Russian politician
• 2015 - Luis Bermejo, Spanish illustrator
• 2015 - Frans Geurtsen, Dutch footballer
• 2015 - Sharad Anantrao Joshi, Indian farmer and politician
• 2015 - Evelyn S. Lieberman, American politician, White House Deputy Chief of Staff
• 2016 - Shirley Hazzard, Australian-American novelist, short story writer, and essayist
• 2017 - Ed Lee, American politician and attorney, 43rd Mayor of San Francisco
• 2017 - Pat DiNizio, American singer and songwriter

  Holidays and observances

• Christian feast day:
• * Abra of Poitiers
• * Columba of Terryglass
• * Corentin of Quimper
• * Edburga of Minster-in-Thanet
• * Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
• * Finnian of Clonard
• * Vicelinus
• * December 12
• Constitution Day
• Croatian Air Force Day
• Feast of Masá'il, the first day of the 15th month of the Bahá'í calendar
• Ground Forces Day
• Jamhuri Day, celebrates the independence of Kenya from Britain in 1963.
• Kanji Day
• Neutrality Day