On This Day in History — June 12

Highlights of June 12

• 2025 — Air India Flight 171 (wreckage pictured) crashed shortly after take-off in Ahmedabad, India, killing 260 people. Read more
• 2016 — An Islamic terrorist killed 49 people in a mass shooting at the gay nightclub Pulse in Orlando, Florida. Read more
• 2010 — Sixteen-year-old Abby Sunderland was rescued after her boat was dismasted in the Indian Ocean while trying to become the youngest sailor around the world. Read more
• 1999 — In the aftermath of the bombing of Yugoslavia and the Kosovo War, the NATO-led Kosovo Force entered the territory with a mandate of establishing a secure environment. Read more
• 1994 — The Boeing 777, the world's largest twinjet, made its maiden flight. Read more
• 1991 — More than 150 Sri Lankan Tamil civilians were massacred by members of the military in the village of Kokkadichcholai. Read more
• 1987 — Cold War: During a speech at the Brandenburg Gate by the Berlin Wall, US president Ronald Reagan challenged Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to "tear down this wall!" (speech featured). Read more
• 1981 — Raiders of the Lost Ark, the first film in the Indiana Jones franchise, was released. Read more
• 1978 — American serial killer David Berkowitz, popularly known as the "Son of Sam", was sentenced to 25-years-to-life in prison for each of six killings. Read more
• 1967 — The U.S. Supreme Court struck down laws restricting interracial marriage in the landmark civil rights case Loving v. Virginia. Read more
• 1963 — The premiere was held in New York of the historical drama film Cleopatra, the most expensive film made to that point. Read more
• 1954 — Dominic Savio, who was 14 years old at his death in 1857, was canonized by Pope Pius XII, making him one of the youngest non-martyred saints in the Catholic Church. Read more
• 1942 — On her thirteenth birthday, Anne Frank (pictured) began keeping a diary during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands in World War II. Read more
• 1921 — Soviet politician Vladimir Antonov-Ovseenko authorised the use of chemical weapons against a peasant rebellion in the Tambov Governorate. Read more
• 1914 — As part of the Ottoman Empire's policies of ethnic cleansing, Turkish irregulars began a six-day massacre in the predominantly Greek town of Phocaea. Read more
• 1864 — Union general Ulysses S. Grant pulled his troops out of the Battle of Cold Harbor in Hanover County, Virginia, ending one of the bloodiest, most lopsided battles in the American Civil War. Read more
• 1798 — Following the successful French invasion of Malta, the Knights Hospitaller surrendered Malta to Napoleon, initiating two years of occupation. Read more
• 1776 — The Fifth Virginia Convention adopted a declaration of rights, an influential document that proclaimed the inherent rights of men. Read more
• 1775 — Thomas Gage, the governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay, offered a general pardon to colonists who remained loyal to Britain. Read more
• 1240 — The Disputation of Paris, in which four rabbis defended the Talmud against Nicholas Donin's accusations of blasphemy, began in the court of King Louis IX. Read more

Events

• 2026 — South African-American businessman Elon Musk becomes the first US$ trillionaire with the initial public offering of SpaceX. Read more
• 2025 — Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashes shortly after takeoff into the B. J. Medical College, Ahmedabad, India, killing 241 out of 242 onboard as well as 19 on the ground. This marked the first fatal crash and hull loss of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Read more
• 2024 — A fire in a residential building in Mangaf, Kuwait City kills at least 50 people. Read more
• 2019 — Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is inaugurated as the second president of Kazakhstan. Read more
• 2018 — United States President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un of North Korea hold the first meeting between leaders of their two countries in Singapore. Read more
• 2016 — Forty-nine civilians are killed and 58 others injured in an attack on a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, United States; the gunman, Omar Mateen, is killed in a gunfight with police. Read more
• 2014 — Between 1,095 and 1,700 Shia Iraqi people are killed in an attack by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant on Camp Speicher in Tikrit, Iraq. It is the second deadliest act of terrorism in history, only behind 9/11. Read more
• 2009 — A disputed presidential election in Iran leads to wide-ranging local and international protests. Read more
• 1999 — Kosovo War: Operation Joint Guardian begins when a NATO-led United Nations peacekeeping force, Kosovo Force (KFor), enters the province of Kosovo in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Read more
• 1993 — An election takes place in Nigeria and is won by Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola. Its results are later annulled by the military government of Ibrahim Babangida. Read more
• 1991 — In modern Russia's first democratic election, Boris Yeltsin is elected as the President of Russia. Read more
• 1991 — Kokkadichcholai massacre: The Sri Lankan Army massacres 152 minority Tamil civilians in the village of Kokkadichcholai near the Eastern Province town of Batticaloa. Read more
• 1990 — Russia Day: The parliament of the Russian Federation formally declares its sovereignty. Read more
• 1988 — Austral Líneas Aéreas Flight 046, a McDonnell Douglas MD-81, crashes short of the runway at Libertador General José de San Martín Airport, killing all 22 people on board. Read more
• 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. Read more
• 1987 — Cold War: At the Brandenburg Gate, U.S. President Ronald Reagan publicly challenges Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall. Read more
• 1982 — A nuclear disarmament rally and concert is held in New York City. Read more
• 1981 — The first of the Indiana Jones film franchise, Raiders of the Lost Ark, is released in theaters. Read more
• 1979 — Bryan Allen wins the second Kremer prize for a man-powered flight across the English Channel in the Gossamer Albatross. Read more
• 1975 — State of Uttar Pradesh v. Raj Narain: Judge Jagmohanlal Sinha rules against Indira Gandhi in a case on her election to the Indian Parliament, and that she should be banned from holding any public office, triggering a political crisis. Read more
• 1967 — The United States Supreme Court in Loving v. Virginia declares all U.S. state laws that prohibit interracial marriage to be unconstitutional. Read more
• 1964 — Anti-apartheid activist and ANC leader Nelson Mandela's original 5-year sentence is extended to life sentence for high treason together with Denis Goldberg, Ahmed Kathrada, Govan Mbeki, Raymond Mhlaba, Andrew Mlangeni, Elias Motsoaledi and Walter Sisulu in the Rivonia Trial for sabotage in South Africa. Read more
• 1963 — NAACP field secretary Medgar Evers is murdered in front of his home in Jackson, Mississippi, by Ku Klux Klan member Byron De La Beckwith during the civil rights movement. Read more
• 1963 — The film Cleopatra, starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, is released in US theaters. It was the most expensive film made at the time. Read more
• 1954 — Pope Pius XII canonises Dominic Savio, who was 14 years old at the time of his death, as a saint, making him at the time the youngest unmartyred saint in the Roman Catholic Church. In 2017, Francisco and Jacinta Marto, aged ten and nine at the time of their deaths, are declared as saints. Read more
• 1950 — An Air France Douglas DC-4 crashes near Bahrain International Airport, killing 46 people. Read more
• 1944 — World War II: Battle of Carentan: American paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division secure the town of Carentan, Normandy, France. Read more
• 1943 — The Holocaust: Germany liquidates the Jewish Ghetto in Brzeżany, Poland (now Berezhany, Ukraine). Around 1,180 Jews are led to the city's old Jewish graveyard and shot. Read more
• 1942 — Anne Frank receives a diary for her thirteenth birthday. Read more
• 1940 — World War II: Thirteen thousand British and French troops surrender to General Erwin Rommel at Saint-Valery-en-Caux. Read more
• 1939 — Shooting begins on Paramount Pictures' Dr. Cyclops, the first horror film photographed in three-strip Technicolor. Read more
• 1939 — The Baseball Hall of Fame opens in Cooperstown, New York. Read more
• 1935 — A ceasefire is negotiated between Bolivia and Paraguay, ending the Chaco War. Read more
• 1921 — Mikhail Tukhachevsky orders the use of chemical weapons against the Tambov Rebellion, bringing an end to the peasant uprising. Read more
• 1914 — Massacre of Phocaea: Turkish irregulars slaughter 50 to 100 Greeks and expel thousands of others in an ethnic cleansing operation in the Ottoman Empire. Read more
• 1900 — The Reichstag approves new legislation continuing Germany's naval expansion program, providing for construction of 38 battleships over a 20-year period. Germany's fleet would be the largest in the world. Read more
• 1899 — New Richmond tornado: The ninth deadliest tornado in U.S. history kills 117 people and injures around 200. Read more
• 1898 — Philippine Declaration of Independence: General Emilio Aguinaldo declares the Philippines' independence from Spain. Read more
• 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 position at Cold Harbor, Virginia and moves south. Read more
• 1830 — Beginning of the Invasion of Algiers: Thirty-four thousand French soldiers land 27 kilometers west of Algiers, at Sidi Ferruch. Read more
• 1821 — Badi VII, king of Sennar, surrenders his throne and realm to Isma'il Pasha, general of the Ottoman Empire, ending the existence of that Sudanese kingdom. Read more
• 1817 — The earliest form of bicycle, the dandy horse, is driven by Karl von Drais. Read more
• 1813 — War of 1812: Capture of USRC Surveyor. Read more
• 1798 — Irish Rebellion of 1798: Battle of Ballynahinch. Read more
• 1776 — The Virginia Declaration of Rights is adopted. Read more
• 1775 — American War of Independence: 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. Read more
• 1772 — French explorer Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne and 25 of his men are killed by Māori in New Zealand. Read more
• 1758 — French and Indian War: Siege of Louisbourg: James Wolfe's attack at Louisbourg, Nova Scotia, commences. Read more
• 1665 — Thomas Willett is appointed the first mayor of New York City. Read more
• 1653 — First Anglo-Dutch War: The Battle of the Gabbard begins, lasting until the following day. Read more
• 1643 — The Westminster Assembly is convened by the Parliament of England, without the assent of Charles I, in order to restructure the Church of England. Read more
• 1550 — The city of Helsinki, Finland (belonging to Sweden at the time) is founded by King Gustav I of Sweden. Read more
• 1429 — Hundred Years' War: On the second day of the Battle of Jargeau, 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. Read more
• 1418 — Armagnac–Burgundian Civil War: Parisians slaughter sympathizers of Bernard VII, Count of Armagnac, along with all prisoners, foreign bankers, and students and faculty of the College of Navarre. Read more
• 1381 — Peasants' Revolt: In England, rebels assemble at Blackheath, just outside London. Read more
• 1240 — At the instigation of Louis IX of France, an inter-faith debate, known as the Disputation of Paris, starts between a Christian monk and four rabbis. Read more
• 1206 — The Ghurid general Qutb ud-Din Aibak founds the Delhi Sultanate. Read more
• 1042 — Constantine IX Monomachos is crowned as Byzantine Emperor, one day after his marriage to Empress Zoe Porphyrogenita. Read more
• 910 — Battle of Augsburg: The Hungarians defeat the East Frankish army under King Louis the Child, using the famous feigned retreat tactic of the nomadic warriors. Read more

Born on June 12

• 2002 — Koni De Winter, Belgian footballer Read more
• 1999 — CarryMinati, Indian YouTuber Read more
• 1996 — Gustav Forsling, Swedish ice hockey player Read more
• 1996 — Davinson Sánchez, Colombian footballer Read more
• 1996 — Shonica Wharton, Barbadian netball player Read more
• 1994 — Don Toliver, American rapper and singer-songwriter Read more
• 1992 — Philippe Coutinho, Brazilian footballer Read more
• 1992 — Allie DiMeco, American actress and musician Read more
• 1991 — Avisaíl García, Venezuelan baseball player Read more
• 1990 — Jrue Holiday, American basketball player Read more
• 1990 — David Worrall, English footballer Read more
• 1989 — Emma Eliasson, Swedish ice hockey player Read more
• 1989 — Ibrahim Jeilan, Ethiopian runner Read more
• 1988 — Eren Derdiyok, Swiss footballer Read more
• 1988 — Mauricio Isla, Chilean footballer Read more
• 1986 — Salim Mehajer, Australian politician Read more
• 1985 — Dave Franco, American actor Read more
• 1985 — Blake Ross, American computer programmer, co-created Mozilla Firefox Read more
• 1985 — Sam Thaiday, Australian rugby league player and sportscaster Read more
• 1985 — Kendra Wilkinson, American model, actress, and author Read more
• 1984 — James Kwalia, Kenyan-Qatari runner Read more
• 1984 — Bruno Soriano, Spanish footballer Read more
• 1983 — Bryan Habana, South African rugby player Read more
• 1983 — Christine Sinclair, Canadian soccer player Read more
• 1982 — Shailaja Pujari, Indian weightlifter Read more
• 1982 — James Tomlinson, English cricketer Read more
• 1981 — Raitis Grafs, Latvian basketball player Read more
• 1981 — Adriana Lima, Brazilian model and actress Read more
• 1980 — Marco Bortolami, Italian rugby player Read more
• 1979 — Dallas Clark, American football player Read more
• 1979 — Martine Dugrenier, Canadian wrestler Read more
• 1979 — Diego Milito, Argentine footballer Read more
• 1979 — Robyn, Swedish singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer Read more
• 1979 — Earl Watson, American basketball player and coach Read more
• 1978 — Lewis Moody, English rugby player Read more
• 1977 — Wade Redden, Canadian ice hockey player Read more
• 1977 — Kenny Wayne Shepherd, American blues-rock guitarist Read more
• 1976 — Antawn Jamison, American basketball player and sportscaster Read more
• 1976 — Ray Price, Zimbabwean cricketer Read more
• 1976 — Thomas Sørensen, Danish footballer Read more

Died on June 12

• 2024 — William H. Donaldson, American businessman (born 1931) Read more
• 2024 — Neil Goldschmidt, American lawyer and politician, 33rd Governor of Oregon (born 1940) Read more
• 2024 — Jerry West, American basketball player and executive (born 1938) Read more
• 2023 — Silvio Berlusconi, Italian businessman and politician, Prime Minister of Italy (born 1936) Read more
• 2023 — Francesco Nuti, Italian actor and director, (born 1955) Read more
• 2023 — John Romita Sr., comic book artist and author (born 1930) Read more
• 2023 — Treat Williams, American actor (born 1951) Read more
• 2022 — Philip Baker Hall, American actor (born 1931) Read more
• 2022 — Phil Bennett, Welsh rugby union player (born 1948) Read more
• 2019 — Sylvia Miles, American actress (born 1924) Read more
• 2018 — Jon Hiseman, English drummer (born 1944) Read more
• 2015 — Fernando Brant, Brazilian journalist, poet, and composer (born 1946) Read more
• 2013 — Teresita Barajuen, Spanish nun (born 1908) Read more
• 2013 — Jason Leffler, American racing driver (born 1975) Read more
• 2012 — Hector Bianciotti, Argentinian-French journalist and author (born 1930) Read more
• 2012 — Margarete Mitscherlich-Nielsen, Danish-German psychoanalyst and author (born 1917) Read more
• 2012 — Medin Zhega, Albanian footballer and manager (born 1946) Read more
• 2012 — Elinor Ostrom, American political scientist and economist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1933) Read more
• 2012 — Pahiño, Spanish footballer (born 1923) Read more
• 2012 — Frank Walker, Australian judge and politician, 41st Attorney General of New South Wales (born 1942) Read more
• 2011 — René Audet, Canadian bishop (born 1920) Read more
• 2010 — Al Williamson, American illustrator (born 1931) Read more
• 2008 — Miroslav Dvořák, Czech ice hockey player (born 1951) Read more
• 2008 — Derek Tapscott, Welsh footballer and manager (born 1932) Read more
• 2006 — Nicky Barr, Australian rugby player and fighter pilot (born 1915) Read more
• 2006 — György Ligeti, Romanian-Hungarian composer and educator (born 1923) Read more
• 2006 — Kenneth Thomson, 2nd Baron Thomson of Fleet, Canadian businessman and art collector (born 1923) Read more
• 2005 — Scott Young, Canadian journalist and author (born 1918) Read more
• 2003 — Gregory Peck, American actor and political activist (born 1916) Read more
• 2002 — Bill Blass, American fashion designer, founded Bill Blass Limited (born 1922) Read more
• 2002 — Zena Sutherland, American reviewer of children's literature (born 1915) Read more
• 2000 — Purushottam Laxman Deshpande, Indian actor, director, and producer (born 1919) Read more
• 1999 — Malekeh Malekzadeh Bayani, Iranian numismatist (born 1910) Read more
• 1999 — J. F. Powers, American novelist and short story writer (born 1917) Read more
• 1998 — Leo Buscaglia, American author and educator (born 1924) Read more
• 1998 — Theresa Merritt, American actress and singer (born 1922) Read more
• 1997 — Bulat Okudzhava, Russian singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1924) Read more
• 1995 — Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, Italian pianist (born 1920) Read more
• 1995 — Pierre Russell, American basketball player (born 1949) Read more
• 1994 — Nicole Brown Simpson, ex-wife of O. J. Simpson (born 1959) and Ron Goldman, restaurant employee (born 1968) Read more

Holidays & observances

Chaco Armistice Day (Paraguay); Christian feast day: 108 Martyrs of World War II; Christian feast day: Basilides; Christian feast day: Blessed Hildegard Burjan; Christian feast day: Enmegahbowh (Episcopal Church); Christian feast day: Eskil; Christian feast day: Blessed Florida Cevoli; Christian feast day: First Ecumenical Council (Lutheran); Christian feast day: Gaspar Bertoni; Christian feast day: Blessed Maria Candida of the Eucharist; Christian feast day: Blessed Mercedes de Jesús Molina; Christian feast day: Onuphrius; Christian feast day: Pope Leo III; Christian feast day: Ternan; Christian feast day: June 12 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics); Dia dos Namorados (Brazil); Helsinki Day (Finland); Independence Day, celebrates the independence of the Philippines from Spain in 1898.; June 12 Commemoration (Lagos State); Loving Day (United States); Russia Day (Russia); Women Veterans Recognition Day (United States); World Day Against Child Labour, and its related observances: Children's Day (Haiti)

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