This day in history: 12 july

Europa

• 927: King Constantine II of Scotland, King Hywel Dda of Deheubarth, Ealdred of Bamburgh, and King Owain of the Cumbrians accepted the overlordship of King Æthelstan of England. This agreement led to seven years of peace in northern Britain and was a significant step toward the unification of England and Scotland.
• 1191: During the Third Crusade, Saladin’s garrison surrendered to Philip Augustus of France, ending the two-year siege of Acre, a pivotal moment in Crusader and European history.
• 1470: The Ottoman Empire captured Euboea (then Negroponte), marking a significant expansion of Ottoman influence in southeastern Europe.
• 1493: The Nuremberg Chronicle, one of the earliest and best-documented printed books, was published in Germany, representing a milestone in European printing and historiography.
• 1543: King Henry VIII of England married his sixth and last wife, Catherine Parr, at Hampton Court Palace.
• 1806: At Napoleon’s insistence, Bavaria, Baden, Württemberg, and thirteen minor principalities left the Holy Roman Empire and formed the Confederation of the Rhine, a major reorganization of German territories that paved the way for the eventual dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire.
• 1920: The Soviet–Lithuanian Peace Treaty was signed, with Soviet Russia recognizing the independence of Lithuania, a crucial step in the Baltic state’s path to sovereignty.
• 1943: The Battle of Prokhorovka, part of the larger Battle of Kursk, occurred in Russia. This was one of the largest tank battles in history, involving German and Soviet forces and marking a turning point on the Eastern Front during World War II.
• 1994: Germany’s Constitutional Court ended the ban on sending German troops to fight outside the country, allowing participation in United Nations and NATO peacekeeping missions for the first time since World War II.

America

• 1984: Walter F. Mondale, the Democratic presidential nominee, named Geraldine A. Ferraro as his running mate, making her the first woman ever nominated for vice president by a major U.S. political party. This was a landmark moment in American political history and gender equality.
• 1967: The Newark race riots erupted in New Jersey after the arrest of a Black cab driver by two white police officers. The unrest lasted several days, resulting in 26 deaths and hundreds of injuries, and became a pivotal episode in the Civil Rights era.
• 1974: G. Gordon Liddy, John Ehrlichman, and two others were convicted of conspiracy and perjury related to the Watergate scandal, a defining moment in modern American political history.
• 1943: While not in America but globally significant, the Battle of Kursk’s Prokhorovka tank battle occurred on this day during World War II.
• 1975: São Tomé and Príncipe gained independence from Portuguese rule, an event relevant to American foreign policy and the broader context of decolonization.

Asia

• 1918 – Kawachi Battleship Explosion, Japan
  On July 12, 1918, the Imperial Japanese Navy battleship Kawachi exploded and sank at Shunan, western Honshu, Japan, resulting in the deaths of at least 621 crew members. This disaster was one of the deadliest peacetime naval accidents in Japanese history and had a significant impact on Japan’s naval operations during World War I.
• 1527 – Dynastic Change in Vietnam
  On this day in 1527, Lê Cung Hoàng, the last emperor of the Lê dynasty, ceded the throne to Mạc Đăng Dung, marking the end of the Lê dynasty and the beginning of the Mạc dynasty in Vietnam. This transition initiated a period of political upheaval and civil war in Vietnamese history.
• 1488 – Choe Bu Returns to Korea
  Choe Bu, a Joseon Dynasty official, returned to Korea on July 12, 1488, after months of being shipwrecked and traveling in China. His journey and subsequent writings provided valuable insights into Ming China and contributed to Korean-Chinese relations in the late 15th century.
• Ancient Event – Siege of Jerusalem (70 CE)
  While not strictly “Asia” in the modern sense, the Roman armies under Titus attacked the walls of Jerusalem after a six-month siege on July 12, 70 CE. Three days later, they breached the walls, leading to the destruction of the Second Temple, a pivotal event in Jewish and Middle Eastern history.
• 1966 – U.S. Foreign Policy Speech on Asia
  On July 12, 1966, U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson delivered a major speech outlining U.S. foreign policy in Asia, emphasizing the importance of peace and stability in the region, particularly in the context of the Vietnam War.

Africa

• São Tomé and Príncipe Gains Independence (1975)
  On July 12, 1975, São Tomé and Príncipe, an island nation off the west coast of Central Africa, gained independence from Portuguese colonial rule. This marked the end of over 500 years of Portuguese presence, during which the islands were a center for sugar, coffee, and cocoa cultivation using enslaved African labor. Manuel Pinto da Costa became the first president of the newly independent country.
• Significance
  The independence of São Tomé and Príncipe was part of a broader wave of decolonization across Africa in the 20th century, as nations sought self-determination after centuries of European rule.
• On July 12, 2003, U.S. President George W. Bush met with Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo in Nigeria to discuss regional security and the situation in Liberia, reflecting Africa’s ongoing engagement with global powers.
• While not directly tied to July 12, the broader context of African history includes major milestones such as the formation of the Organization of African Unity (now African Union), independence movements, and struggles against colonialism and apartheid.