Europa
- Christopher Columbus Lands in the Americas (1492)
On October 12, 1492, Christopher Columbus’s expedition made landfall in the Caribbean, specifically on San Salvador Island (now part of the Bahamas). While this event occurred outside Europe, it profoundly shaped European history by initiating the Age of Exploration and subsequent European colonization of the Americas. - Fiesta Nacional de España (Spain’s National Day)
October 12 is celebrated as Fiesta Nacional de España (National Day of Spain), also known as Día de la Hispanidad. This day commemorates Columbus’s landing and symbolizes the expansion of Spanish language and culture beyond Europe. The holiday is marked by official ceremonies, military parades, and cultural events throughout Spain. - First Oktoberfest in Munich (1810)
On October 12, 1810, the first Oktoberfest was held in Munich, Germany, to celebrate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. This event began the tradition of Oktoberfest, now one of the world’s largest folk festivals. - Execution of Edith Cavell (1915)
On October 12, 1915, British nurse Edith Cavell was executed by German forces in Belgium during World War I. She was accused of helping Allied soldiers escape from occupied Belgium, and her death caused international outrage and became a symbol of German brutality in wartime propaganda. - The Delft Explosion (1654)
On October 12, 1654, a massive gunpowder explosion devastated the city of Delft in the Netherlands, killing more than 100 people and destroying much of the city. - IRA Brighton Bombing (1984)
On October 12, 1984, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher narrowly escaped an assassination attempt when an IRA bomb exploded at the Grand Hotel in Brighton, England, killing five people. - Battle of Hatfield Chase (633): King Edwin of Northumbria was defeated and killed, leading to the temporary collapse of Northumbria’s power in early medieval England.
- Treaty of Salynas (1398): Lithuania ceded Samogitia to the Teutonic Knights.
- First Deportation of Austrian/Moravian Jews to Poland (1939): Marked a grim milestone in the Holocaust as Nazi Germany began mass deportations.
America
- Christopher Columbus’s Landing in the Americas (1492)
On October 12, 1492, Christopher Columbus made landfall in the Caribbean, most likely on the island he named San Salvador. This event marked the beginning of European exploration and colonization in the Americas and is widely recognized as a pivotal moment in world history. - First Columbus Day Celebration in the United States (1792)
The first recorded celebration of Columbus Day in the United States took place on October 12, 1792, in New York City, organized by the Society of St. Tammany to commemorate the 300th anniversary of Columbus’s landing. Columbus Day later became a federal holiday, officially recognized since 1934, and is now observed on the second Monday in October. - Battle of Saratoga (1777)
On October 12, 1777, the Battle of Saratoga occurred, a turning point in the American Revolutionary War. The victory boosted American morale and helped secure French support for the revolutionaries. - Death of General Robert E. Lee (1870)
Confederate General Robert E. Lee died on October 12, 1870, in Lexington, Virginia. His passing marked the end of an era and remains a point of reflection on the legacy of the Civil War in American society. - Cloquet Fire, Minnesota (1918)
A devastating forest fire in Cloquet, Minnesota, killed over 450 people on October 12, 1918, making it one of the deadliest natural disasters in Minnesota’s history. - National Coming Out Day (1988)
October 12 is closely associated with National Coming Out Day, established in 1988 to celebrate LGBTQ+ identities and promote visibility and acceptance in the United States. - Murder of Matthew Shepard (1998)
On October 12, 1998, Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old gay college student, died after a brutal hate crime in Wyoming. His death galvanized the LGBTQ+ rights movement and led to significant changes in hate crime legislation in the U.S.. - 1773: The first insane asylum in the United States opened.
- 1901: President Theodore Roosevelt officially renamed the “Executive Mansion” to the White House.
- 1928: The first use of an iron lung respirator at Boston Children’s Hospital.
- 1933: Alcatraz Citadel became Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary.
- 1964: The United States launched the Mariner 4 spacecraft, the first to fly by Mars.
Asia
- Cyrus the Great Conquers Babylon (539 BC)
On October 12, 539 BC (Julian calendar), the army of Cyrus the Great of Persia conquered Babylon, ending the Babylonian Empire. This event is considered one of the most significant moments in ancient Asian—and world—history, marking the rise of the Achaemenid Persian Empire. - Founding of the Nichiren Shōshū Branch of Buddhism in Japan (1279)
The Nichiren Shōshū branch of Buddhism was founded in Japan on this date, which would go on to have a lasting influence on Japanese religious life. - Hua Guofeng Named Chairman of the Communist Party of China (1976)
On October 12, 1976, it was announced in China that Hua Guofeng would succeed the late Mao Zedong as chairman of the Communist Party, marking a pivotal transition in Chinese political leadership after the Cultural Revolution. - Battle of Cape Esperance Ends (1942)
On October 12, 1942, the Battle of Cape Esperance concluded with a victory for the United States over Japan during World War II, impacting the Pacific theater and Japan’s military strategy. - Kakuei Tanaka Convicted in Lockheed Scandal (1983)
Former Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka was convicted on October 12, 1983, for accepting bribes in the Lockheed bribery scandals, a major political event in post-war Japan.
Africa
- Equatorial Guinea Gains Independence (1968)
On October 12, 1968, Equatorial Guinea declared independence from Spain, becoming one of the last African nations to achieve decolonization. Francisco Macías Nguema became the country’s first president. This event marked a significant milestone in Africa’s 20th-century wave of independence movements. - While October 12 is globally recognized for Christopher Columbus’s landing in the Americas in 1492, its direct impact on Africa was indirect but profound, as it initiated centuries of transatlantic contact, including the slave trade that would deeply affect the continent.
This day in history: 12 october