July 12

Events

* 1191 - Saladin's garrison surrenders, ending the two-year siege of Acre. Conrad of Montferrat, who has negotiated the surrender, raises the banners of the Kingdom of Jerusalem and of the Third Crusade leaders Richard I of England, Philip II of France, and Leopold V of Austria on the city's walls and towers.
*1472 - Richard Plantagenet, Duke of Gloucester and later King of England, marries Anne Neville, daughter of the Earl of Warwick, in Westminister Abbey.
*1543 - King Henry VIII of England marries his sixth and last wife, Catherine Parr at Hampton Court Palace.
*1580 - Ostrog Bible, the first printed Bible in a Slavic language, is published.
*1690 - Battle of the Boyne (Gregorian calendar) - The armies of William III defeat those of the former James II.
*1691 - Battle of Aughrim (Julian calendar) - The decisive victory of William's forces in Ireland.
*1790 - The Civil Constitution of the Clergy is passed in France by the National Assembly.
*1804 - Former United States Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton dies after being shot in a duel.
*1806 - Sixteen German imperial states leave the Holy Roman Empire and form the Confederation of the Rhine.
*1812 - War of 1812: The United States invades Canada at Windsor, Ontario.
*1862 - The Medal of Honor is authorized by the United States Congress.
*1917 - The Bisbee Deportation occurs as vigilantes kidnap and deport nearly 1,300 striking miners and others from Bisbee, Arizona.
*1918 - The Japanese Imperial Navy battle ship "Kawachi" blows up at Shunan, western Honshu, Japan, killing at least 621.
*1920 - The Soviet–Lithuanian Peace Treaty is signed. Soviet Russia recognized independent Lithuania.
*1932 - Hedley Verity establishes a first-class record by taking all ten wickets for only ten runs against Nottinghamshire on a pitch affected by a storm.
*1943 - World War II: Battle of Prokhorovka - German and Soviet forces engage in largest tank engagement of all time.
*1960 - Orlyonok, the main Young Pioneer camp of the Russian SFSR, is founded.
*1962 - The Rolling Stones perform their first ever concert, at the Marquee Club in London.
*1973 - A fire destroys the entire 6th floor of the National Personnel Records Center of the United States.
*1975 - São Tomé and Príncipe declare independence from Portugal.
*1979 - The island nation of Kiribati declares independence from Great Britain.
*2006 - Hezbollah initiates Operation True Promise.

Births

*100 BC - Julius Caesar, Roman military and political leader (d. 44 BC) (born either July 12 or July 13)
*1394 - Ashikaga Yoshinori, Japanese shogun (d. 1441)
*1596 - Tsar Michael I of Russia (d. 1645)
*1675 - Evaristo Abaco, Italian composer (d. 1742)
*1730 - Josiah Wedgwood, English potter (d. 1795)
*1803 - Peter Chanel, French priest and saint (d. 1841)
*1807 - Thomas Hawksley, English civil engineer (d. 1893)
*1817 - Henry David Thoreau, American writer and philosopher (d. 1862)
*1824 - Eugène Boudin, French painter (d. 1898)
*1828 - Nikolai Chernyshevsky, Russian philosopher (d. 1889)
*1849 - Sir William Osler, Canadian physician and author (d. 1919)
*1850 - Otto Schoetensack, German anthropologist (d. 1912)
*1852 - Hipólito Yrigoyen, President of Argentina (d. 1933)
*1854 - George Eastman, American inventor (d. 1932)
*1863 - Albert Calmette, French physician (d. 1933)
* 1863 - Paul Karl Ludwig Drude, German physicist (d. 1906)
*1864 - George Washington Carver, American botanist (d. 1943)
*1868 - Stefan George, German poet (d. 1933)
*1870 - Louis II of Monaco (d. 1949)
*1876 - Max Jacob, French poet (d. 1944)
*1880 - Tod Browning, American film director (d. 1962)
*1884 - Amedeo Modigliani, Italian painter and sculptor (d. 1920)
*1886 - Jean Hersholt, Danish film director and actor (d. 1956)
*1892 - Bruno Schulz, Polish writer and painter (d. 1942)
*1895 - Kirsten Flagstad, Norwegian soprano (d. 1962)
* 1895 - Buckminster Fuller, American architect (d. 1983)
* 1895 - Oscar Hammerstein II, American lyricist (d. 1960)
*1904 - Pablo Neruda, Chilean poet, Nobel laureate (d. 1973)
*1908 - Milton Berle, American comedian (d. 2002)
*1909 - Curly Joe DeRita, American actor and comedian (d. 1993)
* 1909 - Fritz Leonhardt, German civil engineer (d. 1999)
*1913 - Willis Lamb, American physicist, Nobel laureate (d. 2008)
*1914 - Mohammad Moin, Iranian writer
*1917 - Andrew Wyeth, American artist
*1920 - Pierre Berton, Canadian journalist and writer (d. 2004)
* 1920 - Beah Richards, American actress (d. 2000)
*1921 - Bob Fillion, French Canadian ice hockey player
*1922 - Mark Hatfield, U.S. Senator from Oregon
*1925 - Roger Bonham Smith, former chairman and CEO of General Motors (d. 2007)
*1928 - Elias James Corey, American chemist, Nobel laureate
*1930 - Gordon Pinsent, Canadian actor, director, and writer
*1932 - Otis Davis, American runner
*1933 - Donald E. Westlake, American author
*1934 - Van Cliburn, American pianist
*1937 - Bill Cosby, American comedian and actor
* 1937 - Lionel Jospin, Prime Minister of France 1997-2002
* 1937 - Michel Louvain, French Canadian singer
*1938 - Ron Fairly, American baseball player
* 1938 - Wieger Mensonides, Dutch swimmer
*1939 - Phillip Adams, Australian broadcaster and journalist
*1941 - Benny Parsons, American NASCAR driver (d. 2007)
* 1941 - Joseph Whipp, American actor
*1942 - Billy Smith, Australian rugby league footballer
*1943 - Christine McVie, British singer, musician, and songwriter (Fleetwood Mac)
* 1943 - Walter Murch, American film editor
* 1943 - Paul Silas, American basketball player and head coach
*1945 - Leopoldo Mastelloni, Italian actor
*1947 - Gareth Edwards, Welsh rugby union footballer
* 1947 - Richard C. McCarty, American professor of psychology
*1948 - Ben Burtt, American sound designer
* 1948 - Walter Egan, American singer
* 1948 - Richard Simmons, American fitness trainer
* 1948 - Jay Thomas, American actor
*1949 - Rick Hendrick, American NASCAR team owner, and car dealer.
*1950 - Eric Carr, American drummer (Kiss) (d. 1991)
* 1950 - Gilles Meloche, Canadian ice hockey player
*1951 - Brian Grazer, American film producer
* 1951 - Cheryl Ladd, American actress
* 1951 - Sylvia Sass, Hungarian soprano
* 1951 - Jamey Sheridan, American actor
*1952 - Voja Antonić, Serbian inventor and writer
* 1952 - Philip Taylor Kramer, Bass Guitar Player (d. 1995)
*1954 - Wolfgang Dremmler, German footballer
*1956 - Sandi Patty, American singer
* 1956 - Mario Soto, Dominican baseball player
*1957 - Richard Douglas Husband, American astronaut (d. 2003)
*1958 - Tonya Lee Williams, Canadian actress
*1960 - Corynne Charby, French model, actress and singer
*1962 - Julio César Chávez, Mexican boxer
* 1962 - Dan Murphy, American guitarist (Soul Asylum)
* 1962 - Dean Wilkins, English football manager
*1964 - Tim Gane, English musician (Stereolab, McCarthy)
* 1964 - Gaby Roslin, English television presenter
*1965 - Sanjay Manjrekar, Indian cricketer
*1967 - Richard Herring, English comedian
* 1967 - John Petrucci, American guitar player (Dream Theater)
* 1967 - Bruny Surin, Canadian athlete
*1968 - Catherine Plewinski, French swimmer
*1969 - Alan Mullally, England cricketer
* 1969 - Jesse Pintado, American guitarist (Napalm Death) (d. 2006)
*1970 - Brian Lee Byung-Hun, South Korean actor
* 1970 - Juba Kalamka, American artist/activist
*1971 - Kristi Yamaguchi, American figure skater
*1972 - Travis Best, American basketball player
* 1972 - Brett Reed, American musician (Rancid)
* 1972 - Jake Wood, English actor
*1973 - Magoo, American rapper
* 1973 - Christian Vieri, Italian footballer
*1974 - Sharon den Adel, Dutch singer (Within Temptation)
* 1974 - Stelios Giannakopoulos, Greek footballer
* 1974 - Gregory Helms, American professional wrestler
*1975 - Cheyenne Jackson, American actor and singer
*1976 - Dan Boyle, Canadian ice hockey player
* 1976 - Anna Friel, British actress
* 1976 - Tracie Spencer, American singer and songwriter
*1977 - Neil Harris, English footballer
* 1977 - Steve Howey, American actor
* 1977 - Brock Lesnar, American mixed martial artist and professional wrestler
*1978 - Claire Chitham, New Zealand actress
* 1978 - Topher Grace, American actor
* 1978 - Michelle Rodriguez, American actress
*1979 - Nikos Barlos, Greek basketball player
*1980 - Johanna Klum, German TV presenter
*1981 - Adrienne Camp, South African singer/songwriter
*1982 - Antonio Cassano, Italian footballer
*1983 - Megumi Kawamura, Japanese volleyballer
* 1983 - Munaf Patel, Indian cricketer
*1984 - Gareth Gates, British singer
* 1984 - Michael McGovern, Northern Irish footballer
*1985 - Luiz Ejlli, Albanian singer
* 1985 - Natasha Poly, Russian supermodel
*1986 - JP Pietersen, South African rugby union footballer
*1986 - Krystal Forscutt, Australian model/reality TV contestant
*1988 - Melissa O'Neil, Canadian singer
* 1988 - Inbee Park, South Korean golfer
*1991 - Erik Per Sullivan, American actor

Deaths

* 783 - Bertrada of Laon, wife of Pippin III (b. 720)
*1441 - Ashikaga Yoshinori, Japanese shogun (b. 1394)
*1536 - Erasmus, Dutch writer and philosopher
*1584 - Steven Borough, English explorer (b. 1525)
*1664 - Stefano della Bella, Italian printmaker (b. 1610)
*1682 - Jean Picard, French astronomer (b. 1620)
*1693 - John Ashby, English admiral
*1712 - Richard Cromwell, Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland (b. 1626)
*1742 - Evaristo Abaco, Italian composer (b. 1675)
*1749 - Charles de la Boische, Marquis de Beauharnois, Governor of New France
*1773 - Johann Joachim Quantz, German flutist and composer (b. 1697)
*1804 - Alexander Hamilton, 1st United States Secretary of the Treasury (b. 1755)
*1845 - Henrik Wergeland, Norwegian author (b. 1808)
*1849 - Dolley Madison, 4th First Lady Of The United States (b. 1768)
*1910 - Charles Stewart Rolls, British engineer and aviator (b. 1887)
*1918 - Dragutin Lerman, Croatian explorer (b. 1864)
*1926 - Gertrude Bell, English archaeologist, writer, spy, and administrator (b. 1868)
*1931 - Nathan Söderblom, Swedish archbishop, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1866)
*1934 - Ole Evinrude, Norwegian-American inventor and industrialist (b. 1877)
*1935 - Alfred Dreyfus, French military officer (b. 1859)
*1944 - Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., American general, received Medal of Honor (b. 1887)
*1945 - Wolfram von Richthofen, German field marshal (b. 1895)
* 1945 - Boris Galerkin, Russian mathematician (b. 1871)
*1947 - Jimmie Lunceford, American saxophonist and bandleader (b. 1902)
*1949 - Douglas Hyde, first President of Ireland (b. 1860)
*1950 - Elsie de Wolfe, American socialite and interior decorator (b. 1865)
*1961 - Mazo de la Roche, Canadian author (b. 1879)
*1962 - Roger Wolfe Kahn, American band leader (b. 1907)
*1971 - Yvon Robert, French Canadian professional wrestler (b. 1914)
*1973 - Lon Chaney, Jr., American actor (b. 1906)
*1979 - Minnie Riperton, American soul singer (b. 1947)
*1983 - Chris Wood, British musician, played with Traffic, (b. 1944)
*1990 - João Saldanha, Brazilian journalist and football manager (b. 1917)
*1993 - Dan Eldon, British photojournalist (b. 1970)
*1996 - John Chancellor, American television journalist (b. 1927)
* 1996 - Jonathan Melvoin, American musician and keyboardist (The Smashing Pumpkins) (b. 1961)
*1997 - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, Hawaiian musician (b. 1959)
*1998 - Serge Lemoyne, French Canadian artist (b. 1941)
* 1998 - Jimmy Driftwood, American folk songwriter and musician (b. 1907)
*1999 - Bill Owen, British actor (b. 1914)
*2000 - Charles Merritt, Canadian Army officer and recipient of the Victoria Cross during World War II (b. 1908)
*2003 - Benny Carter, American musician (b. 1907)
*2004 - Betty Oliphant, co-founder of National Ballet of Canada (b. 1918)
*2005 - John King, Baron King of Wartnaby, Chief executive of British Airways since its privitisation (b. 1917)
*2007 - Stan Zemanek, Australian radio personality (b.1947)
* 2007 - Mr. Butch, Iconic Boston street figure (b. 1951)
* 2007 - Robert Burås, Norwegian guitar player (b. 1975)
*2008 - Tony Snow, former speechwriter for Presidents George H.W. Bush and press secretary for George W. Bush (b. 1955)
* 2008 - Bobby Murcer, center fielder for the New York Yankees,San Francisco Giants, and Chicago Cubs from 1965-1983(b. 1946)

Holidays and observances

* Feast of Saints Peter and Paul (Eastern Orthodoxy)
* Northern Ireland - Battle of the Boyne Day (also known as Orangemen's Day or the Twelfth, see Irish calendar).
* São Tomé and Príncipe - Independence Day.
* Saints Hermagoras and Fortunatus,
* Saint John Gualbert, abbot, confessor common
* Saints Nabor and Felix, martyrs common
* Saint Viventiolus, bishop of Lyon, confessor Lyon
* Saint Jason

External links

* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/july/12 BBC: On This Day]
*
* [http://www1.sympatico.ca/cgi-bin/on_this_day?mth=Jul&day=12 On This Day in Canada] ----