What are the important events that happened on May 12? Here are historical events, facts, and some myths about this day.
May 12: Facts & Myths About This Day
May 12 is the 132nd day of the year 2025 in the Gregorian calendar. There are 233 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Monday.
Under the Julian calendar, this day is April 29, 2025 – a Monday. Both day of the week are the same but did you notice the difference with the Gregorian calendar?
When this day started, 1,747,008,000 seconds has elapsed since midnight of January 1, 1970 – the Unix epoch.
Strange as it may, if we name this day after a polygon then it will be called ‘hectatriacontadigon’ day.
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Taurus is the zodiac sign of a person born on this day. Emerald is the modern birthstone for this month. Sapphire is the mystical birthstone from Tibetan origin that dates back over a thousand years.
According to the lunisolar Chinese calendar, there are 281 days remaining before the start of the next Chinese New Year.
The ancient Maya civilization believes that the end of the world will happen on December 21, 2012. There are now 4,525 days since this fabled cataclysmic event.
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May 12 Historical Events
- 1689 –King William’s War: William III of England joins the League of Augsburg starting a war with France.
- 1780 –American Revolutionary War: In the largest defeat of the Continental Army, Charleston, South Carolina is taken by British forces.
- 1821 –The first big battle of the Greek War of Independence against the Turks occurs in Valtetsi.
- 1862 –U.S. federal troops occupy Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
- 1885 –North-West Rebellion: the four-day Battle of Batoche, pitting rebel Métis against the Canadian government, comes to an end with a decisive rebel defeat.
- 1932 –Ten weeks after his abduction Charles Jr., the infant son of Charles Lindbergh is found dead in Hopewell, New Jersey, just a few miles from the Lindberghs’ home.
- 1945 –Argentinian labour leader José Peter declares the Federación Obrera de la Industria de la Carne dissolved.
- 1952 –Gaj Singh is crowned Maharaja of Jodhpur.
- 2006 –Iranian Azeris interpret a cartoon published in an Iranian magazine as insulting, resulting in massive riots throughout the country.
- 2006 –Mass unrest by the Primeiro Comando da Capital begins in São Paulo (Brazil), leaving at least 150 dead.
Who were born on May 12?
- 1767 –Manuel de Godoy, Spanish statesman (d. 1851)
- 1806 –Johan Vilhelm Snellman, Finnish statesman (d. 1881)
- 1914 –James Bacon, American entertainment columnist and reporter (d. 2010)
- 1916 –Albert Murray, American writer
- 1924 –Tony Hancock, British comedian (d. 1968)
- 1942 –Billy Swan, American songwriter and singer
- 1956 –Asad Rauf, Pakistani cricket umpire
- 1963 –Charles Pettigrew, American singer (Charles and Eddie) (d. 2001)
- 1977 –Rebecca Herbst, American actress
- 1982 –Darren Williams, American basketball player
Who died on May 12?
- 1699 –Lucas Achtschellinck, Flemish painter (b. 1626)
- 1859 –Sergei Aksakov, Russian writer (b. 1791)
- 1867 –Friedrich William Eduard Gerhard, German archaeologist (b. 1795)
- 1916 –James Connolly, Irish socialist and leader of the Easter Rising (b. 1868)
- 1931 –Eugène Ysaÿe, Belgian violinist (b. 1858)
- 1957 –Alfonso de Portago, Spanish bobsledder and race car driver (b. 1928)
- 1994 –John Smith, British politician (b. 1938)
- 1995 –Mia Martini, Italian singer and songwriter (b. 1947)
- 1999 –Saul Steinberg, Romanian-American cartoonist (b. 1914)
- 2005 –Martin Lings, English Islamic scholar (b. 1909)
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