December 12 in History

Historical Events on December 12

1781 American Revolutionary War: Second Battle of Ushant: A British fleet led by HMS Victory defeats a French fleet.

1862 American Civil War: USS Cairo sinks on the Yazoo River, becoming the first armored ship to be sunk by a controlled mine.

1911 Delhi replaces Calcutta as the capital of India.

1940 World War II: Approximately 70 people are killed in the Marples Hotel, Fitzalan Square, Sheffield, as a result of a German air raid.

1941 World War II: The United Kingdom declares war on Bulgaria. Hungary and Romania declare war on the United States. India declares war on Japan.

1963 Kenya gains its independence from the United Kingdom.

1991 The Russian Federation gains independence from the USSR.

2000 The United States Supreme Court releases its decision in Bush v. Gore.

2012 North Korea successfully launches its first satellite, Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3 Unit 2, using an Unha-3 carrier rocket.

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Famous Birthdays on December 12

1875 Gerd von Rundstedt

1915 Frank Sinatra

1925 Ted Kennedy (ice hockey)

1950 Rajinikanth

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Famous Deaths on December 12

1204 Maimonides

1913 Menelik II

1968 Tallulah Bankhead

2007 Ike Turner

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