Who are famous people born on April 12?

Famous people born on April 12 include: Jan Bednarek, Matteo Berrettini, Pedro Cachin.

What famous people died on April 12?

Notable historical figures who died on April 12 include: Asha Bhosle, Chris Payton-Jones American football player (born 1995), Pilita Corrales.

April 12 in History

Q: What happened on April 12 in history?

On April 12, 2007: A suicide bomber penetrates the Green Zone and detonates in a cafeteria within a parliament building, killing Iraqi MP Mohammed Awad and wounding more than twenty other people.

2007 — A suicide bomber penetrates the Green Zone and detonates in a cafeteria within a parliament building, killing Iraqi MP Mohammed Awad and wounding more than twenty other people

April 12 spans 52 recorded events across recorded history — from 240 – 2026. Below is a curated digest of the most significant moments tied to this date.

By thisDay.info Editorial Team · April 12 — Wikipedia

Historical Events 52 events 240 – 2026

Did you know

The 2007 Iraqi Parliament bombing occurred on 12 April 2007, in the Baghdad Convention Center, which houses the parliament.

Did you know

The attack happened ten minutes after the Council of Representatives had adjourned for lunch, indicating the bomber may have been aware of the schedule.

Did you know

Two further unexploded suicide vests were found near the canteen, suggesting the attack could have been more devastating.

Did you know

The government responded to the attack by closing down mobile phone networks and deploying Apache helicopters to patrol the area.

Did you know

The use of dogs to search the building before the attack was notable, as dogs are considered ritually unclean by Iraqis, indicating a high level of suspicion about a potential attack.

Shapur I becomes co-emperor of the Sasanian Empire with his father Ardashir I.

Shahanshah of the Sasanian Empire from 240 to 270

Shapur I also known as Shapur I the Great was the second Sasanian King of Kings of Iran. The precise dating of his reign is disputed, but it is generally agreed that he ruled from 240 to 270, with his father Ardashir I as co-regent until the death of the latter in 242. Shapur also consolidated and expanded the empire of Ardashir I, waged war against the Roman Empire, and seized its cities of Nisibis and Carrhae while he was advancing as far as Roman Syria. Although he was defeated at the Battle of Resaena in 243 by Roman emperor Gordian III, the following year he was able to win the Battle of Misiche and force the new Roman emperor Philip the Arab to sign a favorable peace treaty that was regarded by the Romans as "a most shameful treaty".

240

Anthemius is elevated to Emperor of the Western Roman Empire.

Western Roman emperor from 467 to 472

Procopius Anthemius was the Western Roman emperor from 467 to 472. Born in the Eastern Roman Empire, Anthemius quickly worked his way up the ranks. He married into the Theodosian dynasty through Marcia Euphemia, daughter of Eastern emperor Marcian. He soon received a significant number of promotions to various posts, and was presumed to be Marcian's planned successor. However, Marcian's sudden death in 457, together with that of Western emperor Avitus, left the imperial succession in the hands of Aspar. He instead appointed Leo, a low-ranking officer, to the Eastern throne, probably out of fear that Anthemius would be too independent. Eventually, this same Leo designated Anthemius as Western emperor in 467, following a two-year interregnum that started in November 465.

467

King Edwin of Northumbria is converted to Christianity by Paulinus, Bishop of York.

King of Deira and Bernicia from 616 to 632/633

Edwin, also known as Eadwine or Æduinus, was the King of Deira and Bernicia – which later became known as Northumbria – from around 616 until his death. He was the second monarch to rule both of these northern English kingdoms and the first to convert to Christianity. After he died in battle, he was venerated as a saint.

627

Nikephoros I of Constantinople is consecrated as patriarch of Constantinople.

806

Having received the submission of the prince of Antioch, Raynald of Châtillon, Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Komnenos enters triumphantly the city of Antioch.

Ruling monarch of the Principality of Antioch (1098–1268)

Prince of Antioch was the title given during the Middle Ages to Norman rulers of the Principality of Antioch, a region surrounding the city of Antioch. The Princes originally came from the County of Sicily. Prince Bohemond IV of Antioch additionally came into possession of the County of Tripoli, combining these two Crusader states for the rest of their histories.

1159

The Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade breach the walls of Constantinople and enter the city, which they completely occupy the following day.

Religious wars of the High Middle Ages

The Crusades were a series of military campaigns launched by the papacy between 1095 and 1291 against Muslim rulers for the recovery and defence of the Holy Land, as part of a wider crusading movement. The First Crusade was proclaimed by Pope Urban II at the Council of Clermont in November 1095—a call to arms for Christians to reconquer Jerusalem from the Muslims, with promises of spiritual reward. By this time, the papacy's position as head of the Catholic Church had strengthened, and earlier conflicts with secular rulers and wars on the frontiers of Western Christendom had prepared it for the direction of armed force in religious causes. The successes of the First Crusade led to the establishment of four Crusader states in the Levant, where their defence required further expeditions from Catholic Europe. The organisation of such large-scale campaigns demanded complex religious, social, and economic institutions, including crusade indulgences, military orders, and the taxation of clerical income. Over time, the crusading movement expanded to include campaigns against pagans, Christian dissidents, and other enemies of the papacy, promoted with similar spiritual rewards and continuing into the 18th century.

1204

The Instruction of 12 April 1588 was enacted, which is widely regarded as the formal establishment of the Dutch Republic.

Act formally establishing the Dutch Republic

In the history of the Netherlands, the instruction of 12 April 1588 is a decision of the States General of the Netherlands passed on 12 April 1588 during the Eighty Years' War. It transferred the duties of the executive branch of government from the landvoogd to the Council of State. In conjunction with a separate decision taken by the States General to transfer the oaths of allegiance of all officials from Leicester to themselves on the same day, the instruction is widely regarded as the formal establishment of the Dutch Republic.

1588

The Union Flag is adopted as the flag of English and Scottish ships.

Flag of the United Kingdom

The Union Jack or Union Flag is the national flag of the United Kingdom. While no law has been passed making the Union Flag the national flag of the United Kingdom, it has become one through precedent.

1606

American Revolution: With the Halifax Resolves, the North Carolina Provincial Congress authorizes its Congressional delegation to vote for independence from Britain.

Founding of the United States

The American Revolution (1765–1789) was a political movement in the Thirteen Colonies of Great Britain. The movement began as a rebellion and evolved into a revolution resulting in the sovereign United States. These changes were the outcome of the associated American Revolutionary War. The Second Continental Congress, as the provisional government, established the Continental Army and appointed George Washington as its commander-in-chief in 1775. The following year, the Congress passed the Lee Resolution on July 2nd, then unanimously adopted the Declaration of Independence on the Fourth of July. Throughout most of the war, the outcome appeared uncertain. However, in 1781, a decisive victory by Washington and the Continental Army in the Siege of Yorktown led King George III and the Fox–North coalition in government to negotiate the cessation of colonial rule and the acknowledgment of American sovereignty, formalized in the Treaty of Paris in 1783. The Constitution took effect in 1789 and the Bill of Rights was ratified in 1791.

1776

American Revolution: A Royal Navy fleet led by Admiral George Rodney defeats a French fleet led by the Comte de Grasse at the Battle of the Saintes off Dominica in the Caribbean Sea.

Naval warfare force of the United Kingdom

The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom, responsible for defending the country, the Crown Dependencies, and the Overseas Territories from naval attack or invasion. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against France. The modern Royal Navy traces its origins to the English Navy of the early 16th century; the oldest of the UK's armed services, it is consequently known as the Senior Service.

1782

War of the First Coalition: Napoleon Bonaparte wins his first victory as an army commander at the Battle of Montenotte, splitting the Austrian and Piedmontese armies away from each other, and marking the beginning of the Piedmontese surrender in the war.

1792–1797 battles between French revolutionaries and neighbouring monarchies

The War of the First Coalition was a set of wars between a coalition of several European powers and France fought between 1792 and 1797. The coalition was only loosely allied and fought without much coordination; each power wanted to annex a different part of France should they defeat the French, something that never occurred.

1796

The Froberg mutiny on Malta ends when the remaining mutineers blow up the magazine of Fort Ricasoli.

1807 mutiny against the British in Malta

The Froberg mutiny was a mutiny within the British armed forces staged between 4 and 12 April 1807 at Fort Ricasoli on the island of Malta, then a British protectorate, by the Froberg Regiment. The regiment had been formed using dubious methods, with personnel recruited from various nationalities in Albania and the Ottoman Empire. The troops, who had arrived on Malta in 1806, were unhappy with their rank and pay. The mutiny lasted for eight days, during which several people were killed and the fort was damaged. The mutiny was put down and the ringleaders were executed. It was one of the most serious mutinies of the Napoleonic Wars.

1807

Alexander Ypsilantis is declared leader of Filiki Eteria, a secret organization to overthrow Ottoman rule over Greece.

Greek revolutionary and commander (1792–1828)

Alexandros Ypsilantis was a Greek nationalist politician who was member of a prominent Phanariot Greek family, a prince of the Danubian Principalities, a senior officer of the Imperial Russian cavalry during the Napoleonic Wars, and a leader of the Filiki Etaireia, a secret organization that coordinated the beginning of the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire.

1820

Soldiers marching on the Broughton Suspension Bridge in Manchester, England, cause it to collapse.

Bridge in Manchester, England, completed in 1826

Broughton Suspension Bridge was an iron chain suspension bridge built in 1826 to span the River Irwell between Broughton and Pendleton, now in Salford, Greater Manchester, England. One of Europe's first suspension bridges, it has been attributed to Samuel Brown, although some suggest it was built by Thomas Cheek Hewes, a Manchester millwright and textile machinery manufacturer.

1831

American Civil War: Battle of Fort Sumter.

The war begins with Confederate forces firing on Fort Sumter, in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina.

The American Civil War was a civil war in the United States between the Union and the Confederacy, which was formed in 1861 by states that had seceded from the Union to preserve slavery in the United States, which they saw as threatened because of the election of Abraham Lincoln and the growing abolitionist movement in the North. The war ended with Union victory, the dissolution of the Confederacy and the abolition of slavery, freeing four million African Americans.

1861

American Civil War: The Andrews Raid (the Great Locomotive Chase) occurs, starting from Big Shanty, Georgia (now Kennesaw).

1862 raid during the American Civil War

The Great Locomotive Chase was a military raid that occurred April 12, 1862, in northern Georgia during the American Civil War. Volunteers from the Union Army, led by civilian scout James J. Andrews, commandeered a steam locomotive, The General, and took it northward toward Chattanooga, Tennessee, doing as much damage as possible to the vital Western and Atlantic Railroad (W&A) line from Atlanta to Chattanooga as they went. They were pursued by Confederate forces at first on foot, and later on a succession of locomotives, including The Texas, for 87 miles (140 km).

1862

American Civil War: The Battle of Fort Pillow: Confederate forces kill most of the African American soldiers that surrendered at Fort Pillow, Tennessee.

1864 battle of the American Civil War

The Battle of Fort Pillow, also known as the Fort Pillow Massacre, was fought on April 12, 1864, at Fort Pillow on the Mississippi River in Henning, Tennessee, during the American Civil War. The battle ended with Confederate soldiers commanded by Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest massacring Union soldiers attempting to surrender. Military historian David J. Eicher concluded: "Fort Pillow marked one of the bleakest, saddest events of American military history."

1864

American Civil War: Mobile, Alabama, falls to the Union Army.

City in Alabama, United States

Mobile is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population was 187,041 at the 2020 census and estimated at 204,689 following an annexation in 2023, making it the second-most populous city in Alabama. The Mobile metropolitan area, with an estimated 412,000 people, is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the state.

1865

The United Kingdom annexes the Transvaal.

Country in northwestern Europe

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in northwestern Europe, off the coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, with a population of over 69 million in 2024. The UK includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland, and most of the smaller islands within the British Isles, covering 94,354 square miles (244,376 km2). It shares a land border with the Republic of Ireland and is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel, the Celtic Sea and the Irish Sea, while maintaining sovereignty over the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. The capital and largest city of England and the UK is London; Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast are the national capitals of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, respectively.

1877

One day after its enactment by the Congress, President William McKinley signs the Foraker Act into law, giving Puerto Rico limited self-rule.

Bicameral legislature of the United States

The United States Congress is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a bicameral legislature, including a lower body, the U.S. House of Representatives, and an upper body, the U.S. Senate. They both meet in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.

1900

SMS Zrínyi, one of the last pre-dreadnought battleships built by the Austro-Hungarian Navy, is launched.

Austro-Hungarian battleship

SMS Zrínyi was a Radetzky-class semi-dreadnought battleship (Schlachtschiff) of the Austro-Hungarian Navy, named for the Zrinski, a Croatian-Hungarian noble family. Zrínyi and her sisters, Erzherzog Franz Ferdinand and Radetzky, were the last pre-dreadnoughts built for the Austro-Hungarian Navy.

1910

World War I: Canadian forces successfully complete the taking of Vimy Ridge from the Germans.

1914–1918 global conflict

World War I, or the First World War, also known as the Great War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Central Powers. Major areas of conflict included Europe and the Middle East, as well as parts of Africa and the Asia-Pacific. The war saw important developments in weaponry including tanks, aircraft, artillery, machine guns, and chemical weapons. One of the deadliest conflicts in history, it resulted in an estimated 15 to 22 million military and civilian casualties and genocide. The movement of large numbers of people was a major factor in the deadly Spanish flu pandemic.

1917

Shanghai massacre of 1927: Chiang Kai-shek orders the Chinese Communist Party members executed in Shanghai, ending the First United Front.[citation needed]

1927 anti-communist purge and killings in China

The Shanghai massacre of 12 April 1927, the April 12 Purge or the April 12 Incident as it is commonly known in China, was the violent suppression of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) organizations and leftist elements in Shanghai by forces supporting General Chiang Kai-shek and conservative factions in the Kuomintang. The event began the campaign of anti-communist repression in Nationalist China.

1927

Rocksprings, Texas is hit by an F5 tornado that destroys 235 of the 247 buildings in the town, kills 72 townspeople, and injures 205; third deadliest tornado in Texas history.

Town in Texas, United States

Rocksprings is a town in and the county seat of Edwards County, Texas, United States. At the 2020 census, the town population was 874, down from 1,182 at the 2010 census and 1,285 at the 2000 census. The town received its name from natural springs associated with the porous limestone rocks in the area.

1927

The Bremen, a German Junkers W 33 type aircraft, takes off for the first successful transatlantic aeroplane flight from east to west.

Historic German Junkers W 33 aircraft

The Bremen is a German Junkers W 33 aircraft that made the first successful transatlantic aeroplane flight from east to west on April 12 and 13, 1928.

1928

The strongest surface wind gust in the world at the time of 231 mph, is measured on the summit of Mount Washington, New Hampshire.

It has since been surpassed.

In meteorology, wind speed, or wind flow speed, is a fundamental atmospheric quantity caused by air moving from high to low pressure, usually due to changes in temperature. Wind speed is now commonly measured with an anemometer.

1934

The U.S.

Auto-Lite strike begins, culminating in a five-day melee between Ohio National Guard troops and 6,000 strikers and picketers.

The Toledo Auto-Lite strike was a strike by a federal labor union of the American Federation of Labor (AFL) against the Electric Auto-Lite company of Toledo, Ohio, from April 12 to June 3, 1934.

1934

Sir Frank Whittle ground-tests the first jet engine designed to power an aircraft, at Rugby, England.

British Royal Air Force engineer and air officer (1907–1996)

Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle was an English engineer, inventor and Royal Air Force (RAF) air officer. He is credited with co-creating the turbojet engine. A patent was submitted by Maxime Guillaume in 1921 for a similar invention which was technically unfeasible at the time. Whittle's jet engines were developed some years earlier than those of Germany's Hans von Ohain, who designed the first-to-fly turbojet engine as well as Austria’s Anselm Franz.

1937

U.S.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt dies in office; Vice President Harry S. Truman succeeds him.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving US president and the only one to have served more than two terms. His first two terms were centered on combating the Great Depression, while his third and fourth focused on US involvement in World War II. A member of the Democratic Party, Roosevelt served in the New York State Senate from 1911 to 1913 and as the 44th governor of New York from 1929 to 1932.

1945

World War II: The U.S.

Ninth Army under General William H. Simpson crosses the Elbe River astride Magdeburg, and reaches Tangermünde—only 80 kilometres from Berlin.

World War II, or the Second World War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated. Tanks and aircraft played major roles, the latter enabling the strategic bombing of cities and delivery of the only nuclear weapons used in war. World War II was the deadliest conflict in history, causing the death of 60 to 75 million people. Millions died as a result of massacres, starvation, disease, and genocides, including the Holocaust. After the Allied victory, Germany, Austria, Japan, and Korea were occupied, and German and Japanese leaders were tried for war crimes.

1945

The polio vaccine, developed by Dr.

Jonas Salk, is declared safe and effective.

Polio vaccine is a vaccine used to prevent poliomyelitis (polio). Two types are used: an inactivated poliovirus given by injection (IPV) and a weakened poliovirus given by mouth (OPV). The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends all children be fully vaccinated against polio. The two vaccines have eliminated polio from most of the world, and reduced the number of cases reported each year from an estimated 350,000 in 1988 to 33 in 2018.

1955

Space Race: The Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human to travel into outer space and perform the first crewed orbital flight, Vostok 1.

US–USSR spaceflight capability rivalry

The Space Race was a 20th-century competition between the Cold War rivals, the United States and the Soviet Union, to achieve superior spaceflight capability. It had its origins in the ballistic missile-based nuclear arms race between the two nations following World War II and the onset of the Cold War. The technological advantage demonstrated by spaceflight achievement was seen as necessary for national security, particularly in regard to intercontinental ballistic missile and satellite reconnaissance capability, but also became part of the cultural symbolism and ideology of the time. The Space Race brought pioneering launches of artificial satellites, robotic landers to the Moon, Venus, and Mars, and human spaceflight in low Earth orbit and ultimately to the Moon.

1961

The Soviet nuclear-powered submarine K-33 collides with the Finnish merchant vessel M/S Finnclipper in the Danish straits.[citation needed]

Country in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991

The Soviet Union, officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until its dissolution in 1991. It was the world's third-most populous country, the largest by area, and bordered twelve countries. A diverse multinational state, it was organized as a federal union of national republics, with the largest and most populous being the Russian SFSR. In practice, its government and economy were highly centralized. As a one-party state governed by the Communist Party, it was the flagship communist state. Its capital and largest city was Moscow.

1963

Soviet submarine K-8, carrying four nuclear torpedoes, sinks in the Bay of Biscay four days after a fire on board.

November-class submarine

K-8 was a November-class submarine of the Soviet Northern Fleet that sank in the Bay of Biscay with her nuclear weapons on board on April 12, 1970. A fire on April 8 had disabled the submarine and it was being towed in rough seas. Fifty-two crewmen were killed attempting the salvage of the submarine when it sank.

1970

The Americo-Liberian government of Liberia is violently deposed.

Military overthrow and execution of President William Tolbert

The 1980 Liberian coup d'état happened on April 12, 1980, when President William Tolbert of Liberia was overthrown and murdered in a violent coup. The coup was staged by an indigenous Liberian faction of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) under the command of Master Sergeant Samuel Doe. Following a period of transition, Doe ruled Liberia throughout the 1980s, until his murder in 1990 during the First Liberian Civil War.

1980

Transbrasil Flight 303, a Boeing 727, crashes on approach to Hercílio Luz International Airport in Florianópolis, Brazil.

Fifty-five out of the 58 people on board are killed.

Transbrasil Flight 303 was a scheduled flight from Congonhas-São Paulo Airport in São Paulo, Brazil, to Hercílio Luz International Airport in Florianópolis, Brazil, on 12 April 1980. The Boeing 727-27C crashed on approach to Hercílio Luz International Airport. Only 3 of the 58 people on board survived.

1980

Canadian runner and athlete, Terry Fox begins his Marathon of Hope Run in St.

John's, NF

Terrance Stanley Fox was a Canadian athlete, humanitarian, and cancer research activist. In 1980, having had one leg amputated due to cancer, he embarked on a cross-Canada run to raise money and awareness for cancer research. The annual Terry Fox Run, first held in 1981, has grown to involve millions of participants in over 60 countries and is the world's largest one-day fundraiser for cancer research; over C$1 billion has been raised in his name through the Terry Fox Research Institute as of February 2026.

1980

The first launch of a Space Shuttle (Columbia) takes place: The STS-1 mission.

Partially reusable launch system and space plane

The Space Shuttle is a retired, partially reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated from 1981 to 2011 by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the Space Shuttle program. Its official program name was the Space Transportation System (STS), taken from the 1969 plan led by U.S. vice president Spiro Agnew for a system of reusable spacecraft where it was the only item funded for development.

1981

Harold Washington is elected as the first black mayor of Chicago.

Illinois politician and 51st mayor of Chicago

Harold Lee Washington was an American politician and lawyer who was the 51st mayor of Chicago from 1983 until his death in 1987. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first Black person to hold the office.

1983

Space Shuttle Discovery launches on STS-51D to deploy two communications satellites.

Space Shuttle orbiter (1984–2011)

Space Shuttle Discovery is a retired American Space Shuttle orbiter. The spaceplane was one of the orbiters from NASA's Space Shuttle program and the third of five fully operational orbiters to be built. Its first mission, STS-41-D, flew from August 30 to September 5, 1984. Over 27 years of service it launched and landed 39 times, aggregating more spaceflights than any other spacecraft as of December 2024. The Space Shuttle launch vehicle had three main components: the Space Shuttle orbiter, a single-use central fuel tank, and two reusable solid rocket boosters. Nearly 25,000 heat-resistant tiles cover the orbiter to protect it from high temperatures on re-entry.

1985

Jim Gary's "Twentieth Century Dinosaurs" exhibition opens at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.

He is the only sculptor ever invited to present a solo exhibition there.

Jim Gary was an American sculptor popularly known for his large, colorful creations of dinosaurs made from discarded automobile parts. These sculptures were typically finished with automobile paint although some were left to develop a natural patina during display outdoors.

1990

Widerøe Flight 839 crashes after takeoff from Værøy Airport in Norway, killing five people.

1990 aviation accident in Norway

Widerøe Flight 839, also known as the Værøy Accident, was a de Havilland Canada DHC-6-300 Twin Otter that crashed shortly after takeoff from Værøy Airport in Værøy Municipality in Lofoten, Norway. The accident occurred on 12 April 1990 at 14:44, killing all five people on board. The cause of the accident was strong winds that exceeded the structure's tolerance, causing the tail rudder and tailplane to crack and the aircraft to become uncontrollable. Impact occurred 63 seconds after takeoff and 8 seconds after the crack. The aircraft crashed into the water and a search was conducted for several days to locate the wreckage.

1990

The Euro Disney Resort officially opens with its theme park Euro Disneyland; the resort and its park's name are subsequently changed to Disneyland Resort Paris.

Theme park within Disneyland Paris

Disneyland Park, originally Euro Disneyland Park, is a theme park found at Disneyland Paris in Marne-la-Vallée, France. The park opened on 12 April 1992, as the first of the two parks built at the resort. Designed and built by Walt Disney Imagineering, its layout is similar to Disneyland Park at Disneyland Resort in California and Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World in Florida. Spanning 56.656 ha —the second largest Disney park based on the original, after Shanghai Disneyland—it is dedicated to fairy tales and Disney characters.

1992

United States President Bill Clinton is cited for contempt of court for giving "intentionally false statements" in a civil lawsuit; he is later fined and disbarred.

President of the United States from 1993 to 2001

William Jefferson Clinton is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the attorney general of Arkansas from 1977 to 1979 and as the governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981, and again from 1983 to 1992. His centrist "Third Way" political philosophy became known as Clintonism, which dominated his presidency and the succeeding decades of Democratic Party history.

1999

During the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, an American McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle shoots a passenger train, killing between 20 and 60 people.

1999 military operation

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) carried out an aerial bombing campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The air strikes lasted from 24 March 1999 to 10 June 1999. The bombings continued until an agreement was reached that led to the withdrawal of the Yugoslav Army from Kosovo, and the establishment of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, a UN peacekeeping mission in Kosovo. The official NATO operation code name was Operation Allied Force whereas the United States called it Operation Noble Anvil ; in Yugoslavia, the operation was incorrectly called Merciful Angel, possibly as a result of a misunderstanding or mistranslation.

1999

A suicide bomber blows herself up at the entrance to Jerusalem's Mahane Yehuda Market, killing seven people and wounding 104.

Terrorist attack in Jerusalem

A suicide bombing occurred on 12 April 2002 at a bus stop located at the entrance to the Mahane Yehuda Market, Jerusalem's main fruit and vegetable market. The site of the attack was chosen in order to cause maximum number of casualties. 6 civilians were killed in the attack and 104 were injured. The al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades claimed responsibility for the attack.

2002

Zimbabwe officially abandons the Zimbabwean dollar as its official currency.

Country in Southeastern Africa

Zimbabwe, officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo River, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia to the north, and Mozambique to the east. The capital and largest city is Harare, and the second largest is Bulawayo.

2009

Merano derailment: A rail accident in South Tyrol kills nine people and injures a further 28.

2010 railway accident in Italy

The Merano derailment occurred on 12 April 2010 when a train derailed between Latsch and Kastelbell, near Merano, Italy, after running into a landslide, causing nine deaths and injuring 28 people.

2010

Two suicide bombers kill three Chadian soldiers and injure dozens of civilians at a market in Kidal, Mali.

Terrorist attack in Mali

On 12 April 2013, four Chadian soldiers were killed, and five civilians were injured, in an attack by two suicide bombers affiliated with the MOJWA in Kidal, Mali.

2013

The Great Fire of Valparaíso ravages the Chilean city of Valparaíso, killing 16 people, displacing nearly 10,000, and destroying more than 2,500 homes.

2014 natural disaster in Chile

The Great Fire of Valparaíso started on 12 April 2014 at 16:40 local time, in the hills of the city of Valparaíso, Chile. The wildfire destroyed at least 2,500 homes, leaving 11,000 people homeless. An additional 6,000 people were evacuated from the city, which was placed on red alert and declared a disaster zone. Fifteen people were confirmed killed and ten suffered serious injuries.

2014

The Tisza Party, led by Péter Magyar wins the 2026 Hungarian parliamentary election, defeating Viktor Orbán's Fidesz party, which had ruled the country for 16 years, marking the first change in government in Hungary for over a decade.

Political party in Hungary

The Respect and Freedom Party, commonly known by its Hungarian abbreviations Tisza Party and TISZA, is a conservative, centre-right, pro-European, and populist political party in Hungary. It is currently the ruling party.

2026

Born on April 12

20 people 1989 – 1996

Jan Bednarek

Polish footballer

Jan Kacper Bednarek is a Polish professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Primeira Liga club Porto and the Poland national team.

1996

Matteo Berrettini

Italian tennis player

Matteo Berrettini is an Italian professional tennis player. He has been ranked as high as world No. 6 in singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), which he achieved in January 2022, and world No. 105 in…

1996

Pedro Cachin

Argentine tennis player

Pedro Cachin, also known as Pedro Cachín, is an Argentine former professional tennis player. Cachin had a career-high ATP singles ranking of world No. 48, achieved on 7 August 2023 and a doubles ranking of No. 219,…

1995

Eric Bailly

Ivorian professional footballer

Eric Bertrand Bailly is an Ivorian professional footballer who plays for La Liga club Real Oviedo and the Ivory Coast national team. Although he mainly plays as a centre-back, he can also play as a right-back.

1994

Isabelle Drummond

Brazilian actress and singer

Isabelle Christine Lourenço Gomes Drummond is a Brazilian actress. She became known as a child actress when she played the rag doll Emília in the children's series Sítio do Picapau Amarelo, joining the cast for six…

1994

Guido Rodríguez

Argentine footballer

Guido Rodríguez is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for La Liga club Valencia.

1994

Saoirse Ronan

American-born Irish actress

Saoirse Una Ronan is an American-born Irish actress. Primarily known for her work in period dramas, she has received various accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a Scottish BAFTA, with nominations for four…

1994

Sehun

South Korean musician

Oh Se-hun, known mononymously as Sehun, is a South Korean rapper, singer, songwriter, actor and dancer. He is a member of the South Korean-Chinese boy band Exo and its sub-unit Exo-SC. Apart from his group's activities,…

1994

Robin Anderson

American tennis player

Robin Kimberly Anderson is an inactive American tennis player.

1993

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

Canadian ice hockey player

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is a forward and alternate captain for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "Nuge" by Oilers fans, Nugent-Hopkins was…

1993

Chad le Clos

South African swimmer

Chad Guy Bertrand le Clos, OIS is a South African competitive swimmer who is an Olympic, World and Commonwealth Games champion. He is the African record, Commonwealth record, and South African record holder in the short…

1992

The Vivienne

Welsh drag queen (died 2025)

James Lee Williams, known professionally as The Vivienne, was a Welsh drag queen who was the winner of the first series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK in 2019. They later competed in the seventh season of RuPaul's Drag Race…

1992

Lionel Carole

French professional footballer

Lionel Jules Carole is a French professional footballer who plays as a left back for Turkish club Kayserispor. He is a French youth international, having earned caps at under-17, under-20, and under-21 level.

1991

Oliver Norwood

English-born Northern Irish international footballer

Oliver James Norwood is a professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for EFL League One club Stockport County.

1991

Magnus Pääjärvi

Swedish ice hockey player

Karl Magnus Svensson Pääjärvi, surname also known as Pääjärvi-Svensson, is a Swedish professional ice hockey left winger, currently playing for Timrå IK of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). During his NHL career,…

1991

Jazz Richards

Welsh international footballer

Ashley Darel Jazz Richards is a Welsh footballer who plays as a full-back. His most recent club was Haverfordwest County in the Cymru Premier.

1991

Hiroki Sakai

Japanese footballer

Hiroki Sakai is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a right back and the inaugural captain for A-League club Auckland FC.

1990

Bethan Dainton

Welsh rugby union player

Bethan Dainton is a Welsh rugby league player who plays as Loose forward for Wigan Warriors in the RFL Women's Super League. She formerly played rugby union as back row for the Wales women's national rugby union team…

1989

Ádám Hanga

Hungarian basketball player

Ádám Hanga is a Hungarian professional basketball player for Joventut Badalona of the Spanish Liga ACB. He was drafted 59th overall by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2011 NBA draft. Hanga won the EuroLeague Best Defender…

1989

Miguel Ángel Ponce

American-Mexican footballer

Miguel Ángel Ponce Briseño, also known as Pocho, is a Mexican former professional footballer who played as a left-back. Born in the United States, he played for the Mexico national team. He is an Olympic gold medalist.

1989

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Died on April 12

20 people 2014 – 2026

Asha Bhosle

Indian playback singer, businesswoman, actress and television personality (born 1933)

Asha Bhosle was an Indian playback singer and actress who predominantly worked in Indian cinema. Known for her versatility, she was described in the media as one of the greatest and most influential singers in Hindi…

2026

Chris Payton-Jones American football player (born 1995)

Chris Payton-Jones was an American professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) and United Football League (UFL). He played college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

2026

Pilita Corrales

Filipino singer-songwriter and actress (born 1939)

Pilar "Pilita" Garrido Corrales was a Filipino singer, actress and comedian. She was known for her distinctive backbend when singing and was popularly referred to as the "Greatest singer in the Philippines" and "Asia's…

2025

Roberto Cavalli

Italian fashion designer and inventor (born 1940)

Roberto Cavalli was an Italian fashion designer and inventor. He was known for exotic prints and for creating the sand-blasted look for jeans. The Roberto Cavalli fashion house sells luxury clothing, perfume, and…

2024

Eleanor Coppola

American filmmaker (born 1936)

Eleanor Jessie Coppola was an American documentary film director, screenwriter, and artist. A member of the Coppola family, she was married to director Francis Ford Coppola from 1963 until her death. She was best known…

2024

Robert MacNeil

Canadian-American journalist and author (born 1931)

Robert Breckenridge Ware MacNeil, often known as Robin MacNeil, was a Canadian-American journalist, writer and television news anchor. He partnered with Jim Lehrer to create the landmark public television news program…

2024

Gilbert Gottfried

American comedian, actor, and singer (born 1955)

Gilbert Jeremy Gottfried was an American stand-up comedian and actor. He was best known for his exaggerated shrill voice, strong New York dialect, his squint, and his edgy, often controversial sense of humor. His…

2022

Joseph Siravo

American actor and producer (born 1955)

Joseph Siravo was an American actor. He acted on Broadway in the Tony Award-winning productions of Oslo and The Light in the Piazza. His roles in film and television included Johnny Soprano in The Sopranos and Fred…

2021

Tarvaris Jackson

American football player (born 1983)

Tarvaris D'Andre Jackson was an American professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). Jackson played college football for the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Alabama State…

2020

Charlie Murphy

American actor and comedian (born 1959)

Charles Quinton Murphy was an American stand-up comedian and actor. He was best known as a writer and cast member of the Comedy Central sketch-comedy series Chappelle's Show, and a co-star of the sitcom Black Jesus. He…

2017

Mohammad Al Gaz

Emirati politician & diplomat (born 1930)

Mohamed Abdallah AlGaz, was a financier, developer, diplomat, central banker and philanthropist in the early years of the United Arab Emirates. AlGaz became a member of Dubai’s first generation of market-making…

2016

Anne Jackson

American actress (born 1925)

Anne Jackson was an American actress of stage, screen, and television. She was the wife of actor Eli Wallach, with whom she often co-starred. In 1956, she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a…

2016

Paulo Brossard

Brazilian jurist and politician (born 1924)

Paulo Brossard de Souza Pinto was a Brazilian jurist and politician. Born in Bagé, Rio Grande do Sul, he graduated in Law and served several terms as a parliamentarian in his state and in the National Congress as well.…

2015

Patrice Dominguez

Algerian-French tennis player and trainer (born 1950)

Patrice Dominguez was a French tennis player born in Algeria. He reached a career high ranking of No. 36 in 1973. He represented France in the Davis Cup between 1971 and 1979.

2015

Alfred Eick

German commander (born 1916)

The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its variants were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded for a wide…

2015

André Mba Obame

Gabonese politician (born 1957)

André Mba Obame was a Gabonese politician. After serving as an adviser to President Omar Bongo in the 1980s, he was a minister in the government of Gabon from 1990 to 1991 and again from 1997 to 2009; during that time,…

2015

Pierre Autin-Grenier

French author and poet (born 1947)

Pierre Autin-Grenier was a French author. The catalogue of the Bibliothèque nationale de France gives his date of birth as 1947, though later dates ranging through to 1953 are quoted on various web pages including at…

2014

Pierre-Henri Menthéour

French cyclist (born 1960)

Pierre-Henri Menthéour was a French professional road bicycle racer.

2014

Maurício Alves Peruchi

Brazilian footballer (born 1990)

Maurício Alves Peruchi or simply Maurício, was a Brazilian football striker. He started his career in Fluminense FC and last played for US Boulogne in Championnat National.

2014

Hal Smith

American baseball player and coach (born 1931)

Harold Raymond Smith was an American professional baseball player, coach, scout and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the St. Louis Cardinals (1956–61) and Pittsburgh Pirates (1965). Born in…

2014

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April 12 in the Blog

Apollo 13 Accident — April 12, 1970

13 minutes changed space history: Apollo 13's 1970 explosion in Houston, Texas, became a heroic survival story that ended safely

Read the full story

What happened on April 12 in history?

On April 12, one notable event in history was 2007: A suicide bomber penetrates the Green Zone and detonates in a cafeteria within a parliament building, killing Iraqi MP Mohammed Awad and wounding more than twenty other people..

This date currently highlights 52 recorded events on thisDay.info, spanning 240 – 2026.

DateApril 12

Featured year2007

Locationa cafeteria within a parliament building, killing Iraqi MP Mohammed Awad and wounding more than twenty other people

Events listed52

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April 12 in History

2007 — A suicide bomber penetrates the Green Zone and detonates in a cafeteria within a parliament building, killing Iraqi MP Mohammed Awad and wounding more than twenty other people

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April 12 in History

2007 — A suicide bomber penetrates the Green Zone and detonates in a cafeteria within a parliament building, killing Iraqi MP Mohammed Awad and wounding more than twenty other people

Born on April 12

Died on April 12

April 12 in the Blog

More questions about April 12

What happened on April 12?

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What happened on April 12 in history?

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