January 12: National Youth Day In India

chandoo

January 12 is the 12th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 353 days remaining until the end of the year (354 in leap years).

Events

475 - Basiliscus becomes Byzantine Emperor, with a coronation ceremony in the Hebdomon palace in Constantinople.
1528 - Gustav I of Sweden crowned king of Sweden.
1592 - Titus Andronicus is first staged at the Rose Theatre.
1773 - The first public Colonial American museum opens in Charleston, South Carolina.
1777 - Mission Santa Clara de Asís is founded in what is now Santa Clara, California.
1780 - The first issue of the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (then known as the Zürcher Zeitung) is published.
1808 - The organizational meeting that led to the creation of the Wernerian Natural History Society, a former Scottish learned society, is held in Edinburgh.
1848 - The Palermo rising in Sicily rises against the Bourbon kingdom of the Two Sicilies
1866 - The Royal Aeronautical Society is formed in London.
1872 - Yohannes IV is crowned Emperor of Ethiopia in Axum, the first imperial coronation in that city in over 200 years.
1875 - Kwang-su becomes emperor of China.
1895 - The National Trust is founded in Britain.
1898 - Ito Hirobumi begins his third term as Prime Minister of Japan.
1906 - Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman's cabinet (which included amongst its members H.H. Asquith, David Lloyd George, and Winston Churchill) embarks on sweeping social reforms after a Liberal landslide in the British general election.
1908 - A long-distance radio message is sent from the Eiffel Tower for the first time.
1915 - The Rocky Mountain National Park is formed by an act of U.S. Congress.
1915 - The United States House of Representatives rejects proposal to give women the right to vote.
1918 - Finland's "Mosaic Confessors" law went into effect, making Finnish Jews full citizens.
1926 - Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll premiere their radio program Sam 'n' Henry, a precursor to Amos 'n' Andy, possibly the first situation comedy.
1932 - Hattie W. Caraway becomes the first woman elected to the United States Senate.
1940 - World War II: Russia bombs cities in Finland.
1942 - President Franklin Roosevelt creates the National War Labor Board.
1945 - World War II: The Soviets begin a large offensive against the Nazis in Eastern Europe .
1964 - Rebels in Zanzibar begin a revolt known as the Zanzibar Revolution and proclaim a republic.
1966 - Lyndon B. Johnson states that the United States should stay in South Vietnam until Communist aggression there is ended.
1966 - Batman the TV series debuts on ABC.
1967 - Dr. James Bedford becomes the first person to be cryonically preserved with intent of future resuscitation.
1969 - Joe Namath and the New York Jets defeat the Baltimore Colts 16-7 in Super Bowl III, becoming the first team from the American Football League to win American Football's top championship.
1970 - Biafra capitulates, ending the Nigerian civil war.
1971 - All in the Family debuts on CBS.
1971 - Harrisburg Six: The Reverend Philip Berrigan and five others are indicted on charges of conspiring to kidnap Henry Kissinger and of plotting to blow up the heating tunnels of federal buildings in Washington, DC.
1976 - The UN Security Council votes 11-1 to allow the Palestine Liberation Organization to participate in a Security Council debate (without voting rights).
1991 - Persian Gulf War: An act of the U.S. Congress authorizes the use of military force to drive Iraq out of Kuwait.
1992 - A new constitution, providing for freedom to form political parties, is approved by a referendum in Mali.
1995 - Malcolm X's daughter, Qubilah Shabazz, is arrested for conspiring to kill Louis Farrakhan.
1998 - Nineteen European nations agree to forbid human cloning.
2004 - The world's largest ocean liner, RMS Queen Mary 2, makes its maiden voyage.
2005 - Deep Impact (space mission) launches from Cape Canaveral on a Delta 2 rocket.
2006 - The foreign ministers of the United Kingdom, France, and Germany declare that negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program have reached a dead end and recommend that Iran be referred to the United Nations Security Council.
2006 - A stampede during the Stoning the Devil ritual on the last day at the Hajj in Mina, Saudi Arabia, kills at least 362 Muslim pilgrims.
2006 - Turkey releases Mehmet Ali Ağca from jail after he served 25 years for shooting Pope John Paul II.
2006 - The French warship Clemenceau reaches Egypt and is barred access to the Suez Canal. Greenpeace activists board the ship.
2007 - Comet McNaught reaches perihelion becoming the brightest comet in more than 40 years.

Births

1483 - Henry III of Nassau-Breda, German nobleman (d. 1538)
1562 - Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy (d. 1630)
1576 - Petrus Scriverius, Dutch writer (d. 1660)
1591 - José Ribera, Spanish painter (d. 1652)
1597 - François Duquesnoy, French sculptor (d. 1643)
1628 - Charles Perrault, French folklorist (d. 1703)
1715 - Jacques Duphly, French composer (d. 1789)
1716 - Antonio de Ulloa, Spanish general (d. 1795)
1721 - Duke Ferdinand of Brunswick, Prussian general (d. 1792)
1723 - Samuel Langdon, American President of Harvard University (d. 1797)
1729 - Edmund Burke, Irish statesman (d. 1797)
1737 - John Hancock, American statesman (d. 1793)
1746 - Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, Swiss pedagogue (d. 1827)
1751 - Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies (d. 1825)
1786 - Sir Robert Inglis, Bt, English politician (d. 1855)
1792 - Johan August Arfwedson, Swedish chemist (d. 1841)
1797 - Gideon Brecher, Austrian physician (d. 1873)
1849 - Jean Béraud, French painter (d. 1935)
1852 - Joseph Joffre, French general (d. 1931)
1856 - John Singer Sargent, American artist (d. 1925)
1860 - Henry Larkin, American baseball player (d. 1942)
1863 - Swami Vivekananda, Indian philosopher (d. 1902)
1873 - Spiridon Louis, Greek runner, winner of the first modern Olympics marathon (d. 1940)
1876 - Jack London, American author (d. 1916)
1876 - Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari, Italian composer (d. 1948)
1877 - Frank J. Corr, American politician (d. 1934)
1878 - Ferenc Molnár, Hungarian writer (d. 1952)
1879 - Ray Harroun, American race car driver (d. 1968)
1882 - Milton Sills, American actor (d. 1930)
1884 - Texas Guinan, American actress (d. 1933)
1892 - Mikhail Gurevich, Russian aircraft designer (d. 1976)
1893 - Hermann Göring, Nazi official (d. 1946)
1893 - Alfred Rosenberg, Nazi official (d. 1946)
1894 - Georges Carpentier, French boxer (d. 1975)
1896 - Rex Ingram, Irish director (d. 1950)
1899 - Paul Hermann Müller, Swiss chemist, Nobel laureate (d. 1965)
1902 - Saud of Saudi Arabia (d. 1969)
1904 - Fred McDowell, American blues musician (d. 1972)
1905 - Tex Ritter, American country singer and actor (d. 1974)
1905 - James Bennett Griffin, American archaeologist (d. 1997)
1906 - Daniil Kharms, Russian playwright (d. 1942)
1907 - Patsy Kelly, American actress (d. 1981)
1907 - Sergei Korolev, Russian rocket scientist (d. 1966)
1908 - Jean Delannoy, French film director
1908 - Clement Hurd, American illustrator (d. 1988)
1910 - Luise Rainer, German two-time Academy Award winning actress
1915 - Paul Jarrico, American writer (d. 1997)
1915 - Joseph-Aurèle Plourde, Catholic archbishop of Ottawa
1916 - Pieter Willem Botha, former President of South Africa (d. 2006)
1916 - Jay McShann, American musician (d. 2006)
1917 - Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Indian spiritualist
1917 - Jimmy Skinner, professional hockey coach (d. 2007)
1920 - James L. Farmer, Jr., American activist (d. 1999)
1922 - Tadeusz Żychiewicz, Polish journalist, art historian and publicist (d. 1994)
1923 - Ira Hayes, American soldier (d. 1955)
1924 - Olivier Gendebien, Belgian racing driver (d. 1998)
1925 - Scottie MacGregor, American actress
1926 - Ray Price, American singer
1926 - Morton Feldman, American composer
1928 - Ruth Brown, American singer (d. 2006)
1928 - Lloyd Ruby, American race car driver
1930 - Tim Horton, Canadian hockey player (d. 1974)
1930 - Glenn Yarborough, American singer
1932 - Des O'Connor, British television presenter
1935 - Kreskin, mentalist
1935 - Tomiko Ishii, Japanese actress
1937 - Marie Dubois, French actress
1937 - Shirley Eaton, British actress
1937 - Vicente Sardinero, Spanish baritone (d. 2002)
1941 - Long John Baldry, British blues singer (d. 2005)
1944 - Joe Frazier, American boxer
1944 - Vlastimil Hort, Czechoslovakian chess player
1944 - Carlos Villagrán, Mexican actor
1946 - George Duke, American musician
1946 - Lady Cosgrove, Scottish judiciary figure
1946 - Cynthia Robinson, American musician (Sly & the Family Stone)
1948 - Khalid Abdul Muhammed, American Nation of Islam spokesman (d. 2001)
1948 - Kenny Allen, English footballer
1948 - William Nicholson, English writer
1949 - Haruki Murakami, Japanese novelist
1949 - Kentaro Haneda, Japanese composer (d. 2007)
1949 - Wayne Wang, Hong Kong-born film director
1950 - Sheila Jackson Lee, American politician
1950 - Bob McEwen, American politician
1950 - Göran Lindblad, Swedish politician
1950 - Dorrit Moussaieff, First Lady of Iceland
1950 - Ricky Ray Rector, American murderer (d. 1992)
1951 - Kirstie Alley, American actress
1951 - Ann Althouse, American law professor
1951 - Rush Limbaugh, American radio personality and political commentator
1952 - Walter Mosley, American author
1954 - Howard Stern, American radio host
1955 - Rockne S. O'Bannon, screenwriter
1957 - John Lasseter, American director, founder of Pixar Animation Studios
1959 - Blixa Bargeld, German singer and musician (Einstürzende Neubauten, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds)
1959 - Per Gessle, Swedish songwriter and musician (Roxette)
1959 - Nick Nairn, British celebrity chef
1960 - Oliver Platt, Canadian actor
1960 - Dominique Wilkins, American basketball player
1963 - François Girard, French Canadian film director and screenwriter
1964 - Jeff Bezos, American entrepreneur
1965 - Rob Zombie, American musician
1966 - Olivier Martinez, French actor
1967 - Vendela Kirsebom, Swedish supermodel
1968 - Heather Mills, British activist
1968 - Junichi Masuda, Japanese composer
1968 - Rachael Harris, American actress
1968 - Mauro Silva, Brazilian footballer
1968 - Keith Anderson, American country music singer-songwriter
1969 - Robert Prosinečki, Croatian footballer.
1970 - Zack de la Rocha, American musician (Rage Against the Machine).
1970 - Raekwon, American rapper.
1972 - Priyanka Gandhi, daughter of Rajiv Gandhi.
1972 - Espen Knutsen, Norwegian ice hockey player.
1972 - Jason Sklar, American comedian.
1972 - Randy Sklar, American comedian.
1973 - Dan Haseltine, singer (Jars of Clay).
1973 - Matt Wong, former bassist (Reel Big Fish).
1973 - Hande Yener, Turkish singer.
1974 - Melanie Chisholm, British singer.
1974 - Tor Arne Hetland, Norwegian cross-country skier.
1975 - Jason Freese, American musician
1975 - Jocelyn Thibault, Canadian ice hockey player
1977 - Dominic Etli, American soccer player
1977 - Yoandy Garlobo, Cuban baseball player
1977 - Cade McNown, American football player
1977 - Piolo Pascual, Filipino actor
1978 - Jeremy Camp, American musician
1978 - Kris Roe, American musician (The Ataris)
1978 - Kim Sa Rang, Korean actress
1978 - Luis Ayala, baseball pitcher
1979 - Marián Hossa, Slovak ice hockey player
1979 - Grzegorz Rasiak, Polish footballer
1980 - Amerie, American singer and songwriter
1980 - Bobby Crosby, American baseball player
1982 - Sherzod Abdurahmonov, Uzbekistanian boxer
1982 - Paul-Henri Mathieu, French tennis player
1982 - Chris Ray, American baseball player
1982 - Dimitrios Tsiamis, Greek triple jumper
1982 - Dontrelle Willis, American baseball player
1984 - Scott Olsen, American baseball player
1985 - Yohana Cobo, Spanish actress
1986 - Miguel Ángel Nieto, Spanish footballer
1987 - Will Rothhaar, American actor
1987 - Salvatore Sirigu, Italian footballer
1988 - Chris Casement, Irish footballer
1988 - Andrew Lawrence, American actor
1990 - Sergey Karjakin, Ukrainian chess player
1992 - Mao Kobayashi, Japanese gravure idol
1995 - Laurel McGoff, singer/actress best known for Kid Nation appearance

Deaths

1321 - Maria of Brabant, wife of Philip III of France (b. 1256)
1519 - Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1459)
1583 - Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, Duke of Alva, Governor of the Spanish Netherlands (b. 1508)
1665 - Pierre de Fermat, French mathematician and lawyer (b. 1601)
1674 - Giacomo Carissimi, Italian composer (b. 1605)
1700 - Marguerite Bourgeoys, saint (b. 1620)
1705 - Luca Giordano, Italian artist (b. 1634)
1732 - John Horsley, British archaeologist (b. 1685)
1735 - John Eccles, English composer (b. 1668)
1759 - Anne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange (b. 1709)
1777 - Hugh Mercer, American Revolutionary War officer (mortally wounded in battle) (b. 1726)
1781 - Richard Challoner, English Catholic prelate (b. 1691)
1817 - Juan Andres, Spanish Jesuit (b. 1740)
1834 - William Wyndham Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1759)
1856 - Ľudovít Štúr, Slovak politician, author of Slovak language, (b. 1815)
1897 - Isaac Pitman, British inventor (Pitman Shorthand) (b. 1813)
1899 - Hiram Walker, American distiller (b. 1816)
1909 - Hermann Minkowski, German mathematician (b. 1864)
1940 - Edward Smith, English soldier, recipient of the Victoria Cross (b. 1899)
1943 - Jan Campert, Dutch journalist and writer (b. 1902)
1944 - Lance C. Wade, American pilot (b. 1915)
1956 - Norman Kerry, American actor (b. 1894)
1960 - Nevil Shute, English writer (b. 1899)
1962 - Ariadna Tyrkova-Williams, Russian writer and feminist (b. 1869)
1965 - Lorraine Hansberry, American writer (b. 1936)
1976 - Agatha Christie, English writer (b. 1890)
1977 - Henri-Georges Clouzot, French film director and screenwriter (b. 1907)
1983 - Rebop Kwaku Baah, Nigerian percussionist (b. 1944)
1983 - Nikolai Podgorny, President of the USSR (b. 1903)
1990 - Laurence J. Peter, Canadian-born educator et writer (b. 1919)
1996 - Joachim Nitsche, German mathematician (b. 1926)
1997 - Charles B. Huggins, Canadian-born cancer researcher, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1901)
1997 - Jean-Edern Hallier, French author (b. 1936)
1999 - Betty Lou Gerson, American voice actress (b. 1914)
1999 - Doug Wickenheiser, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1961)
2000 - Marc Davis, American animator (b. 1913)
2000 - Bobby Phills, American basketball player (b. 1969)
2001 - Affirmed, American racehorse (b. 1975)
2001 - William Hewlett, American engineer and businessman (b. 1913)
2001 - Luiz Bonfá, Brazilian guitarist and composer (b. 1922)
2002 - Stanley Unwin, South African comedian (b. 1911)
2002 - Cyrus Vance, 57th U.S. Secretary of State (b. 1917)
2003 - Dean Amadon, American ornithologist (b. 1912)
2003 - Kinji Fukasaku, Japanese director (b. 1930)
2003 - Leopoldo Galtieri, dictator of Argentina (b. 1926)
2003 - Maurice Gibb, British singer, songwriter, and musician (Bee Gees) (b. 1949)
2004 - Olga Aleksandrovna Ladyzhenskaya, Russian mathematician (b. 1921)
2004 - Randy VanWarmer, American singer and songwriter (b. 1955)
2005 - Alessia di Matteo, first survivor of eight transplants in one operation (b. 2003)
2005 - Amrish Puri, Indian actor (b. 1932)
2005 - Edmund S. Valtman, Estonian-born cartoonist (b. 1914)
2007 - Alice Coltrane, American jazz musician (b. 1937)

Holidays and Observances

Tanzania - Zanzibar Revolution Day
India- National Youth Day Swami Vivekananda's birthday

Religious Feast Days

Benedict Biscop
Saint Tatiana
January 12 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)