What Happened on December 12 in History?
December 12 has been marked by several significant events throughout history, including Pennsylvania becoming the second U.S. state to ratify the Constitution, Kenya gaining independence from the United Kingdom, and the U.S. Supreme Court's pivotal decision in Bush v. Gore.
Major Historical Events
1787: Pennsylvania ratifies the U.S. Constitution, becoming the second state to do so and the first of the larger states to approve the document.
1870: Joseph H. Rainey of South Carolina becomes the first African American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives.
1899: The first golf tee is patented by African American dentist George F. Grant.
1901: Guglielmo Marconi receives the first transatlantic radio signal (the Morse Code letter "S"), sent from Cornwall, England, to Newfoundland, Canada, proving long-distance wireless communication was possible.
1911: Delhi replaces Calcutta as the capital of India.
1937: The USS Panay incident occurs when Japanese aircraft bomb and sink the U.S. gunboat on the Yangtze River in China, heightening tensions between the two nations.
1963: Kenya declares independence from the United Kingdom. This day is celebrated annually as Jamhuri Day.
1969: The Piazza Fontana bombing in Milan, Italy, kills 17 people and injures 88, marking a significant moment of domestic terrorism.
2000: The U.S. Supreme Court issues its decision in Bush v. Gore, halting the Florida vote recount and effectively deciding the presidential election in favor of George W. Bush.
2003: Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is captured by U.S. forces during the Iraq War.
2015: The Paris Agreement for climate change is adopted by nearly 200 nations at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21).
Notable Births
1821: French novelist Gustave Flaubert (Madame Bovary).
1863: Norwegian painter Edvard Munch (The Scream).
1915: Iconic American singer and actor Frank Sinatra.
1940: American pop and soul singer Dionne Warwick.
1989: American pop superstar Taylor Swift.
Notable Deaths
1204: Maimonides, influential Jewish physician and philosopher.
1889: English poet and playwright Robert Browning.
2020: Groundbreaking country music singer Charley Pride.
