What Happened Today in History Enter your email address     What Historical Events Happened On My Birthday? See what happened Today in History Do you want to memorialize special event on a special date on DatesInHistory.com? Add your own Personal Historic listing HERE for free! Tell the world when you were born, engaged, married, .... See what makes March 12 special at Famous Daily. History, birthdays, holiday, and a quote! What happened on March 12 March 12, 0515 BC - Construction is completed on the Second Temple in Jerusalem. March 12, 0538 "Witiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving the city in the hands of the victorious Roman general, Belisarius." March 12, 0641 A.D. Chinese Princess Wen Cheng goes to Tibet to marry the Tibetan ruler and the marriage becomes the basis for China's claim to sovereignty over the region March 12, 1572 "Luos Vaz de Camoes publishes ""Os Lusíados"" in Portugal" March 12, 1594 Company of Distant established for business on East-Indies March 12, 1597 England routes troops to Amiens March 12, 1609 Bermuda becomes an English colony March 12, 1619 Dutch settlement on Java changes name to Batavia March 12, 1622 Ignatius of Loyola declared a saint March 12, 1642 Abel Tasman is first European in New Zealand March 12, 1664 First naturalization act in American colonies March 12, 1664 New Jersey becomes a British colony March 12, 1664 New Jersey becomes a colony of Britain. March 12, 1689 Former English King James II lands in Ireland March 12, 1737 "Galileo's body moved to Church of Santa Croce in Florence, Italy" March 12, 1755 "First steam engine in America installed, to pump water from a mine" March 12, 1773 Jeanne Baptiste Pointe de Sable found settlement now known as Chicago March 12, 1814 British troops under Wellington capture Bordeaux in France March 12, 1848 Second republic established in France March 12, 1849 The first gold seekers arrive in Nicaragua en route to California March 12, 1850 US $20 gold piece first issued March 12, 1857 A Great Western Railway train breaks an axle while crossing a swing bridge and plunges into the Desjardins Canal near Hamilton. 59 people are killed. March 12, 1860 Congress accepts Pre-emption Bill; free land in West for colonists March 12, 1868 Congress abolishes manufacturer's tax March 12, 1868 Great Britain annexes Basutoland in Africa March 12, 1868 "Henry James O'Farrell attempts to assassinate Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh." March 12, 1881 Andrew Watson made his Scotland debut as the world's first black international football player and captain. March 12, 1884 Mississippi establishes first US state college for women March 12, 1888 2nd day of the Great blizzard of '88 in northeast US (400 die) March 12, 1889 "Battle at Metema (Gallabad); Ethiopian Emperor Yohannes IV, defeated" March 12, 1889 Ethiopia's Johannes IV is killed in the Battle of Metemma fighting the Mahdists March 12, 1889 "Start of South Africa's first Test, vs England, Port Elizabeth" March 12, 1894 Coca-Cola is sold in bottles for the first time. March 12, 1896 The first movie in Netherlands (Kalverstr 220) March 12, 1900 President Steyn of Orange-Free state flees from Bloemfontein March 12, 1904 Andrew Carnegie establishes Carnegie Hero Fund March 12, 1904 The first main line electric train in UK (Liverpool to Southport) March 12, 1906 Heavy storm ravages Dutch west coast March 12, 1907 "At Toulon, France, the battleship Iena explodes, killing at least 118 men" March 12, 1908 The Pan-Macedonian group is formed in Athens to support the Greek Struggle for Macedonia. March 12, 1912 Captain Albert Berry performs first parachute jump from an airplane March 12, 1912 "Girl Guides (Girl Scouts) founded in Savannah, by Juliette Gordon Low" March 12, 1912 The Girl Guides (later renamed the Girl Scouts of the USA) are founded in the U.S.. March 12, 1913 Canberra becomes the capital of Australia when the foundation stone of the Federal Parliament building is laid. March 12, 1913 Canberra Day: The future capital of Australia was officially named Canberra. (Melbourne remained temporary capital until 1927 while the new capital was still under construction.) March 12, 1913 Foundation stone of the Australian capitol in Canberra laid March 12, 1916 French airship sinks British submarine D3 March 12, 1917 Russian Dumas sets up Provisional Committee; workers set up Soviets March 12, 1917 "Stalin, Kamenev & Muranov arrive in St Petersburg" March 12, 1918 Moscow becomes the capital of Russia again after Saint-Petersburg held this status for 215 years. March 12, 1919 Austrian National Meeting affirms Anschluss (incorporate into Germany) March 12, 1925 "Death of Sun Yat-sen, Chinese revolutionary leader." March 12, 1926 Denmark begins unilateral disarmament March 12, 1928 "In California, the St. Francis Dam fails, killing 400 people." March 12, 1930 "Mahatma Gandhi began a march to the sea, his boldest act of civil disobedience yet against British rule in India" March 12, 1930 "Mahatma Gandhi leads a 200-mile march known as Dandi March to the sea in defiance of British opposition, to protest the British monopoly on salt." March 12, 1932 "The so-called ""Swedish Match King"", Ivar Kreuger, commits suicide in Paris, leaving behind a financial empire that turns out to be worthless" March 12, 1933 "FDR announces the ""New Deal.""" March 12, 1933 "FDR conducts his first ""fireside chat""" March 12, 1933 "Great Depression: Franklin Delano Roosevelt addresses the nation for the first time as President of the United States. This was also the first of his ""Fireside Chats.""" March 12, 1934 Acting President Constantine Päts commits coup in Tallinn Estonia March 12, 1934 Josip Broz (Tito) freed from jail March 12, 1935 England establishes 30 MPH speed limit for towns & villages March 12, 1935 UK hist Hore-Belisha introduces pedestrian crossings and speed limits for built-up areas in Britain March 12, 1938 Anschluss: German troops occupy Austria; annexation declared the following day. March 12, 1938 "Germans enter Vienna, and 183,000 Jews in Austria fall under Nazi control. Within one month, 500 Jews commit suicide." March 12, 1938 Nazi Germany invades Austria (Anschluss) March 12, 1939 Pope Pius XII crowned in Vatican ceremonies March 12, 1940 "Finland surrenders to Russia during WWII, giving up Karelische Isthmus" March 12, 1940 "Winter War: Finland signs the Moscow Peace Treaty with the Soviet Union, ceding almost all of Finnish Karelia. Finnish troops and remaining population are immediately evacuated." March 12, 1941 German occupiers confiscate AVRO studios in Netherlands March 12, 1943 Soviet troops liberate Wjasma March 12, 1945 30 Amsterdammers executed by Nazi occupiers March 12, 1945 Italy's Communist Party (CPI) calls for armed uprising in Italy March 12, 1945 New York is the first to prohibit discrimination by race & creed in employment March 12, 1945 The British Empire celebrates its first British Empire Day March 12, 1945 USSR returns Transylvania to Romania March 12, 1946 Part of Petsamo province ceded by Soviet Union to Finland March 12, 1947 President Truman introduces Truman-doctrine to fight communism March 12, 1947 The Truman Doctrine is proclaimed to help stem the spread of Communism. March 12, 1948 -5ºF lowest temperature ever recorded in Cleveland in March March 12, 1950 Belgium votes (58%) for return of King Leopold III March 12, 1951 Communist troops driven out of Seoul March 12, 1952 "Mercedes introduced the 300 SL to the press on this day. With a sleek rounded body, gull-wing doors and a detachable steering wheel, the 300 SL created quite a buzz" March 12, 1954 Sahitya Akademi is founded in India. March 12, 1958 "British Empire Day is renamed ""Commonwealth Day""" March 12, 1959 US House joins Senate approving Hawaii statehood March 12, 1962 Dutch Premier De Quay announces secret talks with Indonesia March 12, 1963 "Beatles perform as a trio, John Lennon is ill with a cold" March 12, 1963 "Bob Dylan cancels ""Ed Sullivan Show"" television appearance" March 12, 1964 "6th Grammy Awards: Days of Wine & Roses, Streisand win" March 12, 1964 Jimmy Hoffa sentenced to 8 years March 12, 1964 Malcolm X resigns from Nation of Islam March 12, 1966 "Bobby Hull's 51st goal of season, sets record" March 12, 1966 "Love's first album released ""Love""" March 12, 1967 Austria's Reinhold Bachler ski jumps 505 feet March 12, 1967 Indonesian congress deprives President Sukarno of authority March 12, 1967 Suharto takes over from Sukarno to become President of Indonesia. March 12, 1968 Mauritius achieves independence. March 12, 1968 Mauritius gains independence from Britain (National Day) March 12, 1969 "11th Grammy Awards: Mrs Robinson, By the Time I Get to Phoenix win" March 12, 1969 120 joints found at George & Patti Harrison's home March 12, 1969 Paul McCartney marries Linda Louise Eastman in London March 12, 1970 US lowers voting age from 21 to 18 March 12, 1971 Rolling Stone Mick Jagger marries Bianca Pérez Morena de Macias March 12, 1971 Syrian premier Hafez Assad elected President March 12, 1971 Turkish Government of Demirel forced to resign by Army March 12, 1972 NHL great Gordie Howe retires after 26 seasons March 12, 1974 "Bundy victim Donna Manson disappears, Evergreen SC, Olympia WA" March 12, 1975 Vietcong conquer Ban me Thuot South Vietnam March 12, 1976 South African troops leave Angola March 12, 1977 Chile President Pinochet bans Christian-Democratic Party March 12, 1977 Egypt's Anwar Sadat pledges to regain Arab territory from Israel March 12, 1977 Number one hit on UK music charts - Manhattan Transfer - Chanson D'Amour March 12, 1978 Eric Heiden skates world record 1000 meter (1:14.99) March 12, 1980 Jury finds John Wayne Gacy guilty of murdering 33 in Chicago March 12, 1981 Soyuz T-4 carries 2 cosmonauts to Salyut 6 space station March 12, 1981 "Walter R T Witschey installs world's largest sundial, Richmond VA" March 12, 1982 "1st-class debut of Courtney Walsh, Jamaica vs Leeward Islands" March 12, 1982 "PLO chief Yassar Arafat appears on ""Nightline""" March 12, 1983 Number one hit on UK music charts - Bonnie Tyler - Total Eclipse Of The Heart March 12, 1984 "British ice dancing team, Torvill & Dean, become first skaters to receive 9 perfect 6.0s in world championships" March 12, 1986 210.25 million shares traded in New York Stock Exchange March 12, 1986 Giotto encounters Comet Halley March 12, 1986 "Susan Butcher wins 1,158 mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race" March 12, 1987 """Les Miserables"" opens at Broadway/Imperial NYC for 4000+ performances" March 12, 1987 Federal judge dismisses lawsuits sought by Oliver North March 12, 1989 15th People's Choice Awards March 12, 1989 2 cyanide-contaminated Chilean grapes found (Philadelphia) March 12, 1989 Madagascar AREMA party wins parliamentary election March 12, 1990 Los Angeles Raiders announce they were returning to Oakland March 12, 1991 5th Soul Train Music Awards March 12, 1992 Mauritius becomes a republic while remaining a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. March 12, 1993 317 killed by bomb attacks in Bombay March 12, 1993 "Entertainment Tonight's 3,000th show" March 12, 1993 Inkhata leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi begins 2½ week speech March 12, 1993 North Korea announced its withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty March 12, 1993 North Korea nuclear weapons program: North Korea says that it plans to withdraw from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and refuses to allow inspectors access to nuclear sites. March 12, 1993 "Several bombs explode in Bombay (Mumbai), India, killing about 300 and injuring hundreds more." March 12, 1994 Church of England ordains first 33 women priests March 12, 1994 The Church of England ordains its first female priests. March 12, 1995 Congress party loses India national election March 12, 1995 Lara scores 139 in ODI vs Australia at Port-of-Spain March 12, 1995 Sprinter Melinda Gainsford becomes the first Australian to win a world sprint title in more than 30 years March 12, 1996 Leeward Islands beat Trinidad by 73 runs to win Red Stripe Trophy March 12, 1998 """Sound of Music"", opens at Martin Beck Theater NYC" March 12, 1999 "Former Warsaw Pact members the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland join NATO." March 12, 2003 "Zoran ini, Prime Minister of Serbia, assassinated in Belgrade." March 12, 2004 "Roh Moo-hyun, President of South Korea is impeached by its national assembly for the first time in the nation's history." March 12, 2005 "Tung Chee Hwa, the first Chief Executive of Hong Kong, steps down from his post after his resignation is approved by the Chinese central government." March 12, 2007 Van Halen is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.   Visitors' Postings March 12, 2007 "Visitor posting - ""Doc"" Jones and 5 other soldiers in Iraq exposed to chemical weapons" Add your own Personal Historic listing FREE! - Click Here © DatesInHistory.com | Privacy