August 12

August 12 is the 224th day of the year (225th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 141 days remaining until the end of the year.

It is the peak of the Perseid meteor shower. It is also known as the "Glorious Twelfth" in the United Kingdom, as it marks the traditional start of the grouse shooting season.

Events

• 1099 – First Crusade: Battle of Ascalon Crusaders under the command of Godfrey of Bouillon defeat Fatimid forces led by Al-Afdal Shahanshah. This is considered the last engagement of the First Crusade.
• 1121 – Battle of Didgori: The Georgian army under King David IV wins a decisive victory over the famous Seljuk commander Ilghazi.
• 1164 – Battle of Harim: Nur ad-Din Zangi defeats the Crusader armies of the County of Tripoli and the Principality of Antioch.
• 1323 – Signature of the Treaty of Nöteborg between Sweden and Novgorod (Russia), that regulates the border between the two countries for the first time.
• 1499 – First engagement of the Battle of Zonchio between Venetian and Ottoman fleets.
• 1624 – The president of Louis XIII of France's royal council is arrested, leaving Cardinal Richelieu in the role of the King's principal minister.
• 1676 – Praying Indian John Alderman shoots and kills Metacomet, the Wampanoag war chief, ending King Philip's War.
• 1687 – Battle of Mohács: Charles of Lorraine defeats the Ottoman Empire.
• 1765 – Treaty of Allahabad is signed. The Treaty marks the political and constitutional involvement and the beginning of Company rule in India.
• 1793 – The Rhône and Loire départments are created when the former département of Rhône-et-Loire is split into two.
• 1806 – Santiago de Liniers, 1st Count of Buenos Aires re-takes the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina after the first British invasion.
• 1831 – French intervention forces William I of the Netherlands to abandon his attempt to suppress the Belgian Revolution.
• 1851 – Isaac Singer is granted a patent for his sewing machine.
• 1877 – Asaph Hall discovers the Mars moon Deimos.
• 1883 – The last quagga dies at the Artis Magistra zoo in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
• 1898 – An Armistice ends the Spanish–American War.
• 1898 – The Hawaiian flag is lowered from ʻIolani Palace in an elaborate annexation ceremony and replaced with the flag of the United States to signify the transfer of sovereignty from the Republic of Hawaii to the United States.
• 1914 – World War I: The United Kingdom declares war on Austria-Hungary; the countries of the British Empire follow suit.
• 1914 – World War I: The Battle of Haelen a.k.a. (Battle of the Silver Helmets) a clash between large Belgian and German cavalry formations at Halen, Belgium.
• 1944 – Waffen-SS troops massacre 560 people in Sant'Anna di Stazzema.
• 1944 – Nazi German troops end the week-long Wola massacre, during which time at least 40,000 people were killed indiscriminately or in mass executions.
• 1944 – Alençon is liberated by General Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque, the first city in France to be liberated from the Nazis by French forces.
• 1947 – United Nations Security Council Resolution 29 relating to UN membership of Yemen and Pakistan is adopted.
• 1948 – USS Nevada is struck from the naval record.
• 1950 – Korean War: Bloody Gulch massacre—American POWs are massacred by North Korean Army.
• 1952 – The Night of the Murdered Poets: Thirteen prominent Jewish intellectuals are murdered in Moscow, Russia, Soviet Union.
• 1953 – The first testing of real thermonuclear weapon (not test devices): The Soviet atomic bomb project continues with the detonation of "RDS-6s" (Joe 4), the first Soviet thermonuclear bomb.
• 1953 – The islands of Zakynthos and Kefalonia in Greece are severely damaged by an earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale.
• 1958 – Art Kane photographs 57 notable jazz musicians in the black and white group portrait "A Great Day in Harlem" in front of a Brownstone in New York City.
• 1960 – Echo 1A, NASA's first successful communications satellite, is launched.
• 1964 – South Africa is banned from the Olympic Games due to the country's racist policies.
• 1964 – Charlie Wilson, one of the Great Train Robbers, escapes from Winson Green Prison in Birmingham, England, United Kingdom.
• 1969 – Violence erupts after the Apprentice Boys of Derry march in Derry, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom resulting in a three-day communal riot known as the Battle of the Bogside.
• 1976 – Between 1,000 and 3,500 Palestinians are killed in the Tel al-Zaatar massacre, one of the bloodiest events of the Lebanese Civil War
• 1977 – The first free flight of the Space Shuttle Enterprise.
• 1977 – The 1977 riots in Sri Lanka, targeting the minority Sri Lankan Tamil people, begin, less than a month after the United National Party came to power. Over 300 Tamils are killed.
• 1978 – The Treaty of Peace and Friendship between Japan and the People's Republic of China is signed.
• 1980 – The Montevideo Treaty, establishing the Latin American Integration Association, is signed.
• 1981 – The IBM Personal Computer is released.
• 1982 – Mexico announces that it is unable to pay its enormous external debt, marking the beginning of a debt crisis that spreads to all of Latin America and the Third World.
• 1985 – Japan Airlines Flight 123 crashes into Osutaka ridge in Gunma Prefecture, Japan, killing 520, to become the worst single-plane air disaster.
• 1990 – Sue, the largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton found to date, is discovered by Sue Hendrickson in South Dakota.
• 1992 – Canada, Mexico and the United States announce completion of negotiations for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
• 1994 – Major League Baseball players go on strike. This will force the cancellation of the 1994 World Series.
• 2000 – The Oscar class submarine K-141 Kursk of the Russian Navy explodes and sinks in the Barents Sea during a military exercise.
• 2005 – Sri Lanka's foreign minister, Lakshman Kadirgamar, is fatally shot by an LTTE sniper at his home.
• 2007 – The bulk carrier MV New Flame collides with the oil tanker Torm Gertrud at the southernmost tip of Gibraltar, ending up partially submerged.
• 2012 – The closing ceremony of the Summer Olympics are held at the Olympic Stadium in London.
• 2015 – At least two massive explosions kill 145 people and injure nearly 800 in Tianjin, China.

Births

• 1503 – Christian III of Denmark (d. 1559)
• 1566 – Isabella Clara Eugenia Spanish wife of Albert VII, Archduke of Austria (d. 1633)
• 1604 – Tokugawa Iemitsu, Japanese shogun (d. 1651)
• 1644 – Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber, Bohemian-Austrian violinist and composer (d. 1704)
• 1647 – Johann Heinrich Acker, German pastor and educator (d. 1719)
• 1686 – John Balguy, English philosopher and author (d. 1748)
• 1696 – Maurice Greene, English organist and composer (d. 1755)
• 1720 – Konrad Ekhof, German actor (d. 1778)
• 1762 – George IV of the United Kingdom (d. 1830)
• 1774 – Robert Southey, English poet and author (d. 1843)
• 1773 – Karl Faber, Prussian historian and academic (d. 1853)
• 1831 – Helena Blavatsky, Russian theosophist and scholar (d. 1891)
• 1852 – Michael J. McGivney, American priest, founded the Knights of Columbus (d. 1890)
• 1856 – Diamond Jim Brady, American businessman and philanthropist (d. 1917)
• 1857 – Ernestine von Kirchsberg, Austrian painter and educator (d. 1924)
• 1859 – Katharine Lee Bates, American poet and author (d. 1929)
• 1860 – Klara Hitler, Austrian mother of Adolf Hitler (d. 1907)
• 1866 – Jacinto Benavente, Spanish playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1954)
• 1866 – Henrik Sillem, Dutch target shooter, mountaineer, and jurist (d. 1907)
• 1867 – Edith Hamilton, German-American author and educator (d. 1963)
• 1871 – Gustavs Zemgals, Latvian politician, 2nd President of Latvia (d. 1939)
• 1872 – Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein (d. 1956)
• 1876 – Mary Roberts Rinehart, American author and playwright (d. 1958)
• 1877 – Albert Bartha, Hungarian general and politician, Hungarian Minister of Defence (d. 1960)
• 1880 – Radclyffe Hall, English poet, author, and activist (d. 1943)
• 1880 – Christy Mathewson, American baseball player and manager (d. 1925)
• 1881 – Cecil B. DeMille, American director and producer (d. 1959)
• 1883 – Pauline Frederick, American actress (d. 1938)
• 1883 – Martha Hedman, Swedish-American actress and playwright (d. 1974)
• 1883 – Marion Lorne, American actress (d. 1968)
• 1885 – Jean Cabannes, French physicist and academic (d. 1959)
• 1885 – Juhan Simm, Estonian composer and conductor (d. 1959)
• 1886 – Keith Murdoch, Australian journalist (d. 1952)
• 1887 – Erwin Schrödinger, Austrian physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1961)
• 1889 – Zerna Sharp, American author and educator (d. 1981)
• 1891 – C. E. M. Joad, English philosopher and academic (d. 1953)
• 1892 – Alfred Lunt, American actor and director (d. 1977)
• 1896 – Ejner Federspiel, Danish actor (d. 1981)
• 1897 – Maurice Fernandes, Guyanese cricketer (d. 1981)
• 1899 – Ben Sealey, Trinidadian cricketer (d. 1963)
• 1902 – Mohammad Hatta, Indonesian politician, 1st Vice President of Indonesia (d. 1980)
• 1904 – Idel Jakobson, Latvian-Estonian NKVD officer (d. 1997)
• 1904 – Tamás Lossonczy, Hungarian painter (d. 2009)
• 1904 – Alexei Nikolaevich, Tsarevich of Russia (d. 1918)
• 1906 – Harry Hopman, Australian tennis player and coach (d. 1985)
• 1906 – Tedd Pierce, American animator, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1972)
• 1907 – Joe Besser, American actor (d. 1988)
• 1907 – Boy Charlton, Australian swimmer (d. 1975)
• 1907 – Benjamin Sheares, Singaporean physician and politician, 2nd President of Singapore (d. 1981)
• 1909 – Bruce Matthews, Canadian general and businessman (d. 1991)
• 1910 – Yusof bin Ishak, Singaporean journalist and politician, 1st President of Singapore (d. 1970)
• 1910 – Jane Wyatt, American actress and singer (d. 2006)
• 1911 – Cantinflas, Mexican actor, screenwriter, and producer (d. 1993)
• 1912 – Samuel Fuller, American actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 1997)
• 1913 – Richard L. Bare, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2015)
• 1914 – Gerd Buchdahl, German-English philosopher and author (d. 2001)
• 1914 – Ruth Lowe, Canadian pianist and songwriter (d. 1981)
• 1915 – Sickan Carlsson, Swedish actress and singer (d. 2011)
• 1915 – Michael Kidd, American dancer and choreographer (d. 2007)
• 1916 – Ioan Dicezare, Romanian general and pilot (d. 2012)
• 1917 – Oliver Crawford, American screenwriter and author (d. 2008)
• 1918 – Sid Bernstein, American record producer (d. 2013)
• 1918 – Guy Gibson, Indian-English commander and pilot, Victoria Cross recipient (d. 1944)
• 1919 – Margaret Burbidge, English-American astrophysicist and academic
• 1919 – Vikram Sarabhai, Indian physicist and academic (d. 1971)
• 1922 – Fulton Mackay, Scottish actor and playwright (d. 1987)
• 1923 – John Holt, Jamaican cricketer (d. 1997)
• 1924 – Derek Shackleton, English cricketer, coach, and umpire (d. 2007)
• 1924 – Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, Pakistani general and politician, 6th President of Pakistan (d. 1988)
• 1925 – Dale Bumpers, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 38th Governor of Arkansas (d. 2016)
• 1925 – Guillermo Cano Isaza, Colombian journalist (d. 1986)
• 1925 – Donald Justice, American poet and writing teacher (d. 2004)
• 1925 – Norris McWhirter, Scottish publisher and activist co-founded the Guinness World Records (d. 2004)
• 1925 – Ross McWhirter, Scottish publisher and activist, co-founded the Guinness World Records (d. 1975)
• 1925 – George Wetherill, American physicist and academic (d. 2006)
• 1926 – John Derek, American actor, director, and cinematographer (d. 1998)
• 1926 – Joe Jones, American singer-songwriter (d. 2005)
• 1927 – Porter Wagoner, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2007)
• 1928 – Charles Blackman, Australian painter and illustrator
• 1928 – Bob Buhl, American baseball player (d. 2001)
• 1928 – Dan Curtis, American director and producer (d. 2006)
• 1929 – Buck Owens, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (The Buckaroos) (d. 2006)
• 1930 – George Soros, Hungarian-American businessman and philanthropist, founded the Soros Fund Management
• 1930 – Kanagaratnam Sriskandan, Sri Lankan engineer and civil servant (d. 2010)
• 1930 – Jacques Tits, Belgian-French mathematician and academic
• 1931 – William Goldman, American author, playwright, and screenwriter
• 1932 – Sirikit, Thai wife of Bhumibol Adulyadej
• 1932 – Dallin H. Oaks, American lawyer, jurist, and religious leader
• 1932 – Charlie O'Donnell, American radio and television announcer (d. 2010)
• 1933 – Parnelli Jones, American race car driver and businessman
• 1933 – Frederic Lindsay, Scottish author and educator (d. 2013)
• 1934 – Robin Nicholson, English metallurgist and academic
• 1935 – John Cazale, American actor (d. 1978)
• 1936 – Kjell Grede, Swedish director and screenwriter
• 1936 – Hans Haacke, German-American painter and sculptor
• 1937 – Walter Dean Myers, American author and poet (d. 2014)
• 1938 – Jean-Paul L'Allier, Canadian journalist and politician, 38th Mayor of Quebec City (d. 2016)
• 1939 – George Hamilton, American actor and producer
• 1939 – Pam Kilborn, Australian hurdler, sprinter, and long jumper
• 1939 – David King, South African chemist and academic
• 1939 – Roy Romanow, Canadian lawyer and politician, 12th Premier of Saskatchewan
• 1940 – Eddie Barlow, South African cricketer and coach (d. 2005)
• 1941 – L. M. Kit Carson, American actor, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2014)
• 1941 – Réjean Ducharme, Canadian author and playwright
• 1941 – Dana Ivey, American actress
• 1941 – Deborah Walley, American actress and singer (d. 2001)
• 1942 – Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt, German physician and author
• 1943 – Deborah Walley, American actress and singer (d. 2001)
• 1945 – Dorothy E. Denning, American computer scientist and academic
• 1945 – Ron Mael, American keyboard player and songwriter (Sparks and Halfnelson)
• 1946 – Terry Nutkins, English television host and author (d. 2012)
• 1948 – Siddaramaiah, Indian lawyer and politician, 22nd Chief Minister of Karnataka
• 1948 – Sue Monk Kidd, American nurse, author, and educator
• 1948 – Graham J. Zellick, English academic and jurist
• 1949 – Panagiotis Chinofotis, Greek admiral and politician
• 1949 – Mark Knopfler, Scottish-English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (Dire Straits and The Notting Hillbillies)
• 1949 – Lou Martin, Northern Irish pianist, songwriter, and producer (d. 2012)
• 1949 – Alex Naumik, Lithuanian-Norwegian singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2013)
• 1949 – Rick Ridgeway, American mountaineer and photographer
• 1950 – Jim Beaver, American actor, director, and screenwriter
• 1951 – Willie Horton, American murderer
• 1952 – Chen Kaige, Chinese actor, director, and screenwriter
• 1952 – Kalevi Kull, Estonian biologist and academic
• 1954 – Leung Chun-ying, Hong Kong businessman and politician, 3rd Chief Executive of Hong Kong
• 1954 – Ibolya Dávid, Hungarian lawyer and politician, Minister of Justice of Hungary
• 1954 – François Hollande, French lawyer and politician, 24th President of France
• 1954 – Sam J. Jones, American actor
• 1954 – Pat Metheny, American guitarist and songwriter (Pat Metheny Group)
• 1955 – Ann M. Martin, American author
• 1955 – Heintje Simons, Dutch singer and actor
• 1955 – Terry Taylor, American wrestler and trainer
• 1956 – Lee Freedman, Australian horse trainer
• 1956 – Bruce Greenwood, Canadian actor and producer
• 1956 – Sidath Wettimuny, Sri Lankan cricketer
• 1957 – Friedhelm Schütte, German footballer
• 1958 – Jürgen Dehmel, German bass player and songwriter (Nena)
• 1959 – Kerry Boustead, Australian rugby player
• 1959 – Amanda Redman, English actress
• 1960 – Laurent Fignon, French cyclist and sportscaster (d. 2010)
• 1960 – Greg Thomas, Welsh-English cricketer
• 1960 – Eduardo Tokeshi, Peruvian painter
• 1961 – Roy Hay, English guitarist, keyboard player, and composer (Culture Club)
• 1961 – Lawrence Hayward, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (Felt, Denim, and Go Kart Mozart)
• 1961 – Mark Priest, New Zealand cricketer
• 1963 – Kōji Kitao, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 60th Yokozuna
• 1963 – Sir Mix-a-Lot, American rapper, producer, and actor
• 1963 – Britt Morgan, American porn actress, director, and producer
• 1964 – Katherine Boo, American journalist and author
• 1964 – Michael Hagan, Australian rugby player and coach
• 1965 – Peter Krause, American actor and producer
• 1966 – Tobias Ellwood, American-English captain and politician
• 1967 – Andy Hui, Hong Kong singer-songwriter and actor (Big Four)
• 1967 – Andrey Plotnikov, Russian race walker
• 1967 – Regilio Tuur, Dutch boxer
• 1968 – Thorsten Boer, German footballer and manager
• 1968 – Ülar Mark, Estonian architect
• 1968 – Kōji Yusa, Japanese voice actor and singer
• 1969 – Aga Muhlach, Filipino actor and politician
• 1969 – Tanita Tikaram, German-English singer-songwriter
• 1969 – Stuart Williams, Nevisian cricketer
• 1970 – Aleksandar Đurić, Bosnian footballer
• 1970 – Charles Mesure, English-Australian actor and screenwriter
• 1970 – Toby Perkins, English businessman and politician
• 1970 – Jim Schlossnagle, American baseball player and coach
• 1970 – Anthony Swofford, American soldier and author
• 1970 – Hidetaka Yoshioka, Japanese actor
• 1971 – Michael Ian Black, American comedian, actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
• 1971 – Yvette Nicole Brown, American comedian, actress, and singer
• 1971 – Rebecca Gayheart, American actress
• 1971 – Pete Sampras, American tennis player
• 1972 – Demir Demirkan, Turkish singer-songwriter and producer
• 1972 – Mark Kinsella, Irish footballer and manager
• 1972 – Takanohana Kōji, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 65th Yokozuna
• 1972 – Gyanendra Pandey, Indian cricketer
• 1972 – Del the Funky Homosapien, American rapper and producer (Hieroglyphics, Deltron 3030, and Gorillaz)
• 1973 – Muqtada al-Sadr, Iraqi politician
• 1973 – Joseba Beloki, Spanish cyclist
• 1973 – Marcy Borders, American bank clerk (d. 2015)
• 1973 – Jonathan Coachman, American basketball player, wrestler, and sportscaster
• 1973 – Todd Marchant, American ice hockey player and coach
• 1973 – Richard Reid, English terrorist
• 1974 – Matt Clement, American baseball player and coach
• 1975 – Casey Affleck, American actor, director, and screenwriter
• 1975 – Burcu Güneş, Turkish singer-songwriter
• 1976 – Wednesday 13, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Frankenstein Drag Queens from Planet 13, Murderdolls, Bourbon Crow, and Gunfire 76)
• 1976 – Pedro Collins, Barbadian cricketer
• 1976 – Mikko Lindström, Finnish guitarist (HIM and WhoCares)
• 1976 – Brad Lukowich, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
• 1976 – Richard McCourt, English comedian, actor, and television host
• 1976 – Henry Tuilagi, Samoan rugby player
• 1976 – Antoine Walker, American basketball player
• 1977 – Plaxico Burress, American football player
• 1977 – Jesper Grønkjær, Danish footballer
• 1977 – Park Yong-ha, South Korean singer and actor (d. 2010)
• 1978 – Chris Chambers, American football player
• 1978 – Hayley Wickenheiser, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1979 – D. J. Houlton, American baseball player
• 1979 – Ian Hutchinson, English motorcycle racer
• 1979 – Cindy Klassen, Canadian speed skater
• 1979 – Austra Skujytė, Lithuanian pentathlete
• 1980 – Javier Chevantón, Uruguayan footballer
• 1980 – Rojda Demirer, Turkish actress
• 1980 – Maggie Lawson, American actress
• 1980 – Dominique Swain, American actress
• 1980 – Matt Thiessen, Canadian-American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Relient K)
• 1980 – Jade Villalon, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and actress (Sweetbox)
• 1981 – Tony Capaldi, Norwegian-Northern Irish footballer
• 1981 – Djibril Cissé, French footballer
• 1981 – Riin Tamm, Estonian geneticist and academic
• 1982 – Iza Calzado, Filipino actress
• 1982 – Boban Grnčarov, Macedonian footballer
• 1982 – Alexandros Tzorvas, Greek footballer
• 1983 – Kana Asumi, Japanese voice actress and singer
• 1983 – Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Dutch footballer
• 1983 – Kléber Giacomance de Souza Freitas, Brazilian footballer
• 1983 – Meryem Uzerli, German-Turkish model and actress
• 1983 – Manoa Vosawai, Italian rugby player
• 1983 – Mark Webster, Welsh darts player
• 1984 – Yua Aida, Japanese porn actress and model
• 1984 – Martin Goeres, German actor and stuntman
• 1984 – Bryan Pata, American football player (d. 2006)
• 1984 – Marian Rivera, Spanish-Filipino actress and singer
• 1985 – Danny Graham, English footballer
• 1985 – Franck Moutsinga, German rugby player
• 1986 – Andrei Agius, Maltese footballer
• 1986 – Kyle Arrington, American football player
• 1986 – Electra Avellan, Venezuelan actress
• 1986 – Elise Avellan, Venezuelan actress
• 1987 – Yves Diba Ilunga, DR Congo footballer
• 1988 – Tyson Fury, English boxer
• 1988 – Justin Gaston, American singer-songwriter and actor
• 1988 – Matt Gillett, Australian rugby player
• 1988 – Leah Pipes, American actress
• 1988 – Tejay van Garderen, American cyclist
• 1989 – Tom Cleverley, English footballer
• 1989 – Hong Jeong-ho, South Korean footballer
• 1990 – Mario Balotelli, Italian footballer
• 1990 – Enzo Pineda, Filipino actor and dancer
• 1990 – Marvin Zeegelaar, Dutch footballer
• 1990 – Martin Zurawsky, German footballer
• 1991 – Jesinta Campbell, Australian model, Miss Universe Australia 2010
• 1992 – Cara Delevingne, English model, actress, singer
• 1992 – Isabella Escobar, Guatemalan tennis player
• 1992 – Teo Gheorghiu, Swiss-Canadian pianist and actor
• 1992 – Jacob Loko, Australian rugby player
• 1993 – Luna, South Korean actress, singer, and dancer (f(x))
• 1993 – Rodrigo Alborno, Paraguayan footballer
• 1993 – Ewa Farna, Czech singer-songwriter
• 1993 – Imani Hakim, American actress
• 1994 – Bex Taylor-Klaus, American actress
• 1996 – Torri Webster, Canadian actress and singer

Deaths

• 30 BC – Cleopatra, Egyptian queen (b. 69 BC)
• 875 – Louis II of Italy (b. 825)
• 1424 – Yongle Emperor of China (b. 1360)
• 1484 – Pope Sixtus IV (b. 1414)
• 1577 – Thomas Smith, English scholar and diplomat (b. 1513)
• 1588 – Alfonso Ferrabosco the elder, Italian-English composer (b. 1543)
• 1612 – Giovanni Gabrieli, Italian organist and composer (b. 1557)
• 1633 – Jacopo Peri, Italian singer-songwriter (b. 1561)
• 1638 – Johannes Althusius, German jurist and philosopher (b. 1557)
• 1647 – Matthew Hopkins, English witch-hunter (b. 1620)
• 1674 – Philippe de Champaigne, Belgian-French painter and educator (b. 1602)
• 1689 – Pope Innocent XI (b. 1611)
• 1778 – Peregrine Bertie, 3rd Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven, English general and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Lincolnshire (b. 1714)
• 1809 – Mikhail Kamensky, Russian field marshal (b. 1738)
• 1810 – Étienne Louis Geoffroy, French pharmacist and entomologist (b. 1725)
• 1822 – Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh, Irish-English politician, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (b. 1769)
• 1827 – William Blake, English poet and painter (b. 1757)
• 1829 – Charles Sapinaud de La Rairie, French general (b. 1760)
• 1848 – George Stephenson, English engineer and academic (b. 1781)
• 1849 – Albert Gallatin, Swiss-American ethnologist, linguist, and politician, 4th United States Secretary of the Treasury (b. 1761)
• 1851 – John Elliot Drinkwater Bethune, English-Indian lawyer and activist (b. 1801)
• 1861 – Eliphalet Remington, American inventor and businessman, founded Remington Arms (b. 1793)
• 1864 – Sakuma Shōzan, Japanese scholar and politician (b. 1811)
• 1865 – William Jackson Hooker, English botanist and academic (b. 1785)
• 1891 – James Russell Lowell, American poet and critic (b. 1819)
• 1896 – Thomas Chamberlain, American colonel (b. 1841)
• 1900 – Wilhelm Steinitz, Austrian chess player and theoretician (b. 1836)
• 1901 – Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld, Finnish-Swedish botanist, geologist, mineralogist, and explorer (b. 1832)
• 1904 – William Renshaw, English tennis player (b. 1861)
• 1914 – John Philip Holland, Irish engineer, designed the HMS Holland 1 (b. 1840)
• 1918 – Anna Held, Polish-American actress and singer (b. 1872)
• 1918 – William Thompson, American archer (b. 1848)
• 1921 – Pyotr Boborykin, Russian playwright and journalist (b. 1836)
• 1922 – Arthur Griffith, Irish journalist and politician, 3rd President of Dáil Éireann (b. 1871)
• 1924 – Sándor Bródy, Hungarian journalist and author (b. 1863)
• 1928 – Leoš Janáček, Czech composer and educator (b. 1854)
• 1934 – Hendrik Petrus Berlage, Dutch architect, designed the Beurs van Berlage (b. 1856)
• 1935 – Friedrich Schottky, German mathematician and academic (b. 1851)
• 1940 – Nikolai Triik, Estonian painter, illustrator, and academic (b. 1884)
• 1941 – Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Marquess of Willingdon, English soldier and politician, 56th Governor General of Canada (b. 1866)
• 1941 – Bobby Peel, English cricketer and umpire (b. 1857)
• 1943 – Vittorio Sella, Italian photographer and mountaineer (b. 1859)
• 1944 – Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., American lieutenant and pilot (b. 1915)
• 1952 – David Bergelson, Ukrainian author and playwright (b. 1884)
• 1955 – Thomas Mann, German author and critic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1875)
• 1955 – James B. Sumner, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1887)
• 1959 – Mike O'Neill, Irish-American baseball player and manager (b. 1877)
• 1964 – Ian Fleming, English spy, journalist, and author (b. 1908)
• 1966 – Artur Alliksaar, Estonian poet and author (b. 1923)
• 1967 – Esther Forbes, American historian and author (b. 1891)
• 1973 – Walter Rudolf Hess, Swiss physiologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1881)
• 1973 – Karl Ziegler, German chemist and engineer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1898)
• 1979 – Ernst Boris Chain, German-Irish biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
• 1982 – Henry Fonda, American actor, singer, and producer (b. 1905)
• 1982 – Salvador Sánchez, Mexican boxer (b. 1959)
• 1984 – Lenny Breau, American guitarist and songwriter (b. 1941)
• 1985 – Kyu Sakamoto, Japanese singer-songwriter and actor (b. 1941)
• 1985 – Manfred Winkelhock, German race car driver (b. 1951)
• 1986 – Evaline Ness, American author and illustrator (b. 1911)
• 1988 – Jean-Michel Basquiat, American painter (b. 1960)
• 1989 – Samuel Okwaraji, Nigerian footballer (b. 1964)
• 1989 – William Shockley, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1910)
• 1990 – B. Kliban, American cartoonist (b. 1935)
• 1990 – Dorothy Mackaill, English-American actress and singer (b. 1903)
• 1992 – John Cage, American composer and theorist (b. 1912)
• 1996 – Victor Ambartsumian, Georgian-Armenian astrophysicist and academic (b. 1908)
• 1996 – Robert Gravel, Canadian actor, director, and playwright (b. 1945)
• 1996 – Mark Gruenwald, American author and illustrator (b. 1953)
• 1997 – Luther Allison, American singer and guitarist (b. 1939)
• 1997 – Jack Delano, American photographer and composer (b. 1914)
• 1999 – Jean Drapeau, Canadian lawyer and politician, 37th Mayor of Montreal (b. 1916)
• 2000 – Gennady Lyachin, Russian captain (b. 1955)
• 2000 – Loretta Young, American actress (b. 1913)
• 2002 – Enos Slaughter, American baseball player and manager (b. 1916)
• 2004 – Godfrey Hounsfield, English biophysicist and engineer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1919)
• 2004 – Peter Woodthorpe, English actor (b. 1931)
• 2005 – John Loder, English sound engineer and producer, founded Southern Studios (b. 1946)
• 2005 – Relangi Selvarajah, Sri Lankan actress and journalist (b. 1960)
• 2005 – Giorgos Zographos, Greek singer and actor (b. 1936)
• 2007 – Merv Griffin, American actor, singer, and producer, created Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune (b. 1925)
• 2007 – Mike Wieringo, American author and illustrator (b. 1963)
• 2008 – Christie Allen, English-Australian singer (b. 1954)
• 2009 – Les Paul, American guitarist and songwriter (b. 1915)
• 2010 – Isaac Bonewits, American author and activist, founded Ár nDraíocht Féin (b. 1949)
• 2010 – Guido de Marco, Maltese lawyer and politician, 6th President of Malta (b. 1931)
• 2010 – Richie Hayward, American drummer and songwriter (Little Feat and Fraternity of Man) (b. 1946)
• 2010 – André Kim, South Korean fashion designer (b. 1935)
• 2011 – Robert Robinson, English journalist and author (b. 1927)
• 2012 – Jimmy Carr, American football player and coach (b. 1933)
• 2012 – Prabuddha Dasgupta, Indian photographer and author (b. 1956)
• 2012 – Jerry Grant, American race car driver (b. 1935)
• 2012 – Joe Kubert, Polish-American illustrator, founded The Kubert School (b. 1926)
• 2012 – Édgar Morales Pérez, Mexican engineer and politician
• 2012 – Alf Morris, English politician and activist (b. 1928)
• 2013 – Tereza de Arriaga, Portuguese painter (b. 1915)
• 2013 – Hans-Ekkehard Bob, German soldier and pilot (b. 1917)
• 2013 – Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau (b. 1968)
• 2013 – Pauline Maier, American historian and academic (b. 1938)
• 2013 – David McLetchie, Scottish lawyer and politician (b. 1952)
• 2013 – Vasiliy Mihaylovich Peskov, Russian ecologist and journalist (b. 1930)
• 2014 – Lauren Bacall, American model, actress and singer (b. 1924)
• 2014 – Futatsuryū Jun'ichi, Japanese sumo wrestler (b. 1950)
• 2014 – Abel Laudonio, Argentinian boxer and actor (b. 1938)
• 2014 – Arlene Martel, American actress and singer (b. 1936)
• 2014 – Kongō Masahiro, Japanese sumo wrestler (b. 1948)
• 2015 – Jaakko Hintikka, Finnish philosopher and academic (b. 1929)
• 2015 – Stephen Lewis, English actor and screenwriter (b. 1926)
• 2015 – Meshulim Feish Lowy, Hungarian-Canadian rabbi and author (b. 1921)
• 2015 – John Scott, English organist and conductor (b. 1956)

Holidays and observances

• Christian Feast Day:
  • Euplius
  • Herculanus of Brescia
  • Jænberht
  • Jane Frances de Chantal
  • Pope Innocent XI
  • August 12 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

• Glorious Twelfth (United Kingdom)
• HM the Queen's Birthday and National Mother's Day (Thailand)
• International Youth Day (United Nations)
• Russian Air Force Day (Russia)
• Russian Railway Troops Day (Russia)
• Sea Org Day (Scientology)
• World Elephant Day

External links

• BBC: On This Day
• The New York Times: On This Day
• On This Day in Canada