Year 1606
Great Britain recognized the Union Jack as its national flag.
APRIL 12
Daily Historical Chronicle
UPSC CSE • State PSC • SSC CGL Matrix
12 April: What Happened On This Day in History
Curated historical timeline of momentous political pacts, freedom struggle uprisings, constitutional developments, scientific breakthroughs, and prominent birthdays recorded on 12 April.
Observances & Special Days
Children's Day (Bolivia)
Cosmonautics Day (Russia)
International Day of Human Space Flight
Halifax Day (North Carolina)
National Redemption Day (Liberia)
Year 1752
Agreement to save the king between Shinde and Holkar.
Year 1799
The Church Missionary Society was organized in London under the original name of the Society for Missions in Africa and the East. This Anglican missions agency currently works in fields located in Africa, Ceylon, India, Pakistan, Iran and Palestine.
Year 1881
William Carey fort was appointed the Professor of Bengali Language in fort at William College, Calcutta.
Year 1801
Ranjit Singh proclaimed himself Maharaja of Punjab
Year 1913
Gandhiji in Indian Opinion draws attention to new Immigration Bill's failure to fulfil terms of Provisional Settlement of 1911. Kasturba decides to join Passive Resistance struggle.
Year 1917
Mulvantrai Himatlal Mankad better known as ""Vinoo Mankad"", cricketer (India's greatest all-rounder to his time), was born at Jamna
Year 1936
Nehru urges Socialism for India.
Year 1942
Nehru pledges 'no surrender' to the Axis despite the rejection of Britain's plans at New Delhi.
Year 1945
US President Franklin D. Roosevelt died in office.
Year 1961
The Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to travel into outer space and perform the first manned orbital flight, Vostok 1.
Year 1967
Judge Kailas Nath Wanchoo became the Chief Justice of India. He helded this office till 24/02/1968.
Year 1967
U. Thant,UN Secretary General, receives the first Nehru Award for international understanding.
Year 1978
After several state victories, Congress party-I (for Indira) is recognized as official opposition.
Year 1978
India's first double decker train was started between Victoria Terminus (CST) and Pune which beared the name as "Janta Express", which is now known under the name of Shivaji's fort as "Singhgarh Expr"
Year 1983
Richard Attenborough's 'Gandhi' wins 8 Oscars.
Year 1987
V. P. Singh resigns as Defence Minister of India, K. C. Pant appointed in his place.
Year 1991
Lok Sabha elections announced for May 20, 23, 26; Punjab Assam, J&K polls deferred.
Year 1997
Maharashtra assembly adopts bill banning interviews for admitting students to pre-primary schools.
Year 1997
Prime Minister of India H D Deve Gowda resigned.
Year 1998
Bharat Ratna awarded to C. Subramaniam.
Year 2000
Ban on LTTE for two more years from May 14, says the Union Home Minister L. K. Advani.
Year 2009
Zimbabwe announced the end of its official currency ‘Zimbabwe Dollar’.
Born 1482
Rana Sanga, an Indian ruler of Mewar.
Born 1621
Guru Teg Bahadur Singh, Sikh Guru, was born.
Born 1871
Gangadhar Balkrishna Deshpande, editor in modern era and dictionary creator, was born.
Born 1873
Kumaran Asan, famous Malyalam poet and social reformer, was born at Kayikkara, Kerala.
Born 1885
R D Banerji, an eminent Indian Archaeologist & Museum expert.
Born 1912
Kirpal Singh Narang, social reformer and educationist, was born at Amritsar (Punjab).
Born 1917
Vinoo Mankad, an Indian cricketer.
Born 1924
F. N. Souza, a Goan artist.
Born 1935
Lalji Tandon, as the 18th Governor of Madhya Pradesh and 28th Governor of Bihar.
Born 1943
Sumitra Mahajan, an Indian politician.
Born 1954
Safdar Hashmi, a communist playwright and director.
Died 1720
Balaji Vishwanath Bhat, the first of a series of hereditary Peshwas.
Died 1817
Charles Messier, a French astronomer.
Died 1906
Mahesh Chandra Nyayratna Bhattacharyya, Indian scholar, academic, and philanthropist (b. 1836)
Died 1945
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the 32nd president of the United States.
Died 1992
M. Basavapunniah (77), a Communist leader, passed away.
Died 1992
The 350-tonne Buddha statue salvaged from the Hussain Sagar where it had sunk in 1990.
Died 2001
Dewang Mehta, the president of NASSCOM.
Died 2001
Harvey Ball, an American commercial artist.
Died 2006
Rajkumar, an Indian film actor and playback singer in the Kannada cinema.
Died 2012
Mohit Chattopadhyay, Indian poet and playwright (b. 1934)