Year 1676
Praying Indian John Alderman shoots and kills Metacomet, the Wampanoag war chief, ending King Philip's War.
AUGUST 12
Daily Historical Chronicle
UPSC CSE • State PSC • SSC CGL Matrix
12 August: 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 August.
Observances & Special Days
International Youth Day
World Elephant Day (International)
Year 1851
Isaac Singer is granted a patent for his sewing machine.
Year 1865
During an operation at Glasgow Royal infantry today British surgeon Josef Lister, 38, demonstrated a method of preventing infection of an operation wound.
Year 1883
The last of the Quaggas died in Amsterdam zoo. Quaggas is the species of Zebra.
Year 1905
Japan, Britain reach an accord determining spheres of influence in Far East; India to remain with the British.
Year 1928
The Olympic Games hosted by Amsterdam fully realized Pierre de Coubertin's vision: 'the nations of the world in friendly competition'. After a succession of Olympics dominated by North America and Western Europe, Amsterdam welcomed more than 3,000 competitors.
Year 1946
Viceroy announces invitation to Congress to form provisional Government.
Year 1952
Social Welfare Board inaugurated in the Parliament.
Year 1948
India won gold medal in hockey in London Olympics.
Year 1952
13 prominent Jewish intellectuals and poets were murdered in Moscow, Russia, Soviet Union.
Year 1960
Communication satellite Echo is launched at Cape Canaveral.
Year 1981
The IBM personal computer released.
Year 1990
Sue which is the longest and most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton found to date. Discovered by Sue Hendrickson in South Dakota.
Year 1991
Parliament passes the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (prevention) amendment bill.
Year 1996
Supreme Court stays further proceedings against Narasimha Rao in Chandraswami-Lakhubhai Pathak cheating case.
Year 1997
Bar Council of India debars full-time law teachers from practising as lawyers.
Year 1998
Rajiv Gandhi Khelaratna Award, which is the highest award in sports in India, declared to Sachin Tendulkar.
Year 2000
Neelam Jaswant Singh heaves the discus to a National mark (59.53m) in the Travancore National circuit athletics meet in Thiurvananthapuram.
Born 1868
Frederick JNT Lord Chelmsford, Viceroy of British-India (1916-21), was born.
Born 1887
Erwin Schrodinger, an Australian physicist born. Noble prize winner who developed a number of fundamental results in the field of Quantum theory. Schrodinger equation provides a way to calculate the wave function of the system and how it changes dynamically in time.
Born 1897
Major Gegeral Himmat Singh, Governor of Himachal Pradesh and Duputy Defence Minister, was born.
Born 1918
First CO of the Royal Air forces 617 squadrons. He was born in Shimla, India.
Born 1918
Guy Gibson, Anglo-Indian commander and pilot, Victoria Cross recipient (d. 1944)
Born 1919
Vikram Sarabhai, an Indian socialist and physicist. He invented space research and helped to develop nuclear power in India. He is also known as the father of the Indian Space Programme.
Born 1922
Chunilal Kalidas Madiya, famous Gujrati one-act player, playwright story writer and novelist, was born.
Born 1924
Mohammad Zia ul Haq, 6th president of Pakistan. He was the longest-reigning president of Pakistan from 1978 to 1988.
Born 1948
Siddaramaiah, Indian lawyer and politician, 22nd Chief Minister of Karnataka
Born 1952
Sitaram Yechuri, Indian Politician. He is the leader of the communist party (Marxist).
Born 1972
Gyanendra Pandey, Indian cricketer
Born 1987
Vanessa Watts, West Indian cricketer
Born 1988
Tyson Fury, a British boxer.
Born 1995
Sara Ali Khan, Indian Actress. Daughter of Saif Ali khan.
Died 1602
Abul Fazal, Akbar's minister, was killed on the instructions of Jahangir.
Died 1827
William Blake, British artist and poet. He influenced the visual art of romantic age.
Died 1848
George Stephenson, Who invented the steam locomotive ‘Rocket’.
Died 1964
Ian Fleming, the man who created secrete agent James Bond 007. Died of a heart attack.
Died 1973
Bhausaheb Bandodkar, the first Chief Minister of Goa, Daman and Diu.
Died 1997
Gulshan Kumar, Founder of T-series. He was a music director and Bollywood film producer. Assassinated by Mumbai underworld.
Died 2005
Kadir Magar, Shri lankan politician. Assassinated by militants.
Died 2016
Juan Pedro de Miguel, Spanish handball player (b. 1958)
Died 2017
Bryan Murray, Canadian ice hockey coach (b. 1942)
Died 2019
DJ Arafat, Ivoirian DJ and singer (b. 1986)