September 12 is the 255th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 110 days remain until the end of the year.
We have some interesting facts & historic events all about September 12th, including areas in religion, crime, health and more.
Keep reading for more interesting facts about September 12th in history!
Table of Contents
Global Celebrations
- National Chocolate Milkshake Day
- National Video Games Day
Historic Events
What Happened On This Day – September 12
1992: First African American Woman goes into Space
Mae C. Jemison, a physician, was a Mission Specialist on STS-47 which was the 50th space flight of NASA’s Space Shuttle Program. It was the space shuttle Endeavour’s second flight. During over 190 hours she spent in space, she conducted experiments on weightlessness and motion sickness.
1974: A Coup in Ethiopia ousts Emperor Haile Selassie
The coup was led by a group of the Ethiopian armed forces and other law enforcement agencies of the country called the Derg. After the coup, Selassie was imprisoned. He died two years later, on August 28, 2015. Selassie is also often considered to be a Messiah by those who follow Rastafarianism, a religious belief that originated in Jamaica.
1970: The Soviet Union launches the Luna 16
It was the first robotic probe to land on the Moon and return to Earth with rock samples. Luna 16 landed on Earth on September 24.
1953: Jacqueline Bouvier Marries John Fitzgerald Kennedy
The much talked about wedding of the season took place in Newport, Rhode Island. At the time of the wedding, John F. Kennedy was a Senator in the US Congress from the state of Massachusetts. In 1960, Kennedy won the presidency after beating Republican candidate Richard Nixon.
1943: The Gran Sasso Raid is conducted by the German paratroopers at the behest of Hitler
The purpose of the airborne operation, also known as Operation Eiche, was to free Italian dictator Benito Mussolini from a ski resort where he was being held on the orders of the Italian king, Victor Emmanuel III. Using gliders, German troops entered the ski resort and successfully rescued Mussolini.
Famous Birthdays
Births On This Day, September 12
1980: Yao Ming, Chinese basketball player
1967: Louis C.K., American comedian, actor, screenwriter
1956: Sam Brownback, American politician, 46th Governor of Kansas
1951: Bertie Ahern, Irish politician
1892: Alfred A. Knopf, Sr., American publisher, founded Alfred A. Knopf Inc.
Heartbreaking Deaths
Deaths On This Day, September 12
2014: Ian Paisley, Irish minister, politician, 2nd First Minister of Northern Ireland
2009: Norman Borlaug, American agronomist, humanitarian, Nobel Prize laureate
2008: David Foster Wallace, American author
2003: Johnny Cash, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, actor
1977: Robert Lowell, American poet
