1918⚡ Event
First Woman Enlists in US Marine Corps
Opha May Johnson became the first woman to enlist in the United States Marine Corps.
politicslaw
August 12 – August 18 in History
DayFacts Week 33 · 7 days
This recurring calendar span contains 103 historical entries in the DayFacts collection. The sections below preview entries from these 7 days; use the date links to open each date collection.
Selected Anniversaries
25th Anniversary
Dixie D'Amelio
25th Anniversary
Jannik Sinner
10th Anniversary
First Beer Festival in North Korea
Explore the Date Pages
Historical Events (August 12 – August 18)(20)
1945⚡ Event
Indonesian Independence Proclaimed
The independence of Indonesia was proclaimed by Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta. This act ignited a revolution against the Dutch Empire.
politicswar
1945⚡ Event
Animal Farm Published
George Orwell's satirical allegory of Soviet totalitarianism, Animal Farm, was first published.
literaturepolitics
1948⚡ Event
Republic of Korea established
The Republic of Korea was established with Syngman Rhee as its first president.
politics
1959⚡ Event
Miles Davis Releases 'Kind of Blue'
American musician Miles Davis released 'Kind of Blue'. It became one of the best-selling and most critically acclaimed jazz recordings of all time.
musicartsentertainment
1962⚡ Event
The Beatles replace drummer
The English rock band the Beatles fired their drummer Pete Best, replacing him with Ringo Starr.
musicentertainment
1963⚡ Event
President Fulbert Youlou overthrown in Republic of Congo
President Fulbert Youlou was overthrown in the Republic of Congo following a three-day uprising in the capital.
politics
1964⚡ Event
Hildegard Trabant killed at Berlin Wall
East German Communist Party member Hildegard Trabant was killed while attempting to cross the Berlin Wall.
politicslaw
1966⚡ Event
Battle of Long Tan
During the Vietnam War, members of the 6th Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment were surrounded by a much larger Viet Cong unit but held them off until reinforcements arrived.
war
1969⚡ Event
The Troubles Erupt in Derry
Riots erupted in the Bogside neighborhood of Derry on August 12, 1969, spreading across much of Northern Ireland and marking a significant escalation of The Troubles.
politicswar
1977⚡ Event
Wow! Signal Received
The Big Ear radio telescope at Ohio State University received a strong, apparently extraterrestrial radio signal known as the Wow! signal.
sciencespace
1985⚡ Event
Japan Air Lines Flight 123 Crash
Japan Air Lines Flight 123 crashed into Mount Takamagahara on August 12, 1985, killing 520 of the 524 people on board, including singer Kyu Sakamoto. This remains the world's worst single-aircraft aviation disaster.
disasterentertainment
1986⚡ Event
Typhoon Wayne
Typhoon Wayne formed over the South China Sea, becoming one of the longest-lived tropical cyclones in the north-western Pacific, lasting 21 days.
disaster
1990⚡ Event
Discovery of 'Sue' the T. rex Skeleton
Near Faith, South Dakota, paleontologist Sue Hendrickson discovered one of the most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeletons on August 12, 1990. The skeleton was nicknamed 'Sue'.
science
1999⚡ Event
Japan Adopts National Flag and Anthem Act
The Act on National Flag and Anthem was adopted, formally establishing the Hinomaru and "Kimigayo" as the Japanese national flag and anthem.
politicslaw
2004⚡ Event
Hurricane Charley Strikes Florida
Merely 22 hours after Tropical Storm Bonnie struck Florida, Hurricane Charley inflicted further damage to the region.
disaster
2005⚡ Event
Helios Airways Flight 522 Crash
Helios Airways Flight 522 crashed into a mountain north of Marathon, Greece, killing all 121 people on board.
disastertechnology
2007⚡ Event
Yazidi Bombings in Iraq
Four coordinated suicide bomb attacks detonated in Yazidi communities in Iraq, killing 796 people and wounding 1,562 others.
disasterwar
2009⚡ Event
Usain Bolt's 100m World Record
At the World Championships in Athletics in Berlin, Usain Bolt ran the 100 metres in 9.58 seconds, breaking his own record.
sports
2010⚡ Event
Youth Olympic Games Begin
The inaugural edition of the Youth Olympic Games opened in Singapore for athletes aged between 14 and 18.
sportsentertainment
Births (August 12 – August 18)(15)
1994🎂 Birth
Lasse Vigen Christensen
Lasse Vigen Christensen, Danish footballer, was born.
sports
1996🎂 Birth
Sophie Cunningham
Sophie Cunningham is an American professional basketball player.
sports
1996🎂 Birth
Jake Virtanen
Jake Virtanen, a Canadian ice hockey player, was born.
sports
1998🎂 Birth
Brian To'o
Australian-Samoan rugby league player Brian To'o was born.
sports
1998🎂 Birth
Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, a Japanese baseball player, was born.
sports
1999🎂 Birth
Matthijs de Ligt
Matthijs de Ligt is a Dutch professional footballer.
sports
1999🎂 Birth
Dream
Dream is an American YouTuber known for his Minecraft content.
entertainment
1999🎂 Birth
Jule Niemeier
Jule Niemeier is a German professional tennis player.
sports
Deaths (August 12 – August 18)(15)
1977🕊️ Death
Death of Elvis Presley
American singer and actor Elvis Presley was found dead in his home in Memphis, Tennessee.
entertainmentmusic
2015🕊️ Death
Julian Bond
Julian Bond, an American academic, civil rights leader, and politician, died. He was born in 1940.
politics
2015🕊️ Death
Yvonne Craig
Yvonne Craig, an American ballet dancer and actress, died. She was born in 1937.
entertainment
2016🕊️ Death
Arthur Hiller
Arthur Hiller, a Canadian actor, director, and producer, died.
entertainment
2017🕊️ Death
Gunnar Birkerts
Gunnar Birkerts, a Latvian-American architect, died. He was born in 1925.
2018🕊️ Death
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin was an American singer-songwriter.
musicentertainment
2020🕊️ Death
Julian Bream
Julian Bream was an English classical guitarist and lutenist.
music
2020🕊️ Death
Bill Yeoman
Bill Yeoman was an American college football player and coach.
sports
2021🕊️ Death
Michael Aung-Thwin
Michael Aung-Thwin was an American historian and scholar of Burmese and Southeast Asian history.
literaturephilosophy
2023🕊️ Death
Al Quie
Al Quie was an American politician and the 35th Governor of Minnesota.
politics
2024🕊️ Death
Wally Amos
American entrepreneur, founder of Famous Amos.
economicsentertainment