History Events on December 12

American Civil War: USS Cairo sinks on the Yazoo River, becoming the first armored ship to be sunk by a controlled mine.
#American_Civil_War

The Order of the Dragon, a monarchical chivalric order, is created by Sigismund of Luxembourg, then king of Hungary.
#Order_of_the_Dragon

Belo Horizonte, the first planned city in Brazil, is founded.
#Belo_Horizonte

American Revolutionary War: Second Battle of Ushant: A British fleet led by HMS Victory defeats a French fleet.
#American_Revolutionary_War

World War II: Approximately 70 people are killed in the Marples Hotel, Fitzalan Square, Sheffield, as a result of a German air raid.
#World_War_II

First Crusade: Siege of Ma'arrat al-Numan: Crusaders breach the town's walls and massacre about 20,000 inhabitants. After finding themselves with insufficient food, they reportedly resort to cannibalism.
#First_Crusade

Lebensborn Project, a Nazi reproduction program, is founded by Heinrich Himmler.
#Lebensborn

Xi'an Incident: The Generalissimo of the Republic of China, Chiang Kai-shek, is kidnapped by Zhang Xueliang.
#Xi'an_Incident

In Nebraska, Father Edward J. Flanagan founds Boys Town as a farm village for wayward boys.
#Nebraska

The Australian Labor government led by Prime Minister Bob Hawke and Treasurer Paul Keating floats the Australian dollar.
#Bob_Hawke

Paris Agreement relating to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is adopted.
#Paris_Agreement

The United States Supreme Court releases its decision in Bush v. Gore.
#Supreme_Court_of_the_United_States

North Korea successfully launches its first satellite, Kwangmy?ngs?ng-3 Unit 2, using an Unha-3 carrier rocket.
#North_Korea

Second Sino-Japanese War: USS Panay incident: Japanese aircraft bomb and sink U.S. gunboat USS Panay on the Yangtze river in China.
#Second_Sino-Japanese_War

World War II: Fifty-four Japanese A6M Zero fighters raid Batangas Field, Philippines. Jesús Villamor and four Filipino fighter pilots fend them off; César Basa is killed.
#Empire_of_Japan

Prime Minister Jomo Kenyatta becomes the first President of the Republic of Kenya.
#Jomo_Kenyatta

Delhi replaces Calcutta as the capital of India.
#Delhi

The 8.2 Mw? Tumaco earthquake shakes Colombia and Ecuador with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent), killing 300-600, and generating a large tsunami.
#1979_Tumaco_earthquake

Oaks explosion: The worst mining disaster in England kills 361 miners and rescuers.
#Oaks_explosion

King Carloman II dies after a hunting accident. He is succeeded by his cousin, emperor Charles the Fat, who for the last time reunites the Frankish Empire.
#Carloman_II

Malayan Emergency: Batang Kali massacre: Fourteen members of the Scots Guards stationed in Malaya allegedly massacre 24 unarmed civilians and set fire to the village.
#Malayan_Emergency

The Clapham Junction rail crash kills thirty-five and injures hundreds after two collisions of three commuter trains—one of the worst train crashes in the United Kingdom.
#Clapham_Junction_rail_crash

Adolf Hitler declares the imminent extermination of the Jews at a meeting in the Reich Chancellery.
#Adolf_Hitler

Joseph H. Rainey of South Carolina becomes the second black U.S. congressman, the first being Hiram Revels.
#Joseph_Rainey

Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya becomes the third president of Mauritania after a coup d'état against Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla while the latter is attending a summit.
#Maaouya_Ould_Sid'Ahmed_Taya

World War II: German troops begin Operation Winter Storm, an attempt to relieve encircled Axis forces during the Battle of Stalingrad.
#Operation_Winter_Storm

Winter War: Battle of Tolvajärvi: Finnish forces defeat those of the Soviet Union in their first major victory of the conflict.
#Winter_War

Guglielmo Marconi receives the first transatlantic radio signal (the letter "S" [***] in Morse Code), at Signal Hill in St John's, Newfoundland.
#Guglielmo_Marconi

Years of Lead: Piazza Fontana bombing: The offices of Banca Nazionale dell'Agricoltura in Piazza Fontana, Milan, are bombed.
#Years_of_Lead_(Italy)

The Flag of Estonia is raised atop the Pikk Hermann for the first time.
#Flag_of_Estonia

Pennsylvania becomes the second state to ratify the United States Constitution, five days after Delaware became the first.
#Pennsylvania

A fire at an ice plant in Hudson Heights, Manhattan spreads to an adjacent tenement, killing 37 people.
#Hudson_Heights,_Manhattan

Prime Minister of Vietnam Phan V?n Kh?i announces the decision on upgrading the Phong Nha-K? Bàng nature reserve to a national park, providing information on projects for the conservation and development of the park and revised maps.
#Prime_Minister_of_Vietnam

President of Pakistan Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq confers Nishan-e-Imtiaz on Nobel laureate Dr Abdus Salam.
#Muhammad_Zia-ul-Haq

World War II: The United Kingdom declares war on Bulgaria. Hungary and Romania declare war on the United States. India declares war on Japan.
#Bulgaria

King George V of the United Kingdom and Mary of Teck are enthroned as Emperor and Empress of India.
#George_V

Arrow Air Flight 1285, a McDonnell Douglas DC-8, crashes after takeoff in Gander, Newfoundland, killing all 256 people on board, including 236 members of the United States Army's 101st Airborne Division.
#Arrow_Air_Flight_1285

HMS Duchess sinks after a collision with HMS Barham off the coast of Scotland with the loss of 124 men.
#HMS_Duchess_(H64)

United Nations Security Council Resolution 13 relating to acceptance of Siam to United Nations is adopted.
#United_Nations_Security_Council_Resolution_13

Kenya gains its independence from the United Kingdom.
#Kenya

Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II's Persian forces, commanded by General Rhahzadh.
#Battle_of_Nineveh_(627)