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)

The Russian Federation withdraws from the Treaty on the Creation of the USSR.

The unrecognised state of Zimbabwe-Rhodesia returns to British control and resumes using the name Southern Rhodesia.

Coup d'état of December Twelfth: South Korean Army Major General Chun Doo-hwan orders the arrest of Army Chief of Staff General Jeong Seung-hwa without authorization from President Choi Kyu-ha, alleging involvement in the assassination of ex-President Park Chung-hee.

United Nations Security Council Resolution 121 relating to acceptance of Japan to United Nations is adopted.

Beginning of the Irish Republican Army's "Border Campaign".

Paula Ackerman, the first woman appointed to perform rabbinical functions in the United States, leads the congregation in her first services.

The Majlis of Iran votes to crown Reza Khan as the new Shah of Iran, starting the Pahlavi dynasty.

President of the Republic of China, Yuan Shikai, announces his intention to reinstate the monarchy and proclaim himself Emperor of China.

Mary of Enghien sells the lordship of Argos and Nauplia to the Republic of Venice.