October 12 - This Day in History

October 12: General Interest
1492: Columbus reaches the New World

After sailing across the Atlantic Ocean, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus sights a Bahamian island, believing he has reached East Asia... read more


American Revolution
1776 : British troops head up East River
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/british-troops-head-up-east-river


Automotive
1940 : Silent-film star Tom Mix dies in Arizona car wreck; brained by "Suitcase of Death"
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/silent-film-star-tom-mix-dies-in-arizona-car-wreck-brained-by-suitcase-of-death


Civil War
1870 : Confederate leader Robert E. Lee dies
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/robert-e-lee-dies


Cold War
1960 : Nikita Khrushchev throws a tantrum at the United Nations
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/nikita-khrushchev-throws-a-tantrum-at-the-united-nations


Crime
1998 : The victim of an anti-gay assault dies
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-victim-of-an-anti-gay-assault-dies


Disaster
1918 : Fire rages in Minnesota
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/fire-rages-in-minnesota


General Interest
1810 : The origin of Oktoberfest
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-origin-of-oktoberfest

1915 : British nurse executed in WWI
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/british-nurse-executed-in-wwi

1945 : Conscientious objector wins Medal of Honor
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/conscientious-objector-wins-medal-of-honor

1964 : USSR leads the space race
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/ussr-leads-the-space-race

2000 : USS Cole attacked by terrorists
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/uss-icolei-attacked-by-terrorists

2002 : Terrorists kill 202 in Bali
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/terrorists-kill-202-in-bali


Hollywood
2007 : Al Gore wins Nobel Prize in the wake of An Inconvenient Truth
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/al-gore-wins-nobel-prize-in-the-wake-of-an-inconvenient-truth


Literary
1912 : Actress, playwright, novelist Alice Childress is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/actress-playwright-novelist-alice-childress-is-born


Music
1997 : John Denver dies in an aircraft accident
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/john-denver-dies-in-an-ultra-light-aircraft-accident


Old West
1940 : The Cowboy actor Tom Mix dies in an Arizona car accident
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-cowboy-actor-tom-mix-dies-in-an-arizona-car-accident


Presidential
1786 : Thomas Jefferson composes romantic letter
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/thomas-jefferson-composes-romantic-letter


Sports
1929 : Athletics score 10 in eighth inning of championship game
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/athletics-score-10-in-eighth-inning-of-championship-game


Vietnam War
1967 : Dean Rusk criticizes Congress while fighting continues in South Vietnam
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/dean-rusk-criticizes-congress-while-fighting-continues-in-south-vietnam

1970 : Nixon announces another round of troop withdrawals
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/nixon-announces-another-round-of-troop-withdrawals

1972 : Racial violence breaks out aboard U.S. Navy ships
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/racial-violence-breaks-out-aboard-us-navy-ships


World War I
1915 : British nurse Edith Cavell executed
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/british-nurse-edith-cavell-executed


World War II
1946 : Gen. Joseph Stilwell dies
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/gen-joseph-stilwell-dies