June 12 facts for kids

June 12 is the 163rd day of the year (164th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 202 days remain until the end of the year.

June 12th is a day filled with many important events throughout history, from ancient battles to modern-day discoveries and celebrations. It's a day when new cities were founded, important laws were passed, and famous people were born or passed away. Let's explore some of the key moments that have shaped our world on this date.

Historical Events

Early History (Before 1600)

• 910 – In the Battle of Augsburg, the Hungarians defeated the East Frankish army. They used a clever trick called a feigned retreat, where they pretended to run away to trick their enemies.
• 1240 – A special debate, called the Disputation of Paris, took place in France. It was a discussion between a Christian monk and four rabbis about different beliefs.
• 1381 – In England, a large group of people gathered near London for the Peasants' Revolt. They were protesting against unfair rules.
• 1418 – During a civil war in France, many people were killed in Paris, including prisoners and students.
• 1429 – In the Hundred Years' War, Joan of Arc led the French army to victory at the Battle of Jargeau. They captured the city and the English commander.
• 1550 – The city of Helsinki, which is now the capital of Finland, was founded by King Gustav I of Sweden.

Later History (1601–1900)

• 1643 – The Parliament of England held the Westminster Assembly to make changes to the Church of England.
• 1653 – The Battle of the Gabbard began during the First Anglo-Dutch War, a naval fight between England and the Netherlands.
• 1665 – Thomas Willett became the very first mayor of New York City.
• 1758 – During the French and Indian War, a major attack started at Louisbourg, Nova Scotia, led by James Wolfe.
• 1772 – French explorer Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne and some of his crew were killed by Māori in New Zealand.
• 1775 – In the American War of Independence, British General Thomas Gage declared special rules in Massachusetts. The British offered to forgive colonists who stopped fighting, except for Samuel Adams and John Hancock.
• 1776 – The Virginia Declaration of Rights, an important document about human rights, was adopted.
• 1817 – The first version of a bicycle, called the dandy horse, was ridden by Karl von Drais.
• 1821 – The Funj Sultanate, a kingdom in Sudan, came to an end when its king gave up his power.
• 1830 – French soldiers landed near Algiers, beginning the Invasion of Algiers.
• 1864 – In the American Civil War, the Battle of Cold Harbor ended with a victory for the Confederate forces.
• 1898 – General Emilio Aguinaldo declared the Philippines' independence from Spain.
• 1899 – A very strong tornado hit New Richmond, U.S., causing many deaths and injuries.
• 1900 – Germany approved a plan to build a very large navy, aiming to have the biggest fleet in the world.

Modern Era (1901–Present)

• 1914 – A sad event called the Massacre of Phocaea took place in the Ottoman Empire, where many Greek people were harmed or forced to leave their homes.
• 1921 – Special weapons were used to end a peasant uprising in Russia.
• 1935 – A ceasefire was agreed upon, ending the Chaco War between Bolivia and Paraguay.
• 1939 – Filming began for Dr. Cyclops, the first horror movie made using special color film.
• 1939 – The Baseball Hall of Fame opened in Cooperstown, New York.
• 1940 – During World War II, many British and French troops surrendered to Erwin Rommel in France.
• 1942 – Anne Frank received a diary for her thirteenth birthday, which later became famous.
• 1943 – During The Holocaust, a very sad event occurred in Poland where many Jewish people were killed.
• 1944 – In World War II, American paratroopers secured the town of Carentan, France, as part of Operation Overlord.
• 1954 – Pope Pius XII declared Dominic Savio a saint. Dominic was 14 years old when he died, making him one of the youngest saints.
• 1963 – The movie Cleopatra, starring Elizabeth Taylor, was released. It was the most expensive film made at that time.
• 1964 – Nelson Mandela, an important leader who fought against unfair laws in South Africa, was put in prison for life.
• 1967 – The United States Supreme Court ruled that laws banning interracial marriage were against the U.S. Constitution.
• 1975 – A court in India ruled that Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had not followed all the rules in her election.
• 1979 – Bryan Allen successfully flew a human-powered aircraft, the Gossamer Albatross, across the English Channel.
• 1981 – The first Indiana Jones movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark, was released in theaters.
• 1982 – A large rally and concert for nuclear disarmament was held in New York City.
• 1987 – The former emperor of the Central African Republic was sentenced for crimes he committed during his rule.
• 1987 – During the Cold War, U.S. President Ronald Reagan famously challenged Mikhail Gorbachev to "tear down" the Berlin Wall.
• 1990 – On Russia Day, the Russian Federation officially declared its independence.
• 1991 – Boris Yeltsin was elected as the first President of Russia in a democratic election.
• 1991 – A sad event called the Kokkadichcholai massacre happened in Sri Lanka, where many Tamil civilians were killed.
• 1993 – An election took place in Nigeria, but the results were later cancelled by the military government.
• 1999 – The Kosovo War ended, and a NATO-led peacekeeping force entered Kosovo.
• 2009 – A disputed election in Iran led to many protests both inside and outside the country.
• 2018 – U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un of North Korea held their first meeting in Singapore.
• 2019 – Kassym-Jomart Tokayev became the second president of Kazakhstan.

Famous Birthdays

Born Before 1900

• 1107 – Gao Zong, a Chinese emperor.
• 1519 – Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, an important ruler in Italy.
• 1577 – Paul Guldin, a Swiss astronomer and mathematician.
• 1771 – Patrick Gass, an American sergeant who was part of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
• 1806 – John A. Roebling, a German-American engineer who designed the famous Brooklyn Bridge.
• 1827 – Johanna Spyri, a Swiss author best known for writing Heidi.
• 1851 – Oliver Lodge, an English physicist and academic.
• 1858 – Henry Scott Tuke, an English painter and photographer.
• 1890 – Egon Schiele, an Austrian painter.
• 1897 – Anthony Eden, an English soldier and politician who became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
• 1899 – Fritz Albert Lipmann, a German-American biochemist who won a Nobel Prize.
• 1899 – Weegee, a Ukrainian-American photographer and journalist.

Born After 1900

• 1924 – George H. W. Bush, an American lieutenant and politician who became the 41st President of the United States.
• 1928 – Richard M. Sherman, an American composer who wrote many famous songs for Disney movies.
• 1929 – Anne Frank, a German-Dutch diarist who became famous for her diary written during The Holocaust.
• 1930 – Jim Nabors, an American actor and singer.
• 1941 – Chick Corea, an American pianist and composer.
• 1941 – Roy Harper, an English singer-songwriter.
• 1942 – Bert Sakmann, a German physiologist and biologist who won a Nobel Prize.
• 1945 – Pat Jennings, a famous Northern Irish footballer.
• 1949 – John Wetton, an English singer-songwriter and bass player.
• 1951 – Adriana Lima, a Brazilian model and actress.
• 1957 – Timothy Busfield, an American actor and director.
• 1957 – Javed Miandad, a famous Pakistani cricketer.
• 1958 – Meredith Brooks, an American singer-songwriter.
• 1959 – John Linnell, an American singer-songwriter and musician, part of the band They Might Be Giants.
• 1962 – Jordan Peterson, a Canadian psychologist and professor.
• 1965 – Gwen Torrence, an American sprinter who won Olympic medals.
• 1967 – Frances O'Connor, an English-Australian actress.
• 1971 – Mark Henry, an American weightlifter and wrestler.
• 1974 – Hideki Matsui, a Japanese baseball player.
• 1979 – Robyn, a Swedish singer-songwriter.
• 1983 – Bryan Habana, a South African rugby player.
• 1983 – Christine Sinclair, a Canadian soccer player.
• 1985 – Dave Franco, an American actor.
• 1985 – Blake Ross, an American computer programmer who helped create Mozilla Firefox.
• 1992 – Philippe Coutinho, a Brazilian footballer.
• 1999 – CarryMinati, an Indian YouTuber.

Notable Deaths

Passed Away Before 1900

• 796 – Hisham I, a Muslim leader.
• 816 – Pope Leo III, a Pope of the Catholic Church.
• 918 – Æthelflæd, a powerful Mercian leader and daughter of Alfred the Great.
• 1418 – Bernard VII, Count of Armagnac, a French count.
• 1524 – Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar, a Spanish explorer.
• 1560 – Imagawa Yoshimoto, a Japanese leader.
• 1574 – Renée of France, a French duchess.

Passed Away After 1900

• 1912 – Frédéric Passy, a French economist who won the Nobel Peace Prize.
• 1937 – Mikhail Tukhachevsky, a Russian general.
• 1957 – Jimmy Dorsey, an American saxophonist and bandleader.
• 1963 – Medgar Evers, an American soldier and activist who fought for civil rights.
• 1980 – Masayoshi Ōhira, a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan.
• 1982 – Karl von Frisch, an Austrian-German scientist who studied animal behavior and won a Nobel Prize.
• 1983 – Norma Shearer, a Canadian-American actress.
• 1994 – Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, who were victims of a famous crime.
• 2003 – Gregory Peck, a famous American actor and political activist.
• 2006 – György Ligeti, a Romanian-Hungarian composer.
• 2012 – Elinor Ostrom, an American political scientist and economist who won a Nobel Prize.
• 2023 – Silvio Berlusconi, an Italian businessman and politician who served as Prime Minister of Italy.
• 2023 – John Romita Sr., a famous comic book artist.
• 2023 – Treat Williams, an American actor.

Holidays and Observances

• Chaco Armistice Day (Paraguay): Celebrates the end of the Chaco War.
• Christian feast day: Various Christian saints and events are remembered on this day.
• Dia dos Namorados (Brazil): This is like Valentine's Day in Brazil, celebrating love and relationships.
• Helsinki Day (Finland): Celebrates the founding of the city of Helsinki.
• Independence Day (Philippines): Celebrates the independence of the Philippines from Spain in 1898.
• June 12 Commemoration (Lagos State): A day to remember important events in Nigeria.
• Loving Day (United States): Celebrates the Supreme Court decision that made interracial marriage legal across the U.S.
• Russia Day (Russia): Celebrates Russia's declaration of sovereignty.
• World Day Against Child Labour: A global day to raise awareness and fight against child labor.
  • Children's Day (Haiti): A day dedicated to celebrating children in Haiti.

See also

In Spanish: 12 de junio para niños