October 12 facts for kids

October 12 is the 285th day of the year (286th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 80 days remain until the end of the year.

Events

Pre-1600

• 539 BC – The army of Cyrus the Great of Persia takes Babylon, ending the Babylonian empire. (Julian calendar)
• 633 – Battle of Hatfield Chase: King Edwin of Northumbria is defeated and killed by an alliance under Penda of Mercia and Cadwallon of Gwynedd.
• 1279 – The Nichiren Shōshū branch of Buddhism is founded in Japan.
• 1398 – In the Treaty of Salynas, Lithuania cedes Samogitia to the Teutonic Knights.
• 1406 – Chen Yanxiang, the only person from Indonesia known to have visited dynastic Korea, reaches Seoul after having set out from Java four months before.
• 1492 – Christopher Columbus's first expedition makes landfall in the Caribbean, specifically on San Salvador Island. (Julian calendar)

1601–1900

• 1654 – The Delft Explosion devastates the city in the Netherlands, killing more than 100 people.
• 1692 – The Salem witch trials are ended by a letter from Province of Massachusetts Bay Governor William Phips.
• 1748 – War of Jenkins' Ear: A British squadron wins a tactical victory over a Spanish squadron off Havana.
• 1773 – America's first insane asylum opens.
• 1792 – The first celebration of Columbus Day is held in New York City.
• 1793 – The cornerstone of Old East, the oldest state university building in the United States, is laid at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
• 1798 – Flemish and Luxembourgish peasants launch the rebellion against French rule known as the Peasants' War.
• 1799 – Jeanne Geneviève Labrosse becomes the first woman to jump from a balloon with a parachute.
• 1810 – The citizens of Munich hold the first Oktoberfest in celebration of the marriage of Crown Prince Louis of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen.
• 1822 – Pedro I of Brazil is proclaimed the emperor.
• 1849 – The city of Manizales, Colombia, is founded by 'The Expedition of the 20'.
• 1856 – An M 7.7–8.3 earthquake off the Greek island of Crete cause major damage as far as Egypt and Malta.
• 1871 – The British in India enact the Criminal Tribes Act, naming many local communities "Criminal Tribes".
• 1890 – Uddevalla Suffrage Association is formed.
• 1892 – The Pledge of Allegiance is first recited by students in many US public schools.

1901–present

• 1901 – President Theodore Roosevelt officially renames the "Executive Mansion" to the White House.
• 1909 – Foundation of Coritiba Foot Ball Club.
• 1915 – World War I: British nurse Edith Cavell is executed by a German firing squad for helping Allied soldiers escape from occupied Belgium.
• 1917 – World War I: The First Battle of Passchendaele takes place resulting in the largest single-day loss of life in New Zealand history.
• 1918 – A massive forest fire kills 453 people in Minnesota.
• 1928 – An iron lung respirator is used for the first time at Boston Children's Hospital.
• 1933 – The military Alcatraz Citadel becomes the civilian Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary.
• 1944 – World War II: The Axis occupation of Athens comes to an end.
• 1945 – World War II: Desmond Doss is the first conscientious objector to receive the U.S. Medal of Honor.
• 1945 – The Lao Issara took control of Laos' government and reaffirmed the country's independence.
• 1959 – At the national congress of the American Popular Revolutionary Alliance in Peru, a group of leftist radicals are expelled from the party who later form APRA Rebelde.
• 1960 – Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev pounds his shoe on a desk at the United Nations to protest a Philippine assertion.
• 1962 – The Columbus Day Storm strikes the U.S. Pacific Northwest with record wind velocities. There was at least U.S. $230 million in damages and 46 people died.
• 1963 – After nearly 23 years of imprisonment, Reverend Walter Ciszek, a Jesuit missionary, was released from the Soviet Union.
• 1964 – The Soviet Union launches the Voskhod 1 into Earth orbit as the first spacecraft with a multi-person crew, and the first flight without pressure suits.
• 1968 – Equatorial Guinea becomes independent from Spain.
• 1970 – Vietnam War: Vietnamization continues as President Richard Nixon announces that the United States will withdraw 40,000 more troops before Christmas.
• 1971 – The 2,500 year celebration of the Persian Empire begins.
• 1973 – President Nixon nominates House Minority Leader Gerald R. Ford as the successor to Vice President Spiro T. Agnew.
• 1976 – Indian Airlines Flight 171 crashes at Santacruz Airport in Bombay, India, killing 95.
• 1977 – Hua Guofeng succeeds Mao Zedong as paramount leader of China.
• 1979 – Typhoon Tip becomes the largest and most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded.
• 1983 – Japan's former Prime Minister Tanaka Kakuei is found guilty of taking a $2 million bribe from the Lockheed Corporation, and is sentenced to four years in jail.
• 1984 – The Provisional Irish Republican Army fail to assassinate Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and her cabinet. The bomb kills five people and wounds 31.
• 1988 – Two officers of the Victoria Police are gunned down execution-style in the Walsh Street police shootings, Australia.
• 1992 – A 5.8 earthquake occurred in Cairo, Egypt. At least 510 died.
• 1994 – The Magellan spacecraft burns up in the atmosphere of Venus.
• 1994 – Iran Aseman Airlines Flight 746 crashes near Nantaz, Iran, killing all 66 people on board.
• 1996 – New Zealand holds its first general election under the new mixed-member proportional representation system, which led to Jim Bolger's National Party forming a coalition government with Winston Peters's New Zealand First.
• 1997 – The Sidi Daoud massacre in Algeria kills 43 people at a fake roadblock.
• 1998 – Matthew Shepard, a gay student at University of Wyoming, dies five days after he was beaten outside of Laramie.
• 1999 – Pervez Musharraf takes power in Pakistan from Nawaz Sharif through a bloodless coup.
• 1999 – The former Autonomous Soviet Republic of Abkhazia declares its independence from Georgia.
• 2005 – The second Chinese human spaceflight, Shenzhou 6, is launched, carrying two cosmonauts in orbit for five days.
• 2012 – The European Union wins the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize.
• 2017 – The United States announces its decision to withdraw from UNESCO. Israel immediately follows.
• 2018 – Princess Eugenie marries Jack Brooksbank at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.
• 2019 – Typhoon Hagibis makes landfall in Japan, killing 10 and forcing the evacuation of one million people.
• 2019 – Eliud Kipchoge from Kenya becomes the first person to run a marathon in less than two hours with a time of 1:59:40 in Vienna.

Births

Pre-1600

• 1008 – Go-Ichijō, emperor of Japan (d. 1036)
• 1240 – Trần Thánh Tông, emperor of Vietnam (then Đại Việt) (d. 1290)
• 1350 – Dmitri Donskoi, Grand Duke of Moscow (d. 1389)
• 1490 – Bernardo Pisano, Italian composer and priest (d. 1548)
• 1533 – Asakura Yoshikage, Japanese ruler (d. 1573)
• 1537 – Edward VI, king of England (d. 1553)
• 1555 – Peregrine Bertie, 13th Baron Willoughby de Eresby, English diplomat (d. 1601)
• 1558 – Maximilian III, archduke of Austria (d. 1618)
• 1576 – Thomas Dudley, English-American soldier and politician, 3rd Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony (d. 1653)

1601–1900

• 1602 – William Chillingworth, English scholar and theologian (d. 1644)
• 1614 – Henry More, English philosopher (d. 1687)
• 1687 – Sylvius Leopold Weiss, German lute player and composer (d. 1750)
• 1710 – Jonathan Trumbull, American colonel and politician, 16th Governor of Connecticut (d. 1785)
• 1725 – Étienne Louis Geoffroy, French pharmacist and entomologist (d. 1810)
• 1792 – Christian Gmelin, German chemist and pharmacist (d. 1860)
• 1798 – Pedro I, emperor of Brazil (d. 1834)
• 1801 – Friedrich Frey-Herosé, Swiss lawyer and politician, 5th President of the Swiss Confederation (d. 1873)
• 1815 – William J. Hardee, American general (d. 1873)
• 1838 – George Thorn, Australian politician, 6th Premier of Queensland (d. 1905)
• 1840 – Helena Modjeska, Polish-American actress (d. 1909)
• 1855 – Arthur Nikisch, Hungarian conductor and academic (d. 1922)
• 1860 – Elmer Ambrose Sperry, American engineer and businessman, co-invented the gyrocompass (d. 1930)
• 1864 – Kamini Roy, British India's first female graduate, Bengali poet, social activist, and feminist writer (d. 1933)
• 1865 – Arthur Harden, English biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1940)
• 1866 – Ramsay MacDonald, Scottish journalist and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1937)
• 1868 – August Horch, German engineer and businessman, founded Audi (d. 1951)
• 1868 – Mariano Trías, Filipino general and politician, 1st Vice President of the Philippines (d. 1914)
• 1872 – Ralph Vaughan Williams, English composer and educator (d. 1958)
• 1874 – Jimmy Burke, American baseball player and manager (d. 1942)
• 1875 – Aleister Crowley, English magician and author (d. 1947)
• 1878 – Truxtun Hare, American football player and hammer thrower (d. 1956)
• 1880 – Louis Hémon, French-Canadian author (d. 1913)
• 1880 – Kullervo Manner, Finnish Speaker of the Parliament, the Prime Minister of the FSWR and the Supreme Commander of the Red Guards (d. 1939)
• 1889 – Dietrich von Hildebrand, Germand Catholic philosopher and author (d. 1977)
• 1891 – Edith Stein, Polish nun and martyr; later canonized (d. 1942)
• 1891 – Fumimaro Konoe, Japanese soldier and politician, 39th Prime Minister of Japan (d. 1945)
• 1892 – Gilda dalla Rizza, Italian soprano and actress (d. 1975)
• 1893 – Velvalee Dickinson, American spy (d. 1980)
• 1894 – Elisabeth of Romania, queen consort of Greece (d. 1956)
• 1896 – Eugenio Montale, Italian poet and translator, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1981)

1901–present

• 1903 – Josephine Hutchinson, American actress (d. 1998)
• 1904 – Lester Dent, American journalist and author (d. 1959)
• 1904 – Anthony F. DePalma, American orthopedic surgeon and professor (d. 2005)
• 1904 – Ding Ling, Chinese author and educator (d. 1986)
• 1906 – Joe Cronin, American baseball player and manager (d. 1984)
• 1906 – John Murray, American playwright and producer (d. 1984)
• 1906 – Piero Taruffi, Italian race car driver and motorcycle racer (d. 1988)
• 1908 – Paul Engle, American novelist, poet, playwright, and critic (d. 1991)
• 1908 – Ann Petry, American novelist (d. 1997)
• 1909 – Dorothy Livesay, Canadian poet (d. 1996)
• 1910 – Robert Fitzgerald, American poet, critic, and translator (d. 1985)
• 1910 – Malcolm Renfrew, American chemist and academic (d. 2013)
• 1911 – Vijay Merchant, Indian cricketer (d. 1987)
• 1912 – Muhammad Shamsul Huq, Bangladeshi academic and former Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 2006)
• 1913 – Alice Chetwynd Ley, English author and educator (d. 2004)
• 1914 – John E. Hodge, African-American chemist (d. 1996)
• 1916 – Alice Childress, American actress and playwright (d. 1994)
• 1916 – Lock Martin, American actor (d. 1959)
• 1917 – Roque Máspoli, Uruguayan footballer and manager (d. 2004)
• 1919 – Gilles Beaudoin, Canadian politician, 34th Mayor of Trois-Rivières (d. 2007)
• 1919 – Doris Miller, American cook and soldier (d. 1943)
• 1920 – Christopher Soames, English politician and diplomat, Governor of Southern Rhodesia (d. 1987)
• 1921 – Art Clokey, American animator, producer, screenwriter, and voice actor, created Gumby (d. 2010)
• 1921 – Jaroslav Drobný, Czech-English tennis player and ice hockey player (d. 2001)
• 1921 – Logie Bruce Lockhart, Scottish rugby player and journalist (d. 2020)
• 1922 – William H. Sullivan, American soldier and diplomat, United States Ambassador to the Philippines (d. 2013)
• 1923 – Jean Nidetch, American businesswoman, co-founded Weight Watchers (d. 2015)
• 1923 – Goody Petronelli, American boxer, trainer, and manager (d. 2012)
• 1924 – Leonidas Kyrkos, Greek politician (d. 2011)
• 1925 – Denis Lazure, Canadian psychiatrist and politician (d. 2008)
• 1926 – Eliška Misáková, Czech gymnast (d. 1948)
• 1928 – Al Held, American painter and academic (d. 2005)
• 1928 – Domna Samiou, Greek singer and musicologist (d. 2012)
• 1929 – Nappy Brown, American R&B singer-songwriter (d. 2008)
• 1929 – Robert Coles, American psychologist, author, and academic
• 1929 – Magnus Magnusson, Icelandic journalist and academic (d. 2007)
• 1930 – Denis Brodeur, Canadian ice hockey player and photographer (d. 2013)
• 1930 – Milica Kacin Wohinz, Slovenian historian and author (d. 2021)
• 1931 – Ole-Johan Dahl, Norwegian computer scientist and academic, co-developed Simula (d. 2002)
• 1932 – Dick Gregory, American comedian, actor, and author (d. 2017)
• 1932 – Ned Jarrett, American race car driver and sportscaster
• 1933 – Guido Molinari, Canadian painter and art collector (d. 2004)
• 1934 – James "Sugar Boy" Crawford, American singer-songwriter and pianist (d. 2012)
• 1934 – Richard Meier, American architect, designed the Getty Center and City Tower
• 1934 – Albert Shiryaev, Russian mathematician and academic
• 1934 – Oğuz Atay, Turkish engineer and author (d. 1977)
• 1935 – Don Howe, English footballer and manager (d. 2015)
• 1935 – Tony Kubek, American baseball player and sportscaster
• 1935 – Sam Moore, American soul singer-songwriter
• 1935 – Shivraj Patil, Indian lawyer and politician, Indian Minister of Defence
• 1935 – Luciano Pavarotti, Italian tenor and actor (d. 2007)
• 1937 – Paul Hawkins, Australian race car driver (d. 1969)
• 1937 – Robert Mangold, American painter
• 1941 – Michael Mansfield, English lawyer, academic, and republican
• 1942 – Melvin Franklin, American soul bass singer (d. 1995)
• 1943 – Kostas Tsakonas, Greek actor (d. 2015)
• 1944 – Angela Rippon, English journalist and author
• 1945 – Aurore Clément, French actress
• 1945 – Dusty Rhodes, American wrestler (d. 2015)
• 1946 – Drew Edmondson, American politician
• 1946 – Ashok Mankad, Indian cricketer (d. 2008)
• 1946 – Daryl Runswick, English bassist and composer
• 1947 – Chris Wallace, American journalist
• 1948 – John Engler, American businessman and politician, 46th Governor of Michigan
• 1948 – Rick Parfitt, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2016)
• 1949 – Dave Lloyd, English cyclist and coach
• 1949 – Carlos the Jackal, Venezuelan terrorist
• 1949 – Barclay Shaw, American artist
• 1949 – Paul Went, English footballer and manager (d. 2017)
• 1950 – Susan Anton, American actress and model
• 1950 – Dave Freudenthal, American economist and politician, 31st Governor of Wyoming
• 1951 – Sally Little, South African-American golfer
• 1951 – Ed Royce, American businessman and politician
• 1951 – Norio Suzuki, Japanese golfer
• 1952 – Trevor Chappell, Australian cricketer and coach
• 1952 – Béla Csécsei, Hungarian educator and politician (d. 2012)
• 1952 – Roger Heath-Brown, English mathematician and theorist
• 1953 – Les Dennis, English comedian and actor
• 1953 – David Threlfall, English actor and director
• 1954 – Evalie A. Bradley, Anguillian politician and member of the House of Assembly of Anguilla
• 1954 – Massimo Ghini, Italian actor
• 1954 – Michael Roe, American singer, songwriter, and record producer
• 1954 – Linval Thompson, Jamaican singer and producer
• 1955 – Einar Jan Aas, Norwegian footballer
• 1955 – Pat DiNizio, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2017)
• 1955 – Ante Gotovina, Croatian general
• 1955 – Jane Siberry, Canadian singer-songwriter and producer
• 1956 – Rafael Ábalos, Spanish author
• 1956 – Allan Evans, Scottish footballer
• 1956 – Lutz Haueisen, German cyclist
• 1956 – Catherine Holmes, Australian judge
• 1956 – Gerti Schanderl, German figure skater
• 1956 – David Vanian, English singer-songwriter
• 1957 – Clémentine Célarié, French actress, singer, and director
• 1957 – Serge Clerc, French comic book artist and illustrator
• 1957 – Mike Dowler, Welsh football goalkeeper
• 1957 – Annik Honoré, Belgian journalist and music promoter (d. 2014)
• 1957 – William F. Laurance, Australian biologist
• 1958 – Steve Austria, American lawyer and politician
• 1958 – Maria de Fátima Silva de Sequeira Dias, Portuguese historian, author, and academic (d. 2013)
• 1958 – Jeff Keith, American rock singer-songwriter
• 1958 – Bryn Merrick, Welsh bass player (d. 2015)
• 1959 – Anna Escobedo Cabral, American lawyer and politician, 42nd Treasurer of the United States
• 1960 – Steve Lowery, American golfer
• 1960 – Carlo Perrone, Italian footballer and manager
• 1960 – Hiroyuki Sanada, Japanese actor and martial artist
• 1960 – Dorothee Vieth, German Paralympic cyclist
• 1961 – Chendo, Spanish footballer
• 1962 – Carlos Bernard, American actor and director
• 1962 – Michelle Botes, South African actress
• 1962 – Chris Botti, American trumpet player and composer
• 1962 – John Coleman, English footballer and manager
• 1962 – Branko Crvenkovski, Macedonian engineer and politician, 3rd President of the Republic of Macedonia
• 1962 – Deborah Foreman, American actress and photographer
• 1962 – Mads Eriksen, Norwegian guitarist and composer
• 1963 – Raimond Aumann, German footballer
• 1963 – Hideki Fujisawa, Japanese composer
• 1963 – Satoshi Kon, Japanese animator and screenwriter (d. 2010)
• 1963 – Dave Legeno, English actor and mixed martial artist (d. 2014)
• 1963 – Alan McDonald, Irish footballer and manager (d. 2012)
• 1963 – Luis Polonia, Dominican baseball player
• 1965 – Dan Abnett, English author
• 1965 – Chris Chandler, American football player
• 1965 – J. J. Daigneault, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
• 1965 – Scott O'Grady, American captain and pilot
• 1966 – Jonathan Crombie, Canadian actor and voice over artist (d. 2015)
• 1966 – Wim Jonk, Dutch footballer
• 1966 – Brian Kennedy, Northern Irish singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1966 – Brenda Romero, American game designer
• 1967 – Becky Iverson, American golfer
• 1968 – Bill Auberlen, American race car driver
• 1968 – Paul Harragon, Australian rugby league player and sportscaster
• 1968 – Hugh Jackman, Australian actor, singer, and producer
• 1968 – Leon Lett, American football player
• 1968 – Adam Rich, American actor (d. 2023)
• 1969 – Martie Maguire, American singer-songwriter, violinist, and producer
• 1969 – Željko Milinovič, Slovenian footballer
• 1969 – Dwayne Roloson, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
• 1969 – José Valentín, American baseball player, coach, and manager
• 1970 – Kirk Cameron, American actor, screenwriter, and Christian evangelical/anti-evolution activist
• 1970 – Patrick Musimu, Belgian diver and physiotherapist (d. 2011)
• 1970 – Tanyon Sturtze, American baseball player
• 1970 – Charlie Ward, American basketball player and coach
• 1971 – Tony Fiore, American baseball player
• 1971 – Steve Johnston, Australian motorcycle racer
• 1971 – Bronzell Miller, American football player and actor (d. 2013)
• 1972 – Juan Manuel Silva, Argentinian race car driver
• 1972 – Tom Van Mol, Belgian footballer
• 1973 – Lesli Brea, Dominican baseball player
• 1973 – Martin Corry, English rugby player
• 1974 – Stephen Lee, English snooker player
• 1975 – Susana Félix, Portuguese singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
• 1975 – Marion Jones, American basketball player and runner
• 1975 – Randy Robitaille, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1976 – Simon Bridges, New Zealand politician
• 1977 – Cristie Kerr, American golfer
• 1977 – Bode Miller, American skier
• 1977 – Javier Toyo, Venezuelan footballer
• 1978 – Stefan Binder, German footballer
• 1978 – Baden Cooke, Australian cyclist
• 1978 – Marko Jarić, Serbian basketball player
• 1979 – Steven Agnew, Northern Irish politician
• 1979 – Steve Borthwick, English rugby player
• 1979 – Jordan Pundik, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1980 – Ledley King, English footballer
• 1980 – Ann Wauters, Belgian basketball player
• 1981 – Tom Guiry, American actor
• 1981 – Marcel Hossa, Slovak ice hockey player
• 1981 – Brian Kerr, Scottish footballer and manager
• 1981 – Giuseppe Lanzone, American rower
• 1981 – Brian J. Smith, American actor
• 1981 – Conrad Smith, New Zealand rugby player
• 1981 – Sun Tiantian, Chinese tennis player
• 1983 – Alex Brosque, Australian footballer
• 1983 – Carlton Cole, English footballer
• 1983 – Katie Piper, English philanthropist and broadcaster
• 1983 – Mariko Yamamoto, Japanese cricketer
• 1985 – Michelle Carter, American shot putter
• 1985 – Mike Green, Canadian hockey player
• 1985 – Anna Iljuštšenko, Estonian high jumper
• 1985 – Greig Laidlaw, Scottish rugby player
• 1985 – Carl Söderberg, Swedish ice hockey player
• 1986 – Ioannis Maniatis, Greek footballer
• 1986 – Sergio Peter, German footballer
• 1986 – Tyler Blackburn, American actor
• 1987 – Marvin Ogunjimi, Belgian footballer
• 1988 – Sam Whitelock, New Zealand rugby player
• 1988 – Calum Scott, British singer
• 1989 – Anna Ohmiya, Japanese curler
• 1990 – Henri Lansbury, English footballer
• 1991 – Nicolao Dumitru, Italian footballer
• 1992 – Josh Hutcherson, American actor and producer
• 1993 – Ketel Marte, Dominican baseball player
• 1994 – Sean Monahan, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1994 – Olivia Smoliga, American swimmer
• 1995 – Jessica Hogg, Welsh artistic gymnast
• 1996 – James Graham, British singer
• 1996 – Owen Watkin, Welsh rugby player
• 1997 – Curtis Scott, Australian rugby league player
• 1999 – Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Irish actor and musician
• 2002 – Iris Apatow, American actress
• 2004 – Darci Lynne, American ventriloquist

Deaths

Pre-1600

• 322 BC – Demosthenes, Athenian statesman, (b. 384 BC)
• 638 – Honorius I, pope of the Catholic Church
• 642 – John IV, pope of the Catholic Church
• 884 – Tsunesada, Japanese prince (b. 825)
• 974 – Al-Muti, Abbasid caliph (b. 913/14)
• 1095 – Leopold II, margrave of Austria (b. 1050)
• 1152 – Adolf III of Berg, German nobleman (b. 1080)
• 1176 – William d'Aubigny, 1st Earl of Arundel, English politician (b. 1109)
• 1320 – Michael IX Palaiologos, Byzantine emperor (b. 1277)
• 1328 – Clementia of Hungary, queen consort of France and Navarre (b. 1293)
• 1448 – Zhu Quan, Chinese prince, historian and playwright (b. 1378)
• 1491 – Fritz Herlen, German painter (b. 1449)
• 1492 – Piero della Francesca, Italian mathematician and painter (b. 1415)
• 1565 – Jean Ribault, French-American lieutenant and navigator (b. 1520)
• 1576 – Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1527)
• 1590 – Kanō Eitoku, Japanese painter and educator (b. 1543)
• 1600 – Luis de Molina, Spanish priest and philosopher (b. 1535)

1601–1900

• 1601 – Nicholas Brend, English landowner (b. 1560)
• 1632 – Kutsuki Mototsuna, Japanese commander (b. 1549)
• 1646 – François de Bassompierre, French general and courtier (b. 1579)
• 1654 – Carel Fabritius, Dutch painter (b. 1622)
• 1678 – Edmund Berry Godfrey, English lawyer and judge (b. 1621)
• 1679 – William Gurnall, English minister, theologian, and author (b. 1617)
• 1685 – Christoph Ignaz Abele, Austrian lawyer and jurist (b. 1628)
• 1730 – Frederick IV, king of Denmark and Norway (b. 1671)
• 1758 – Richard Molesworth, 3rd Viscount Molesworth, Irish field marshal and politician (b. 1680)
• 1812 – Juan José Castelli, Argentinian lawyer and politician (b. 1764)
• 1828 – Ioan Nicolidi of Pindus, Aromanian physician and noble (b. 1737)
• 1845 – Elizabeth Fry, English prison reformer, Quaker and philanthropist (b. 1780)
• 1858 – Hiroshige, Japanese painter (b. 1797)
• 1870 – Robert E. Lee, American general (b. 1807)
• 1875 – Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, French sculptor and painter (b. 1827)
• 1896 – Christian Emil Krag-Juel-Vind-Frijs, Danish lawyer and politician, 9th Council President of Denmark (b. 1817)
• 1898 – Calvin Fairbank, American minister and activist (b. 1816)

1901–present

• 1914 – Margaret E. Knight, American inventor (b. 1838)
• 1915 – Edith Cavell, English nurse (b. 1865)
• 1923 – Bunny Lucas, English cricketer (b. 1857)
• 1924 – Anatole France, French journalist, novelist, and poet, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1844)
• 1926 – Edwin Abbott Abbott, English theologian and author (b. 1838)
• 1933 – John Lister, English philanthropist and politician (b. 1847)
• 1940 – Tom Mix, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1880)
• 1946 – Joseph Stilwell, American general (b. 1883)
• 1948 – Susan Sutherland Isaacs, English psychologist and psychoanalyst (b. 1885)
• 1954 – George Welch, American soldier and pilot (b. 1918)
• 1956 – Lorenzo Perosi, Italian composer and painter (b. 1872)
• 1957 – Arie de Jong, Indonesian-Dutch linguist and physician (b. 1865)
• 1958 – Gordon Griffith, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1907)
• 1960 – Inejiro Asanuma, Japanese lawyer and politician (b. 1898)
• 1965 – Paul Hermann Müller, Swiss chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1899)
• 1967 – Ram Manohar Lohia, Indian activist and politician (b. 1910)
• 1969 – Sonja Henie, Norwegian figure skater and actress (b. 1912)
• 1969 – Serge Poliakoff, Russian-French painter and academic (b. 1906)
• 1969 – Julius Saaristo, Finnish javelin thrower and soldier (b. 1891)
• 1970 – Feodor Stepanovich Rojankovsky, Russian-American illustrator and painter (b. 1891)
• 1970 – Mustafa Zaidi, Pakistani poet and academic (b. 1930)
• 1971 – Dean Acheson, American lawyer and politician, 51st United States Secretary of State (b. 1893)
• 1971 – Gene Vincent, American musician (b. 1935)
• 1972 – Robert Le Vigan, French-Argentinian actor and politician (b. 1900)
• 1973 – Peter Aufschnaiter, Austrian mountaineer, geographer, and cartographer (b. 1899)
• 1978 – Nancy Spungen, American figure of the 1970s punk rock scene (b. 1958)
• 1984 – Anthony Berry, English politician (b. 1925)
• 1985 – Johnny Olson, American radio host and game show announcer (b. 1910)
• 1985 – Ricky Wilson, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1953)
• 1987 – Alf Landon, American lieutenant and politician, 26th Governor of Kansas (b. 1887)
• 1987 – Fahri Korutürk, Turkish commander and politician, 6th President of Turkey (b. 1903)
• 1988 – Ruth Manning-Sanders, Welsh-English poet and author (b. 1886)
• 1988 – Coby Whitmore, American painter and illustrator (b. 1913)
• 1989 – Jay Ward, American animator, producer, and screenwriter, founded Jay Ward Productions (b. 1920)
• 1990 – Rifaat el-Mahgoub, Egyptian politician (b. 1926)
• 1990 – Peter Wessel Zapffe, Norwegian physician, mountaineer, and author (b. 1899)
• 1991 – Sheila Florance, Australian actress (b. 1916)
• 1991 – Arkady Strugatsky, Russian author and translator (b. 1925)
• 1991 – Regis Toomey, American actor (b. 1898)
• 1993 – Leon Ames, American actor (b. 1902)
• 1994 – Gérald Godin, Canadian journalist and politician (b. 1938)
• 1996 – René Lacoste, French tennis player and fashion designer, co-founded Lacoste (b. 1904)
• 1996 – Roger Lapébie, French cyclist (b. 1911)
• 1997 – John Denver, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor (b. 1943)
• 1998 – Mario Beaulieu, Canadian lawyer and politician (b. 1930)
• 1999 – Wilt Chamberlain, American basketball player and coach (b. 1936)
• 1999 – Robert Marsden Hope, Australian lawyer and judge (b. 1919)
• 2001 – Quintin Hogg, Baron Hailsham of St Marylebone, English academic and politician, Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain (b. 1907)
• 2001 – Hikmet Şimşek, Turkish conductor (b. 1924)
• 2001 – Richard Buckle, Ballet critic and writer (b. 1916)
• 2002 – Ray Conniff, American bandleader and composer (b. 1916)
• 2002 – Audrey Mestre, French biologist and diver (b. 1974)
• 2003 – Jim Cairns, Australian economist and politician, 4th Deputy Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1914)
• 2003 – Joan Kroc, American philanthropist (b. 1928)
• 2003 – Bill Shoemaker, American jockey (b. 1931)
• 2005 – C. Delores Tucker, American activist and politician (b. 1927)
• 2006 – Angelika Machinek, German glider pilot (b. 1956)
• 2006. – Eugène Martin, French race car driver (b. 1915)
• 2006 – Gillo Pontecorvo, Italian director and screenwriter (b. 1919)
• 2007 – Kisho Kurokawa, Japanese architect, designed the Nakagin Capsule Tower (b. 1934)
• 2008 – Karl Chircop, Maltese physician and politician (b. 1965)
• 2009 – Dickie Peterson American singer-songwriter and bass player (b. 1948)
• 2009 – Frank Vandenbroucke, Belgian cyclist (b. 1974)
• 2010 – Austin Ardill, Northern Irish soldier and politician (b. 1917)
• 2010 – Woody Peoples, American football player (b. 1943)
• 2010 – Belva Plain, American author (b. 1919)
• 2011 – Patricia Breslin, American actress (b. 1931)
• 2011 – Dennis Ritchie, American computer scientist, created the C programming language (b. 1941)
• 2012 – James Coyne, Canadian lawyer and banker, 2nd Governor of the Bank of Canada (b. 1910)
• 2012 – Norm Grabowski, American hot rod builder and actor (b. 1933)
• 2012 – Sukhdev Singh Kang, Indian judge and politician, 14th Governor of Kerala (b. 1931)
• 2012 – Torkom Manoogian, Iraqi-Armenian patriarch (b. 1919)
• 2012 – Erik Moseholm, Danish bassist, composer, and bandleader (b. 1930)
• 2012 – Břetislav Pojar, Czech animator, director, and screenwriter (b. 1923)
• 2013 – George Herbig, American astronomer and academic (b. 1920)
• 2013 – Oscar Hijuelos, American author and academic (b. 1951)
• 2013 – Hans Wilhelm Longva, Norwegian diplomat (b. 1942)
• 2013 – Malcolm Renfrew, American chemist and academic (b. 1910)
• 2014 – Ali Mazrui, Kenyan-American political scientist, philosopher, and academic (b. 1933)
• 2014 – Graham Miles, English snooker player (b. 1941)
• 2014 – Roberto Telch, Argentinian footballer and coach (b. 1943)
• 2015 – Abdallah Kigoda, Tanzanian politician, 8th Tanzanian Minister of Industry and Trade (b. 1953)
• 2015 – Joan Leslie, American actress, dancer, and vaudevillian (b. 1925)
• 2017 – Margarita D'Amico, Venezuelan journalist (b. 1938)
• 2020 – Conchata Ferrell, American actress (b. 1943)
• 2020 – Roberta McCain, American socialite and oil heiress (b. 1912)

Holidays and observances

• Christian feast day:
  • Blessed Louis Brisson
  • Edith Cavell and Elizabeth Fry (Church of England)
  • Fiacc
  • Our Lady of the Pillar (Fiestas del Pilar)
  • Our Lady of Aparecida
  • Radim Gaudentius (Czech Republic)
  • Seraphin of Montegranaro
  • Wilfrid of Ripon
  • Carlo Acutis
  • October 12 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
• Children's Day (Brazil)
• Discovery of America by Columbus-related observances (see also October 8):
  • Columbus Day (Honduras)
  • Día de la Hispanidad or Fiesta Nacional de España, also Armed Forces Day (Spain)
  • Día de la Raza (El Salvador, Uruguay)
  • Día de la Resistencia Indígena, "Day of Indigenous Resistance" (Venezuela)
  • Día de las Américas (Belize)
  • Día de las Culturas, "Day of the Cultures" (Costa Rica)
  • Día del Respeto a la Diversidad Cultural, "Day of respect for cultural diversity" (Argentina)
• Discovery Day (The Bahamas, Colombia)
• Feast for Life of Aleister Crowley, celebrated as "Crowleymas" (Thelema)
• Fiesta Nacional de España (Spain)
• Freethought Day
• Hafez Day (Iran) 1
• Independence Day (Equatorial Guinea), celebrates the independence of Equatorial Guinea from Spain in 1968.
• International Day Against DRM

See also

In Spanish: 12 de octubre para niños