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May 12: Facts & Historical Events On This Day

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Facts & Historic Events That Happened on May 12

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May 12th is the day we officially celebrate Nutty Fudge Day and Limerick Day.

Welcome to the 133rd day of the year! We’re gradually getting through the year, but we still have another 233 days left in 2024.

May 12 has a special place in history for advancing humankind, but was also a tragic day that suffered war and devastating disasters. Here you can find interesting facts and historical events that happened on this day.

Did you know that on this day in 1902, 140,000 miners went on strike in Pennsylvania? The miners received a 10% raise and work day reduction from 10 to 9 hours a day.

Keep reading for more fun & interesting facts about May 12th in history!

Events

What memorable events happened on May 12 in history? Keep reading to find out!

2008

More than 69,000 people lost their lives to a magnitude 8.0 earthquake in Sichuan, China.

1982

Juan María Fernández y Krohn tried to assassinate Pope John Paul II with a bayonet.

1978

The US Commerce Department decided that hurricane names would no longer be only female.

OTD in 1978: The US Commerce Department decided that hurricane names would no longer be only female.

1967

The first-ever quadraphonic concert was held.

When Pink Floyd performed the Games for May concert in London, they were the first to perform a quadraphonic concert. Some effects included band members chopping up wood on stage and a bubble machine.

1967

Jimi Hendrix released “Are You Experienced,” which is considered one of the most influential debut albums ever.

OTD in 1967: Jimi Hendrix released "Are You Experienced

1965

The Soviet Union’s Luna 5 uncrewed spacecraft crash-landed on the Moon.

Luna 5’s launch on May 9, 1965, went off about as smoothly as Soviet spacecraft launches could at the time, and there were high hopes for it to become the first spacecraft in history to make a soft landing on the Moon. Failures in its guidance system during flight and errors from the ground team during landing led to Luna 5 becoming the second Soviet spacecraft to impact the Moon’s surface.

1958

The United States and Canada formed NORAD – the North American Air Defense Command.

1926

The first confirmed trip to the North Pole was carried out by the Norge, a semi-rigid Italian-built airship.

1921

National Hospital Day was first observed.

OTD in 1921: National Hospital Day was first observed.

Originally starting as a one-day holiday, National Hospital Day turned into a week-long holiday to educate the public about medical care. The original day was celebrated on what would have been Florence Nightingale’s 101st birthday.

1908

After encountering many difficulties, Nathan Stubblefield was finally granted a US patent for his new version of a wireless telephone.

1902

One hundred and forty thousand miners went on strike in Pennsylvania.

OTD in 1902: One hundred and forty thousand miners went on strike in Pennsylvania.

They went on strike for higher wages, shorter workdays, and the recognition of their union.

1890

The first-ever cricket County Championship started, finishing with Yorkshire beating Gloucestershire.

1789

Revolutionary War soldiers formed the Society of St. Tammany.

The Society of St. Tammany went on to become a powerful Democratic Party that controlled New York City and state politics. The group went defunct in the 1960s after bribery in the group was exposed.

1551

The first university in the New World, the National University of San Marcos, was founded in Lima, Peru.

At its founding, the university was simply called The University of Lima and was entirely run by Dominican friars. So not only was it the first university to be officially opened in the Americas, but it’s also the oldest continuously running university there too!

Famous Births

Is today your birthday? If so, you share the same birthday with Tony Hawk. Here are a few other famous people born on this day.

1968

Tony Hawk

American

Skateboarder

Tony Hawk

Age:

56 years old

Born In:

California, USA

1981

Rami Malek

American

Actor

Rami Malek

Age:

43 years old

Born In:

California, USA

1992

Malcolm David Kelley

American

Rapper

Malcolm David Kelley

Age:

32 years old

Born In:

California, USA

1966

Stephen Baldwin

American

Actor

Stephen Baldwin

Age:

58 years old

Born In:

New York, USA

Quotes

Every day brings a new quote – here are the most renowned quotes spoken or written on May 12th in history.

1904

There are so many things some old man should tell one about while one is little; for when one has grown up, knowing them would be a matter of course.

Rainer Maria Rilke

Rainer Maria Rilke

Austrian Poet

Special Holidays

If you’re looking to try something new today, here are some special holidays that might just give you an idea.

May 12: National Nutty Fudge Day
United States

National Nutty Fudge Day

Yeah, alright, so fudge is pretty good, but have you ever stuffed yourself full of nutty fudge before? National Nutty Fudge Day was created to celebrate this deliciously enhanced fudge, and there’s no more perfect way to celebrate it than to try to make some yourself!

May 12: National Limerick Day
United States

National Limerick Day

Limerick Day was created in honor of limericks and also celebrates the birthday of English poet Edward Lear, who helped popularize them. Celebrate today by reading some of Edward Lear’s books, like the Book of Nonsense, or try writing your own limerick!

THe Fact Site’s

Fun Fact Of The Day

There is a statue of Tesla in Silicon Valley that radiates free Wi-Fi. It was done as an homage to his vision for wireless communication.

Birthday & Zodiac

If you were born on May 12th, your zodiac sign is Taurus.

Taurus is the second astrological sign in the modern zodiac. It’s an earth sign represented by the bull.

All those born in May have the Emerald birthstone. The emerald has always been a highly treasured gemstone. The ancient Romans believed Emerald represented Venus, the Goddess of beauty and love.

People born on May 12 were likely conceived on or around August 19 in the previous year.

A baby conceived on May 12th, 2024, will likely be due around February 2nd, 2025.

Fact Check

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