François Hollande
b. 1954
French lawyer and politician, 24th President of France
On This Day · The 224th day of the year
August 12
August 12 carries 10 recorded events spanning between 1492 and 2021. Christopher Columbus arrives in the Canary Islands on his first voyage to the New World.
Compiled & reviewed by Roman Tailor · Last reviewed July 13, 2026
What happened on August 12?
August 12 is the 224th day of the year. It marks 10 notable events in history, dated between 1492 and 2021. Famous people born on August 12 include François Hollande, Djibril Cissé and Erwin Schrödinger.
The shape of the day
August 12's record stretches 529 years, from 1492 to 2021. Its center of gravity is the 20th century, and conflict is a recurring thread.
Leo is the sign for August 12 — read more on the Leo page, or see August's birthstone & birth flower.
Released on August 12
Movies, games, albums & shows2026
- Movie The End of Oak Street
2025
- Game Abyssus
- Game Echoes of the End
2021
- Game Foreclosed
- Game Naraka: Bladepoint
Release data from TMDB & IGDB.
Events
10 notable moments- 1492
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus arrives in the Canary Islands on his first voyage to the New World.
- 1793
Rhône (department)
The Rhône and Loire départments are created when the former département of Rhône-et-Loire is split into two.
- 1883
Quagga
The last quagga dies at the Natura Artis Magistra, a zoo in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
- 1914
World War I
World War I: France, the United Kingdom and the British Empire declare war on Austria-Hungary.
- 1944
Nazi Germany
Nazi German troops end the week-long Wola massacre, during which time at least 40,000 people are killed indiscriminately or in mass executions.
- 1950
Korean War
Korean War: Bloody Gulch massacre: Seventy-five American POWs are massacred by the North Korean Army.
- 1952
Night of the Murdered Poets
The Night of the Murdered Poets: Thirteen prominent Jewish intellectuals are murdered in Moscow, Russia, Soviet Union.
- 1964
South Africa
South Africa is banned from the Olympic Games due to the country's racist policies.
- 1985
Japan Air Lines Flight 123
Japan Air Lines Flight 123, a Boeing 747, crashes into Osutaka ridge in Gunma Prefecture, Japan, killing 520, becoming the worst single-plane air disaster.
- 2021
Plymouth
Six people, five victims and the perpetrator are killed in Keyham, Plymouth in the worst mass shooting in the UK since 2010.
Famous birthday twins
Born on August 12Djibril Cissé
b. 1981
French footballer
Erwin Schrödinger
b. 1887
Austrian physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
Pete Sampras
b. 1971
American tennis player
Danny Graham (footballer)
b. 1985
English footballer
Tom Cleverley
b. 1989
English footballer
Dorothy E. Denning
b. 1945
American computer scientist and academic
George Soros
b. 1930
Hungarian-American businessman and investor, founded the Soros Fund Management
Deaths
- 1982Henry Fonda
- 1955Thomas Mann
- 1827William Blake
- 1612Giovanni Gabrieli
- 1424Yongle Emperor
- -30Cleopatra
Holidays & observances
- —Christian feast day: Euplius
- —Christian feast day: Eusebius of Milan
- —Christian feast day: Herculanus of Brescia
- —Christian feast day: Pope Innocent XI
- —Christian feast day: Jænberht
- —Christian feast day: Jane Frances de Chantal
- —Christian feast day: Muiredach (or Murtagh)
- —Christian feast day: Porcarius II
Historical facts, event summaries, and biographical lines above are adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) license. DateLore adds curation, structure, and original editorial commentary. DateLore is not affiliated with the Wikimedia Foundation.
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