Date·Lore

On This Day · The 43rd day of the year

February 12

February 12 carries 10 recorded events spanning between 1502 and 2019. Isabella I issues an edict outlawing Islam in the Crown of Castile, forcing virtually all her Muslim subjects to convert to Christianity.

♒ZodiacAquarius ◈BirthstoneAmethyst ❀Birth flowerViolet

Compiled & reviewed by · Last reviewed July 13, 2026

What happened on February 12?

February 12 is the 43rd day of the year. It marks 10 notable events in history, dated between 1502 and 2019. Famous people born on February 12 include Abraham Lincoln, Charles Darwin and Tara Strong.

The shape of the day

From 1502 to 2019, February 12 gathers 517 years of history. Most of the weight falls in the 20th century, where disaster looms large.

Aquarius is the sign for February 12 — read more on the Aquarius page, or see February's birthstone & birth flower.

Released on February 12

Movies, games, albums & shows

2026

  • Game Mario Tennis Fever
  • Game ChromaGun 2: Dye Hard
  • Game Ride 6
  • Game God of War Sons of Sparta
  • TV The One I Love
  • Movie War Machine
  • Movie ¿Quieres ser mi novia?

2025

  • Game Urban Myth Dissolution Center

Release data from TMDB & IGDB.

Events

10 notable moments
  1. 1502

    Isabella I of Castile

    Isabella I issues an edict outlawing Islam in the Crown of Castile, forcing virtually all her Muslim subjects to convert to Christianity.

  2. 1817

    Argentina

    An Argentine/Chilean patriotic army, after crossing the Andes, defeats Spanish troops at the Battle of Chacabuco.

  3. 1832

    Ecuador

    Ecuador annexes the Galápagos Islands.

  4. 1909

    SS Penguin

    New Zealand's worst maritime disaster of the 20th century happens when the SS Penguin, an inter-island ferry, sinks and explodes at the entrance to Wellington Harbour.

  5. 1935

    USS Macon (ZRS-5)

    USS Macon, one of the two largest helium-filled airships ever created, crashes into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California and sinks.

  6. 1945

    Tornado outbreak of February 12, 1945

    A devastating tornado outbreak in Mississippi and Alabama kills 45 people and injures 427 others.

  7. 1946

    World War II

    World War II: Operation Deadlight ends after scuttling 121 of 154 captured U-boats.

  8. 1993

    Murder of James Bulger

    Two-year-old James Bulger is abducted from New Strand Shopping Centre by two ten-year-old boys, who later torture and murder him.

  9. 2004

    San Francisco

    The city of San Francisco begins issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in response to a directive from Mayor Gavin Newsom.

  10. 2019

    North Macedonia

    The country known as the Republic of Macedonia renames itself the Republic of North Macedonia in accordance with the Prespa agreement, settling a long-standing naming dispute with Greece.

Famous birthday twins

Born on February 12

Abraham Lincoln

b. 1809

American lawyer and statesman, 16th President of the United States

Charles Darwin

b. 1809

English naturalist, geologist, biologist and theorist

Tara Strong

b. 1973

Canadian-American voice actress and singer

Angelo Branduardi

b. 1950

Italian singer-songwriter and guitarist

13th Dalai Lama

b. 1876

Spiritual leader of Tibet from 1879 to 1933

Lou Andreas-Salomé

b. 1861

Russian-German psychoanalyst and author

Josh Brolin

b. 1968

American actor

Deaths

  • 2011Peter Alexander (Austrian performer)
  • 1989Thomas Bernhard
  • 1979Jean Renoir
  • 1804Immanuel Kant
  • 1771Adolf Frederick of Sweden
  • 1763Pierre de Marivaux

Holidays & observances

  • —Christian feast day: Benedict of Aniane
  • —Christian feast day: Julian the Hospitaller
  • —Christian feast day: Martyrs of Abitinae
  • —Christian feast day: Meletius of Antioch
  • —Christian feast day: February 12 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • —Georgia Day (Georgia (U.S. state))
  • —Lincoln's Birthday (United States)
  • —Red Hand Day (United Nations)

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.

About the author

Roman Tailor compiles and reviews every date on DateLore. He's the writer and editor behind the site's editorial essays and the day-by-day almanac. Corrections and questions are welcome — read more about DateLore or get in touch.

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