✦ DateLore

On This Day · The 71st day of the year

March 12

A look at March 12 through the almanac — historic events, famous birthdays including Mitt Romney and Liza Minnelli, and the day's notable deaths and observances.

♓ZodiacPisces ◈BirthstoneAquamarine ❀Birth flowerDaffodil
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Events

10 notable moments
  1. 2020

    United States

    The United States suspends travel from Europe due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Country primarily in North
  2. 2014

    2014 East Harlem gas explosion

    A gas explosion in the New York City neighborhood of East Harlem kills eight and injures 70 others.

    Explosion caused by gas
  3. 1993

    North Korea

    North Korea announces that it will withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and refuses to allow inspectors access to its nuclear sites.

    Country in East Asia
  4. 1989

    Tim Berners-Lee

    Tim Berners-Lee submits his proposal to CERN for an information management system, which subsequently develops into the World Wide Web.

    English computer scientist (born
  5. 1967

    Suharto

    Suharto takes power from Sukarno when the Provisional People's Consultative Assembly inaugurate him as Acting President of Indonesia.

    President of Indonesia from
  6. 1947

    Cold War

    Cold War: The Truman Doctrine is proclaimed to help stem the spread of Communism.

    1947–1991 geopolitical rivalry between
  7. 1930

    Mahatma Gandhi

    Mahatma Gandhi begins the Salt March, a 200-mile (320 km) march to the sea to protest the British monopoly on salt in India.

    Indian independence activist (1869–1948)
  8. 1928

    California

    In California, the St. Francis Dam fails; the resulting floods kill 431 people.

    U.S. state
  9. 1913

    Australia

    The future capital of Australia is officially named Canberra.

    Country in Oceania
  10. 1622

    Ignatius of Loyola

    Ignatius of Loyola and Francis Xavier, founders of the Society of Jesus, are canonized by the Roman Catholic Church.

    Basque Spaniard Catholic priest
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Famous birthday twins

Born on March 12

Mitt Romney

b. 1947

American businessman and politician, 70th Governor of Massachusetts

Liza Minnelli

b. 1946

American actress, singer and dancer

Takashi Shimura

b. 1905

Japanese actor

Hans Knappertsbusch

b. 1888

German conductor

Gustav Kirchhoff

b. 1824

Russian-German physicist and academic

Peter Harry Carstensen

b. 1947

German educator and politician

Sebastian Brendel

b. 1988

German canoe racer

Tim Wieskötter

b. 1979

German sprint canoer

Deaths

  • 2015Terry Pratchett, English journalist, author, and screenwriter
  • 2014José Policarpo, Portuguese cardinal
  • 1957Josephine Hull, American actress
  • 1954Marianne Weber, German sociologist and suffragist
  • 1925Sun Yat-sen, Chinese physician and politician, 1st President of the Republic of China
  • 604Pope Gregory I, pope of the Catholic Church

Holidays & observances

  • —Arbor Day (China)
  • —Arbor Day (Taiwan)
  • —Aztec New Year
  • —Christian feast day: Alphege
  • —Christian feast day: Angela Salawa
  • —Christian feast day: Bernard of Carinola (or of Capua)
  • —Christian feast day: Gorgonius, Peter Cubicularius and Dorotheus of Nicomedia
  • —Christian feast day: Mura (McFeredach)

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