On This Day - What Happened On July 12 | Britannica

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1984 Geraldine Ferraro designated running mate of Walter Mondale Democratic presidential candidate Walter F. Mondale put forward Geraldine Ferraro as his running mate on this day in 1984, making her the first woman ever nominated for vice president by a major U.S. political party. Test your knowledge of famous firsts for women PhotoQuest—Archive Photos/Getty Images

Featured Biography

Desiderius Erasmus Dutch humanist bornOctober 27, 1469Rotterdam, NetherlandsdiedJuly 12, 1536 (aged 66)Basel, SwitzerlandUniversal History Archive—Universal Images Group/Getty Images 1997 Malala Yousafzai Pakistani activist 1937 Bill Cosby American entertainer and producer 1904 Pablo Neruda Chilean poet 1895 R. Buckminster Fuller American engineer, architect, and futurist 1817 Henry David Thoreau American writer See All Biographies On This Day

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2005 Prince Albert II, the only son of Prince Rainier III and Grace Kelly, formally assumed the throne of Monaco. Take our quiz about kings and emperors© Featureflash Photo Agency/Shutterstock.com 1979 Between games of a baseball doubleheader between the Chicago White Sox and the Detroit Tigers at Comiskey Park, a crate of disco records was blown up as part of a promotion dubbed Disco Demolition Night. Fans rushed the field, and, as a result of the ensuing mayhem, the second game was forfeited to the Tigers. Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about Chicago history© Album/Alamy 1976 The television quiz show Family Feud began airing on ABC, and it became hugely popular, in part because of the personal charm and witty banter of host Richard Dawson. The show continued—with different hosts, including Steve Harvey—into the 21st century. Sort fact from fiction in our pop culture quizAlex J. Berliner—ABImages/AP Images 1975 The island nation of Sao Tome and Principe was granted independence from Portugal. Test your knowledge of islandsEncyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 1962 Iconic British rock band the Rolling Stones performed their first show, billed as the Rollin' Stones, at a club in London. Take our quiz about rock and roll© Terry O'Neill—REX/Shutterstock.com 1920 The independent republic of Lithuania, having successfully expelled invading Soviet troops, signed a peace treaty with Russia. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 1904 Chilean poet, diplomat, and politician Pablo Neruda, perhaps the most important Latin American poet of the 20th century and the winner of the 1971 Nobel Prize for Literature, was born in Parral. Sort fact from fiction in our poetry quizCamera Press/Globe Photos 1884 Italian painter and sculptor Amedeo Modigliani, whose portraits are among the most important of the 20th century, was born. Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about artists and paintersCourtesy of the Museu de Arte Contemporânea da Universidade de São Paulo, gift of Mr. Francisco Matarazzo Sobrinho and Mrs. Yolanda Penteado; photograph, Gerson Zanini 1862 The Medal of Honor, awarded for battlefield bravery, was created for the U.S. Army. Take our military history buff quizU.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs 1543 King Henry VIII of England wed his sixth and last wife, Catherine Parr. How much do you know about Henry VIII and his wives?Historic Collection/Alamy SIGN UP FOR History's Biggest Headlines Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors. SIGN UP Thanks for signing up for Today in History. Your first newsletter will arrive soon! SIGN UP By clicking "Sign Up" you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.