On This Day - What Happened On June 12 - Encyclopedia Britannica

Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos A Britannica Newsletter Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors. SIGN UP ADD TO YOUR INBOX Thanks for signing up for Today in History. Your first newsletter will arrive soon! By clicking "Add To Your Inbox"tapping "Sign Up" you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Home On This Day TODAY IN HISTORY June 12 What Happened On Your Bday? Go to Today's Date

Featured Event

1991 Election of Boris Yeltsin On this day in 1991, Boris Yeltsin became the first popularly elected leader of Russia (then part of the Soviet Union). He remained president of Russia as it transitioned to an independent state until he resigned on the last day of 1999. Find out why the Soviet Union collapsed © mark reinstein/Shutterstock.com

Featured Biography

Anne Frank German diarist bornJune 12, 1929Frankfurt am Main, GermanydiedFebruary 1945 or March 1945 (aged 15)Bergen-Belsen or near Hannover, Germany© AKG London/SuperStock 1941 Chick Corea American musician 1929 Anne Frank German diarist 1924 George H.W. Bush president of United States 1915 David Rockefeller American banker 1897 Anthony Eden prime minister of United Kingdom See All Biographies On This Day

More Events On This Day

2016 The deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history up to that time occurred when a gunman opened fire at Pulse, an LGBTQ+ nightclub in Orlando, Florida, killing 49 people and wounding more than 50.Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP Images 2003 American actor Gregory Peck—who often portrayed characters of honesty and integrity, most notably Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)—died at age 87. Test your knowledge of Harper Lee's beloved novel© 1962 Universal Pictures Company, Inc. 1991 A series of major explosions began inside Mount Pinatubo, a volcano in western Luzon, Philippines—its first eruption in 600 years. Take our quiz about volcanoes© T. J. Casadevall/U.S. Geological Survey 1987 Speaking about the Berlin Wall as he stood at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, U.S. President Ronald Reagan famously entreated the Soviet leader, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.” Watch a video of Reagan's speechNational Archives, Washington, D.C 1981 The action-adventure film Raiders of the Lost Ark—directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones—was released in theatres; a huge success, it spawned numerous sequels.© 1981 Lucasfilm with Paramount Pictures Corporation 1967 In Loving v. Virginia the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously struck down a state law that banned interracial marriage, ruling that it was unconstitutional under the equal protection and due process clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment. Read about other notable decisions by the U.S. Supreme CourtAP Images 1963 Activist Medgar Evers was fatally shot outside his home in Jackson, Mississippi; his murder received national attention and helped galvanize the American civil rights movement. Learn about 10 milestones in the civil rights movement© Archive Photos 1939 The Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, held its first induction ceremony; Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, and Honus Wagner were among the inaugural class, which had been elected three years earlier. Read our list of 10 of the greatest baseball players of all timePictorial Parade 1924 George H.W. Bush, who served as vice president (1981–89) and president of the United States (1989–93), was born in Massachusetts. Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about U.S. presidentsWhite House photo 1898 The Philippines, under revolutionary leader Emilio Aguinaldo, declared its independence from Spain. This day is celebrated as Independence Day in the Philippines and by the Filipino diaspora.Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 1776 The constitutional convention of the colony of Virginia adopted the Virginia Declaration of Rights, a model for the Bill of Rights that was later added to the U.S. Constitution. Take our U.S. constitutional history quizUnited States National Archives, Washington, D.C. 1707 Bahādur Shah I won the Mughal throne of India by defeating his brother ʿAẓam Shah at the Battle of Jajau. Read about six important Mughal emperors 1701 The Act of Settlement, the law that continues to regulate the succession to the throne of the United Kingdom, was passed by Parliament. Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about English royalty© Goodshoot/Jupiterimages 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.