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Updated February 11, 2012, 1:28 pm
On Feb. 12, 1973, the first release of American prisoners of war from the Vietnam conflict took place.
Go to article »On Feb. 12, 1809, Charles Darwin, who originated the theory of evolution by natural selection, was born. Following his death on April 19, 1882, his obituary appeared in The Times.
Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »
On This Date
By The Associated Press
1554 Lady Jane Grey, who had claimed the throne of England for nine days, was beheaded after being charged with treason. 1733 English colonists led by James Oglethorpe founded Savannah, Ga. 1809 Naturalist Charles Darwin was born in Shrewsbury, England. 1870 Women in the Utah Territory gained the right to vote. 1909 The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was founded in New York. 1912 Pu Yi, the last emperor of China, abdicated, marking the end of the Qing Dynasty. 1915 The cornerstone for the Lincoln Memorial was laid in Washington, D.C. 1924 George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” premiered in New York City. 1999 The Senate voted to acquit President Bill Clinton on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice. 2000 Charles M. Schulz, creator of the “Peanuts” comic strip, died at age 77. 2000 Hall of Fame football coach Tom Landry died at age 75. 2001 The NEAR spacecraft touched down on Eros, completing the first landing on an asteroid. 2002 The war crimes trial of former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic began in The Hague. 2004 Defying a California law, San Francisco officials began performing weddings for same-sex couples. 2009 A commuter plane crashed into a suburban Buffalo, N.Y., home, killing all 49 aboard and a person in the house. Current Birthdays
By The Associated Press
Actor Josh Brolin turns 44 years old today.
AP Photo/Peter Kramer
Actress Christina Ricci turns 32 years old today.
AP Photo/Evan Agostini
1923 Franco Zeffirelli, Director, turns 89 1926 Joe Garagiola, Sportscaster, turns 86 1930 Arlen Specter, Former U.S. senator, D-Pa., turns 82 1934 Bill Russell, Basketball Hall of Famer, turns 78 1936 Joe Don Baker, Actor, turns 76 1939 Ray Manzarek, Rock musician (The Doors), turns 73 1950 Steve Hackett, Rock musician (Genesis), turns 62 1952 Michael McDonald, Singer (The Doobie Brothers), turns 60 1953 Joanna Kerns, Actress (“Growing Pains”), turns 59 1955 Arsenio Hall, Actor, turns 57 1968 Chynna Phillips, Singer (Wilson Philips), turns 44 1979 Jesse Spencer, Actor (“House”), turns 33
Historic Birthdays
Charles Darwin 2/12/1809 – 4/19/1882 English naturalist who documented evolution.Go to obituary »
53 Thomas Campion 2/12/1567 – 3/1/1620
English poet,composer and musical theorist44 Caspar Bartholin 2/12/1585 – 7/13/1629
Danish physician/theologian65 Cotton Mather 2/12/1663 – 2/13/1728
American Congregational minister/author92 Peter Cooper 2/12/1791 – 4/4/1883
American inventor,manufacturer and philanthropist56 Abraham Lincoln 2/12/1809 – 4/15/1865
16th President of the United States40 John Graham Chambers 2/12/1843 – 3/4/1883
English sportsman and journalist89 John L. Lewis 2/12/1880 – 6/11/1969
American labor leader and founder of the C.I.O.96 Alice Roosevelt Longworth 2/12/1884 – 2/20/1980
American politically influential daughter of Theodore Roosevelt66 Max Beckmann 2/12/1884 – 12/27/1950
German expressionist painter/printmaker88 Omar Bradley 2/12/1893 – 4/8/1981
American general, 1st chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff47 Louis Buchalter 2/12/1897 – 3/4/1944
American crime boss81 Roy Harris 2/12/1898 – 10/1/1979
American composer/teacher81 Joseph Alioto 2/12/1916 – 1/29/1998
Mayor of San Francisco
