April 12th in History

467 - Anthemius is elevated to Emperor of the Western Roman Empire.

1204 - The Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade breach the walls of Constantinople and enter the city, which they completely occupy the following day.

1606 - The Union Flag is adopted as the flag of English and Scottish ships.

1776 - American Revolution: With the Halifax Resolves, the North Carolina Provincial Congress authorizes its Congressional delegation to vote for independence from Britain.

1864 - American Civil War: The Fort Pillow massacre: Confederate forces kill most of the African American soldiers that surrendered at Fort Pillow, Tennessee.

1917 - World War I: Canadian forces successfully complete the taking of Vimy Ridge from the Germans.

1927 - April 12th Incident: Chiang Kai-shek orders the Communist Party of China members executed in Shanghai, ending the First United Front.

1937 - Sir Frank Whittle ground-tests the first jet engine designed to power an aircraft, at Rugby, England.

1945 - US President Franklin D. Roosevelt dies while in office; vice-president Harry Truman is sworn in as the 33rd President.

1980 - Samuel Doe takes control of Liberia in a coup d'état, ending over 130 years of minority Americo-Liberian rule over the country.

1992 - The Euro Disney Resort officially opens with its theme park Euro Disneyland. The resort and its park's name are subsequently changed to Disneyland Paris.

2009 - Zimbabwe officially abandons the Zimbabwe Dollar as their official currency.

2010 - A train derails near Merano, Italy, after running into a landslide, causing nine deaths and injuring 28 people.

Famous Birthdays

599 BC - Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism

1577 - Christian IV of Denmark and Norway

1724 - Lyman Hall, American physician, clergyman, and statesman, signer of United States Declaration of Independence

1794 - Germinal Pierre Dandelin, mathematician

1866 - Princess Viktoria of Prussia

1894 - Francisco Craveiro Lopes, soldier, 13th President of Portugal

1911 - Mahmoud Younis, engineer of the Suez Canal

1924 - Raymond Barre, Prime Minister of France

1942 - Jacob Zuma, President of South Africa

1950 - David Cassidy, actor, singer, songwriter and guitarist

1964 - Amy Ray, singer-songwriter

1974 - Sylvinho, footballer

1978 - Guy Berryman, musician and businessman

1980 - Brian McFadden, singer-songwriter

1985 - Anna-Katharina Samsel, actress

1992 - Giorgio Cantarini, actor

1994 - Saoirse Ronan, actress