Historical Events on October 12
- 1692: Massachusetts Governor Sir William Phips ends the Salem Witch Trials by sending a letter officially closing the matter.
- 1773: The first insane asylum in the United States opens on this day.
- 1792: New York City holds its first Columbus Day Celebration.
- 1793: The cornerstone of the oldest state university in the U.S – Old East – is laid on the campus at the University of North Carolina.
- 1823: The first raincoat is sold by Charles Macintosh.
- 1918: A huge forest fire in Cloquet, Minnesota ends up killing over 450 people.
- 1928: For the first time, an iron lung respirator is used at a Children’s Hospital in Boston.
- 1933: Alcatraz Citadel become Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary when it’s changed from a military fort and prison to a civilian prison.
- 1942: After the Battle of Cape Esperance during World War II, Japanese naval forces retreat.
- 1944: During World War II, the Axis occupation of the Greek city of Athens comes to an end on this day.
- 1945:S Army Corporeal who served as a combat medic during World War II, becomes the first conscientious objector to ever receive the United States Medal of Honor.
- 1960: Leader of the Japanese Socialist Party, Inejiro Asanuma is stabbed to death during a live television broadcast.
Famous Birthdays on October 12
- Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti is born in 1935.
- American painter Robert Mangold is born in 1937.
- English author and journalist Angela Rippon is born in 1944.
- American wrestler and trainer Dusty Rhodes is born in 1945.
- Venezuelan terrorist and assassin Carlos the Jackal is born in 1949.
- Australian actor and singer Hugh Jackman is born in 1968.
- American singer-songwriter Martie Maguire is born in 1969.
- American basketball player and coach, Charlie Ward is born in 1970.
- American model and actress Neriah Davis is born in 1972.
- American shot putter Michelle Carter is born in 1985.
- German footballer Sergio Peter is born in 1986.