What Happened on August 12

Historical Events

1831 – Dutch troops conquer Leuven
1952 – Hussein ibn Talal proclaimed King of Jordan
1984 – Carlos Lopes of Portugal wins the men’s marathon at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2:09:21, an Olympic record that stands for 24 years
1995 – Lara completes 6th Test Cricket century, 152 at Trent Bridge
2008 – Russo-Georgian War: Nicolas Sarkozy, the President of France, negotiates ceasefire agreement between Russia and Georgia, ending a brief war hostilities after 5 days
2020 – Yemen authorities say at least 172 people died in floods caused by torrential rains, which have also destroyed historic buildings in Sanaa, a Unesco World Heritage Site

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Famous Birthdays

1720 – Konrad Ekhof [Hans Konrad Dieterich Eckhof], German actor and director, born in Hamburg, Germany (d. 1778)
1852 – Fr. Michael J. McGivney, Irish-American Catholic priest, and founder the Knights of Columbus fraternal organization, born in Waterbury, Connecticut (d. 1890)
1881 – Václav Vačkář, Czech composer, known for his marches, conductor, and musicologist, born in Dobřejovice, Bohemia (now Czech Republic) (d. 1954)
1904 – Alexei Nikolaevich, son of Tsar Nicholas II, and last Tsarevich of Russia, born in St. Petersburg, Russian Empire (d. 1918)
1924 – Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, Pakistani military officer and politician (President of Pakistan 1978-88) (d. 1988)
1957 – Amanda Redman, British stage and screen actress (At Home with the Braithwaithes; New Tricks; The Good Karma Hospital (2017–present), borne in Brighton, Sussex, England

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Famous Deaths

1158 – Anselm of Havelberg, Brandenburg bishop of Havelberg (1129-55), dies at about 58
1809 – Mikhail Kamensky, Russian field marshal, dies at 71
1812 – Jean-Joseph Rodolphe, Alsatian composer, dies at 81
1900 – James Edward Keeler, American astronomer (rings of Saturn), dies at 42
1934 – Hendrik P. Berlage, Dutch architect (Stock exchange Amsterdam), dies at 78
1982 – Henry Fonda, American stage and screen actor (Mr. Roberts; 12 Angry Men; On Golden Pond), dies of heart disease at 77

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