May 12 in History
May 12 is the birthday of Issa Kaboré (2001) and the anniversary of the death of Jason Collins (2026). Below are famous birthdays, deaths, events for May 12, plus editor's picks and genealogy records.
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Rupert II, Elector Palatine was born in 1325, while Æthelhard, archbishop of Canterbury died in 805.
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Famous people born on May 12
Famous people who died on May 12
2017
Mauno Koivisto (Wikipedia, opens in a new tab)
Finnish politician, President of Finland (1923–2017)
2013
Gerd Langguth (Wikipedia, opens in a new tab)
Gerd Langguth, German political scientist, author, and academic (born 1946)
2008
Robert Rauschenberg (Wikipedia, opens in a new tab)
American painter and graphic artist (1925–2008)
2008
Irena Sendler (Wikipedia, opens in a new tab)
Polish humanitarian and resistance fighter (1910–2008)
2001
Perry Como (Wikipedia, opens in a new tab)
American singer, actor, and TV personality (1912–2001)
What happened on May 12
- 2024
Middle/end of the May 2024 solar storms, the most powerful set of geomagnetic storms since the 2003 Halloween solar storms.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 2018
Paris knife attack: A man is fatally shot by police in Paris after killing one and injuring several others.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 2017
The WannaCry ransomware attack impacts over 400,000 computers worldwide, targeting computers of the United Kingdom's National Health Services and Telefónica computers.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 2015
A train derailment in Philadelphia, United States, kills eight people and injures more than 200.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 2015
Massive Nepal earthquake kills 218 people and injures more than 3,500.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 2010
Afriqiyah Airways Flight 771 crashes on final approach to Tripoli International Airport in Tripoli, Libya, killing 103 out of the 104 people on board.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 2008
An earthquake (measuring around 8.0 magnitude) occurs in Sichuan, China, killing over 69,000 people.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 2008
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducts the largest-ever raid of a workplace in Postville, Iowa, arresting nearly 400 immigrants for identity theft and document fraud.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 2006
Mass unrest by the Primeiro Comando da Capital begins in São Paulo (Brazil), leaving at least 150 dead.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 2006
Iranian Azeris interpret a cartoon published in an Iranian magazine as insulting, resulting in massive riots throughout the country.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 2003
The Riyadh compound bombings in Saudi Arabia, carried out by al-Qaeda, kill 39 people.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 2002
Former US President Jimmy Carter arrives in Cuba for a five-day visit with Fidel Castro, becoming the first President of the United States, in or out of office, to visit the island since the Cuban Revolution.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 1989
The San Bernardino train disaster kills four people, only to be followed a week later by an underground gasoline pipeline explosion, which kills two more people.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 1982
During a procession outside the shrine of the Virgin Mary in Fátima, Portugal, security guards overpower Juan María Fernández y Krohn before he can attack Pope John Paul II with a bayonet.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 1978
In Zaire, rebels occupy the city of Kolwezi, the mining center of the province of Shaba (now known as Katanga); the local government asks the US, France and Belgium to restore order.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab)
Births, deaths and events from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab).
Editor's picks
Born on May 12
- 1325 — Rupert II, Elector Palatine (died 1398)
- 1401 — Emperor Shōkō of Japan (died 1428)
- 1479 — Pompeo Colonna, Catholic cardinal (died 1532)
Died on May 12
- 805 — Æthelhard, archbishop of Canterbury
- 940 — Eutychius, patriarch of Alexandria (born 877)
- 1003 — Sylvester II, pope of the Catholic Church (born 946)
Source: Wikipedia historical listings for May 12
Quick answers
Who was born on May 12? Issa Kaboré (2001), Hiroki Itō (footballer, born 1999) (1999), Mo Bamba (1998).
Who died on May 12? Jason Collins (2026), Mark Damon (2024), David Sanborn (2024).
Explore genealogy records
Researching someone born in May? Search birth records
Live genealogy events
This calendar is live and has its own date controls; it is separate from the May 12 historical article above.
Ancestry
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