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May 12

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{{This date in recent years}}

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Events

=Pre-1600=

=1601–1900=

=1901–present=

  • 1926 – The Italian-built airship Norge becomes the first vessel to fly over the North Pole.
  • 1926 – The 1926 United Kingdom general strike ends.{{Cite web |title=Stanley Baldwin &124; prime minister of United Kingdom &124; Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Stanley-Baldwin |access-date=January 18, 2022 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}
  • 1932 – Ten weeks after his abduction, Charles Jr., the infant son of Charles Lindbergh, is found dead near Hopewell, New Jersey, just a few miles from the Lindberghs' home.{{cite news |url=https://www.rarenewspapers.com/view/659137 |title=Lindbergh Baby Found Dead Near Home; Murdered Soon After the Kidnapping 72 Days Ago and Left Lying in Woods |work=The New York Times |date=May 13, 1932 |pages=1,3 |url-status=live |archive-date=March 22, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190322000759/https://www.rarenewspapers.com/view/659137}}
  • 1933 – The Agricultural Adjustment Act, which restricts agricultural production through government purchase of livestock for slaughter and paying subsidies to farmers when they remove land from planting, is signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.{{cite book |title=Agriculture Fact Book 1996 |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=United States Department of Agriculture |date=1996 |oclc=31747093 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7YYecGGsXjwC |page=221}}
  • 1933 – President Roosevelt signs legislation creating the Federal Emergency Relief Administration, the predecessor of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.{{Cite book |last=Stathis |first=Stephen |url=http://knowledge.sagepub.com/view/landmark-legislation-1774-2012/SAGE.xml |title=Landmark Legislation 1774–2012: Major U.S. Acts and Treaties |date=2014 |publisher=CQ Press |isbn=978-1-4522-9230-4 |location=Washington DC |chapter=Seventy-Third Congress: March 4, 1933, to January 3, 1935 |pages=240–246 |doi=10.4135/9781452292281.n74}}
  • 1937 – The Duke and Duchess of York are crowned as King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of the United Kingdom in Westminster Abbey.
  • 1941 – Konrad Zuse presents the Z3, the world's first working programmable, fully automatic computer, in Berlin.
  • 1942 – World War II: Second Battle of Kharkov: In eastern Ukraine, Red Army forces under Marshal Semyon Timoshenko launch a major offensive from the Izium bridgehead, only to be encircled and destroyed by the troops of Army Group South two weeks later.
  • 1942 – World War II: The U.S. tanker SS Virginia is torpedoed in the mouth of the Mississippi River by the {{ship|German submarine|U-507||6}}.{{cite book |last=Cressman |first=Robert J. |title=The Official Chronology of the U.S. Navy in World War II |location=Annapolis, Md. |publisher=Naval Institute Press |date=2016 |isbn=9781591146384 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K6D1DAAAQBAJ |page=94}}
  • 1948 – Wilhelmina, Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, cedes the throne to her daughter Juliana.
  • 1949 – Cold War: The Soviet Union lifts its blockade of Berlin.{{cite book |last=Harrington |first=Daniel F. |title=Berlin on the Brink: The Blockade, the Airlift, and the Early Cold War |location=Lexington, Ky. |publisher=University Press of Kentucky |date=2012 |isbn=9780813136134 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h21YpYGgTDoC |page=5}}
  • 1965 – The Soviet spacecraft Luna 5 crashes on the Moon.
  • 1968 – Vietnam War: North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces attack Australian troops defending Fire Support Base Coral.
  • 1975 – Indochina Wars: Democratic Kampuchea naval forces capture the SS Mayaguez.{{Cite web |title=Leave No Man Behind: The Truth About the Mayaguez Incident |url=https://thediplomat.com/2018/06/leave-no-man-behind-the-truth-about-the-mayaguez-incident/ |access-date=January 18, 2022 |website=thediplomat.com |language=en-US}}
  • 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.
  • 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.{{cite news |title=Pope John Paul 'wounded' in 1982 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7673443.stm |date=October 16, 2008 |website=BBC News |department=Europe |access-date=September 10, 2021}}
  • 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.{{cite web |url=http://www.pipelinesafetytrust.com/docs/ntsb_doc26.pdf |title=Railroad Accident Report – Derailment of Southern Pacific Transportation Company Freight Train on May 12, 1989, and Subsequent Rupture of Calnev Petroleum Pipeline on May 25, 1989 – San Bernardino, California |access-date=August 3, 2006 |date=June 19, 1990 |publisher=National Transportation Safety Board |ref=CITEREFNTSB1990 |archive-date=March 6, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140306105228/http://www.pipelinesafetytrust.com/docs/ntsb_doc26.pdf |url-status=dead}}
  • 1998 – Four students are shot at Trisakti University, leading to widespread riots and the fall of Suharto.
  • 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.
  • 2003 – The Riyadh compound bombings in Saudi Arabia, carried out by al-Qaeda, kill 39 people.{{cite web |title=Saudi Arabia sentences five to death over 2003 attacks |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-27103375 |website=BBC News |access-date=January 3, 2022 |date=April 21, 2014}}
  • 2006 – Mass unrest by the Primeiro Comando da Capital begins in São Paulo (Brazil), leaving at least 150 dead.
  • 2006 – Iranian Azeris interpret a cartoon published in an Iranian magazine as insulting, resulting in massive riots throughout the country.
  • 2008 – An earthquake (measuring around 8.0 magnitude) occurs in Sichuan, China, killing over 69,000 people.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 2015 – A train derailment in Philadelphia, United States, kills eight people and injures more than 200.
  • 2015 – Massive Nepal earthquake kills 218 people and injures more than 3,500.
  • 2017 – The WannaCry ransomware attack impacts over 400,000 computers worldwide, targeting computers of the United Kingdom's National Health Services and Telefónica computers.{{cite web |title=What is WannaCry ransomware and why is it attacking global computers? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/may/12/nhs-ransomware-cyber-attack-what-is-wanacrypt0r-20 |website=The Guardian |access-date=September 20, 2021 |language=en |date=May 12, 2017}}
  • 2018 – Paris knife attack: A man is fatally shot by police in Paris after killing one and injuring several others.{{Cite web |last=Welle |first=Deutsche |title=Paris knife attack leaves four injured and two dead including attacker &124; DW &124; 13.05.2018 |url=https://www.dw.com/en/paris-knife-attack-leaves-four-injured-and-two-dead-including-attacker/a-43759341 |access-date=May 23, 2021 |website=DW.COM |language=en-GB}}
  • 2024 – Middle/End of the May 2024 Solar Storms, the most powerful set of Geomagnetic storms since the 2003 Halloween solar storms.{{Cite web |title=On Friday night the sky danced, and we'll be talking about it for years to come. The great aurora of 10 May 2024 |url=https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/space-science/aurora-10-may-2024 |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=www.skyatnightmagazine.com |language=en}}

Births

=Pre-1600=

  • 1325 – Rupert II, Elector Palatine (d. 1398)
  • 1401 – Emperor Shōkō of Japan (d. 1428)
  • 1479 – Pompeo Colonna, Catholic cardinal (d. 1532){{cite book |author=Brian Anthony Curran |title=The Egyptian Renaissance: The Afterlife of Ancient Egypt in Early Modern Italy |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LF9oAAAAMAAJ |year=2007 |publisher=University of Chicago Press |isbn=978-0-226-12893-1 |page=381}}
  • 1496 – Gustav I of Sweden (d. 1560){{cite book |author=Gustav I Vasa (King of Sweden) |title=The History of Gustavus Vasa, King of Sweden,: With Extracts from His Correspondence |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GEkOAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA33 |year=1852 |publisher=John Murray |pages=33}}
  • 1590 – Cosimo II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (d. 1621){{cite web |title=Cosimo II &124; grand duke of Tuscany &124; Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Cosimo-II |website=www.britannica.com |access-date=January 3, 2022 |language=en}}

=1601–1900=

=1901–present=

  • 1903 – Wilfrid Hyde-White, English actor (d. 1991)
  • 1907 – Leslie Charteris, English author and screenwriter (d. 1993)
  • 1907 – Katharine Hepburn, American actress (d. 2003)
  • 1908 – Nicholas Kaldor, Hungarian-English economist (d. 1986)
  • 1910 – Johan Ferrier, Surinamese educator and politician, first President of Suriname (d. 2010)
  • 1910 – Dorothy Hodgkin, English biochemist, crystallographer, and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1994){{Cite journal |last1=Blundell |first1=T. |author-link1=Tom Blundell |last2=Cutfield |first2=J. |last3=Cutfield |first3=S. |last4=Dodson |first4=E. |last5=Dodson |first5=G. |last6=Hodgkin |first6=D. |last7=Mercola |first7=D. |last8=Vijayan |first8=M. |title=Atomic positions in rhombohedral 2-zinc insulin crystals |journal=Nature |volume=231 |issue=5304 |pages=506–11 |year=1971 |pmid=4932997 |bibcode=1971Natur.231..506B |doi=10.1038/231506a0 |s2cid=4158731}}
  • 1911 – Charles Biro, American author and illustrator (d. 1972)
  • 1914 – Howard K. Smith, American journalist and actor (d. 2002)
  • 1918 – Mary Kay Ash, American businesswoman, founded Mary Kay Cosmetics (d. 2001)
  • 1918 – Julius Rosenberg, American spy (d. 1953)
  • 1921 – Joseph Beuys, German sculptor and illustrator (d. 1986)
  • 1921 – Farley Mowat, Canadian environmentalist and author (d. 2014)
  • 1922 – Roy Salvadori, English racing driver and manager (d. 2012){{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2012/jun/06/roy-salvadori |title=Roy Salvadori obituary |first=Alan |last=Henry |date=June 6, 2012 |work=The Guardian |access-date=June 2, 2016}}
  • 1924 – Tony Hancock, English actor, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1968)GRO Register of Births: JUN 1924 6d 231 KINGS N. - Anthony J. Hancock, mmn = Thomas
  • 1925 – Yogi Berra, American baseball player, coach, and manager (d. 2015)
  • 1928 – Burt Bacharach, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer (d. 2023){{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/09/arts/music/burt-bacharach-dead.html |title=Burt Bacharach, Whose Buoyant Pop Confections Lifted the '60s, Dies |last=Holden |first=Stephen |newspaper=The New York Times |date=February 9, 2023 |access-date=February 9, 2023}}
  • 1929 – Sam Nujoma, Namibian politician, 1st President of Namibia (d. 2025){{Cite news |last=Cowell |first=Alan |date=February 8, 2025 |title=Sam Nujoma, Founding President of Namibia, Dies at 95 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/08/obituaries/sam-nujoma-dead.html |access-date=February 11, 2025 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}
  • 1930 – Jesús Franco, Spanish director and screenwriter (d. 2013)
  • 1935 – Felipe Alou, Dominican-American baseball player, coach, and manager
  • 1935 – Johnny Bucyk, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1936 – Guillermo Endara, Panamanian lawyer and politician, 32nd President of Panama (d. 2009)
  • 1936 – Tom Snyder, American journalist and talk show host (d. 2007)
  • 1936 – Frank Stella, American painter and sculptor (d. 2024){{cite book |author=((Editors of Chase's)) |title=Chase's Calendar of Events 2019: The Ultimate Go-to Guide for Special Days, Weeks and Months |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JVJtDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA272 |date=30 September 2018 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-1-64143-264-1 |pages=272}}
  • 1937 – Beryl Burton, English cyclist (d. 1996)
  • 1937 – George Carlin, American comedian, actor, and author (d. 2008)
  • 1939 – Reg Gasnier, Australian rugby league player, coach, and sportscaster (d. 2014)
  • 1940 – Norman Whitfield, American songwriter and producer (d. 2008)
  • 1942 – Ian Dury, English singer-songwriter (d. 2000)
  • 1944 – Chris Patten, English academic and politician, 28th Governor of Hong Kong{{cite book |author=Joseph Whitaker |title=Whitaker's Almanack 1991 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5gKXi7wrQd8C |year=1990 |publisher=Whitaker and Sons Limited |isbn=978-0-85021-205-1 |page=238}}
  • 1945 – Alan Ball, Jr., English footballer and manager (d. 2007)
  • 1945 – Ian McLagan, English keyboard player and songwriter (d. 2014){{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/11299642/Ian-McLagan-obituary.html |title=Ian McLagan - obituary |website=The Telegraph |date=December 17, 2014 |access-date=December 21, 2014}}
  • 1946 – Daniel Libeskind, American architect, designed the Imperial War Museum North and Jewish Museum
  • 1947 – Michael Ignatieff, Canadian journalist and politician
  • 1948 – Steve Winwood, English singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist
  • 1950 – Bruce Boxleitner, American actor and author
  • 1950 – Gabriel Byrne, Irish actor, director, and producer
  • 1950 – Billy Squier, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1951 – George Karl, American basketball player and coach
  • 1957 – Lou Whitaker, American baseball player{{cite web |title=Lou Whitaker |url=https://www.mlb.com/player/lou-whitaker-124154 |publisher=Major League Baseball |access-date=8 May 2023}}
  • 1959 – Ving Rhames, American actor
  • 1962 – Emilio Estevez, American actor{{cite book |author=Paul T. Hellmann |title=Historical Gazetteer of the United States |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=REtEXQNWq6MC&pg=PA781 |date=February 14, 2006 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=1-135-94859-3 |pages=781}}
  • 1962 – Brett Gurewitz, American guitarist and songwriter
  • 1965 – Mark Thomas, British sprinter{{cite web |url=https://worldathletics.org/athletes/great-britain-ni/mark-thomas-14343937 |title=Mark THOMAS |website=worldathletics.org}}
  • 1966 – Stephen Baldwin, American actor{{cite book |title=Chase's calendar of events 2009 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WoV51PohNjwC |year=2009 |publisher=McGraw Hill Professional |isbn=978-0-07-159956-6 |page=265}}
  • 1967 – Bill Shorten, Australian politician
  • 1968 – Tony Hawk, American skateboarder and actor{{cite book |author=Ian F. Mahaney |title=Tony Hawk: Skateboarding Champion |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_PN-chos86YC&pg=PP10 |date=December 15, 2004 |publisher=The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc |isbn=978-1-4042-2747-7 |pages=10}}
  • 1969 – Kim Fields, American actress
  • 1970 – Jim Furyk, American golfer
  • 1970 – Samantha Mathis, American actress
  • 1970 – Mike Weir, Canadian golfer
  • 1972 – Rhea Seehorn, American actress{{Cite tweet |user=rheaseehorn |number=1524891772555386882 |title=Got a makeover for my birthday! Might get another bead for my add-a-bead necklace, too. Thank you for all your sweet bday wishes today! ❤️}}
  • 1975 – Jonah Lomu, New Zealand rugby player (d. 2015)
  • 1977 – Graeme Dott, Scottish snooker player and coach
  • 1977 – Maryam Mirzakhani, Iranian mathematician (d. 2017){{Cite web |url=http://www.icm2018.org/wp/2018/07/31/tributes-paid-to-mathematics-shining-light-maryam-mirzakhani/ |title=Tributes paid to 'shining light' Maryam Mirzakhani |website=International Congress of Mathematicians |language=en |access-date=November 10, 2018 |archive-date=August 31, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180831165716/http://www.icm2018.org/wp/2018/07/31/tributes-paid-to-mathematics-shining-light-maryam-mirzakhani/ |url-status=dead}}
  • 1978 – Malin Åkerman, Swedish-Canadian model, actress, and singer
  • 1978 – Jason Biggs, American actor and comedian
  • 1979 – Steve Smith Sr., American football player{{cite web |title=Steve Smith Sr. |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/2622/steve-smith-sr |publisher=ESPN |access-date=8 May 2023}}
  • 1980 – Rishi Sunak, English politician{{cite web |last=Paul |first=Anna |date=September 5, 2022 |title=Find out more about Rishi Sunak as the Tory Party leader race concludes |url=https://metro.co.uk/2022/08/04/who-is-rishi-sunak-age-career-height-wife-and-their-net-worth-17127612/ |access-date=October 26, 2022 |website=Metro}}
  • 1981 – Rami Malek, American actor
  • 1983 – Domhnall Gleeson, Irish actor
  • 1983 – Yujiro Kushida, Japanese wrestler and mixed martial artist
  • 1986 – Emily VanCamp, Canadian actress
  • 1987 – Lance Lynn, American baseball player{{cite web |title=Lance Lynn |url=https://www.mlb.com/player/lance-lynn-458681 |publisher=Major League Baseball |access-date=8 May 2023}}
  • 1987 – Kieron Pollard, Trinidadian cricketer
  • 1988 – Marcelo, Brazilian footballer
  • 1989 – Eleftheria Eleftheriou, Greek Cypriot singer, musician, and actress
  • 1990 – Florent Amodio, French figure skater{{isu name | id=00008739 | name=Florent Amodio}}
  • 1990 – Etika, American YouTuber and live streamer (d. 2019){{Cite web |last=Periwal |first=Saahil Agnelo |date=May 12, 2021 |title=Fans pay emotional tribute to Etika on his 31st birthday |url=https://www.sportskeeda.com/pop-culture/fans-pay-emotional-tribute-etika-31st-birthday |access-date=June 5, 2021 |website=SportsKeeda |language=en-us}}
  • 1996 – Kostas Tsimikas, Greek footballer{{cite web |title=Kostas Tsimikas |url=https://www.premierleague.com/players/16006/Kostas-Tsimikas/overview |publisher=Premier League |access-date=25 October 2023}}
  • 1997 – Frenkie de Jong, Dutch footballer{{cite web |title=Frenkie de Jong |url=https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/219022/frenkie-de-jong |publisher=ESPN |access-date=8 May 2023}}
  • 1998 – Mo Bamba, American-Ivorian basketball player{{cite web |title=Mo Bamba |url=https://www.nba.com/player/1628964/mo-bamba |website=nba.com |publisher=National Basketball Association |access-date=12 May 2024}}
  • 2005 – Zach Benson, Canadian ice hockey player{{Cite web |title=Zach Benson |url=https://www.nhl.com/sabres/player/zach-benson-8484145 |access-date=23 September 2024 |publisher=National Hockey League}}

Deaths

=Pre-1600=

=1601–1900=

=1901–present=

  • 1907 – Joris-Karl Huysmans, French author and critic (b. 1848)
  • 1916 – James Connolly, Scottish-born Irish socialist and rebel leader (b. 1868)
  • 1925 – Amy Lowell, American poet and critic (b. 1874){{cite book |last1=College |first1=Radcliffe |title=Notable American Women, 1607-1950: A Biographical Dictionary |date=1971 |publisher=Harvard University Press |isbn=978-0-674-62734-5 |page=434 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rVLOhGt1BX0C&pg=RA1-PA434 |language=en}}
  • 1931 – Eugène Ysaÿe, Belgian violinist, composer, and conductor (b. 1858)
  • 1935 – Józef Piłsudski, Polish field marshal and politician, 15th Prime Minister of Poland (b. 1867)
  • 1944 – Max Brand, American journalist and author (b. 1892)
  • 1944 – Arthur Quiller-Couch, English author, poet, and critic (b. 1863)
  • 1956 – Louis Calhern, American actor and singer (b. 1895)
  • 1957 – Alfonso de Portago, Spanish bobsledder and racing driver (b. 1928)
  • 1957 – Erich von Stroheim, Austrian-American actor, director, and producer (b. 1885)
  • 1963 – Richard Girulatis, German footballer and manager (b. 1878)
  • 1963 – Robert Kerr, Irish-Canadian sprinter and coach (b. 1882)
  • 1964 – Agnes Forbes Blackadder, Scottish medical doctor (b. 1875){{Cite web |url=https://www.universitystory.gla.ac.uk/ww1-biography/?id=1458 |title=University of Glasgow :: Story :: Biography of Surgeon Agnes Forbes Blackadder |website=www.universitystory.gla.ac.uk |access-date=December 30, 2019}}
  • 1966 – Felix Steiner, Russian-German SS officer (b. 1896)
  • 1967 – John Masefield, English poet and author (b. 1878)
  • 1970 – Nelly Sachs, German poet and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1891)
  • 1971 – Heinie Manush, American baseball player and coach (b. 1901)
  • 1973 – Frances Marion, American screenwriter, novelist and journalist (b. 1888)
  • 1973 – Art Pollard, American race car driver (b. 1927)
  • 1981 – Francis Hughes, Provisional IRA hunger striker (b. 1956)[http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/may/12/newsid_2550000/2550725.stm Second IRA protester dies in jail] — BBC News "On This Day" report
  • 1981 – Benjamin Sheares, Singaporean professor and politician, second President of Singapore (b. 1907){{Cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/05/13/obituaries/benjamin-sheares-73-president-of-singapore-and-noted-physician.html |title=BENJAMIN SHEARES, 73, PRESIDENT OF SINGAPORE AND NOTED PHYSICIAN |date=May 13, 1981 |website=The New York Times |access-date=July 27, 2020}}
  • 1985 – Jean Dubuffet, French painter and sculptor (b. 1901)
  • 1986 – Elisabeth Bergner, German actress (b. 1897)
  • 1992 – Nikos Gatsos, Greek poet and songwriter (b. 1911)
  • 1992 – Robert Reed, American actor (b. 1932)
  • 1993 – Zeno Colò, Italian Olympic alpine skier (b.1920){{cite web |title=Olympedia – Zeno Colò |url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/84837 |website=www.olympedia.org |access-date=27 August 2024}}
  • 1994 – Erik Erikson, German-American psychologist and psychoanalyst (b. 1902)
  • 1994 – John Smith, Scottish-English lawyer and politician, Labour Party leader, Leader of the Opposition (b. 1938)
  • 1999 – Saul Steinberg, Romanian-American illustrator (b. 1914)
  • 2000 – Adam Petty, American race car driver (b. 1980)
  • 2001 – Perry Como, American singer and television host (b. 1912)
  • 2001 – Alexei Tupolev, Russian engineer, designed the Tupolev Tu-144 (b. 1925)
  • 2003 – Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, French-American diplomat (b. 1933)
  • 2005 – Ömer Kavur, Turkish director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1944)
  • 2005 – Martin Lings, English author and scholar (b. 1909)
  • 2005 – Kai Setälä, Finnish physician and professor (b. 1913){{cite web |url=https://www.hs.fi/muistot/art-2000002627923.html |title=Kai Setälä - Muistot |work=Helsingin Sanomat |url-access=subscription |date=18 May 2011 |access-date=12 February 2024 |language=fi}}
  • 2005 – Monica Zetterlund, Swedish actress (b. 1937)
  • 2006 – Hussein Maziq, Libyan politician, Prime Minister of Libya (b. 1918)
  • 2008 – Robert Rauschenberg, American painter and illustrator (b. 1925){{cite news |first=Michael |last=Kimmelman |title=Robert Rauschenberg, American Artist, Dies at 82 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/14/arts/design/14rauschenberg.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin |newspaper=New York Times |date=May 13, 2008 |access-date=May 14, 2008}}
  • 2008 – Irena Sendler, Polish nurse and humanitarian (b. 1910)
  • 2009 – Antonio Vega, Spanish singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1957)
  • 2012 – Jan Bens, Dutch footballer and coach (b. 1921)
  • 2012 – Eddy Paape, Belgian illustrator (b. 1920)
  • 2013 – Gerd Langguth, German political scientist, author, and academic (b. 1946)
  • 2014 – Cornell Borchers, Lithuanian-German actress and singer (b. 1925){{cite book |last1=Kaplan |first1=Mike |title=Variety International Show Business Reference, 1983 |date=1983 |publisher=Garland Pub. |isbn=978-0-8240-9089-0 |page=41 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i_RLAAAAYAAJ&q=Cornell+Borchers+16+1925 |access-date=October 12, 2021 |language=en}}{{cite news |last1=Schröder |first1=Christian |title=Die Nachkriegsdiva |url=https://www.tagesspiegel.de/kultur/zum-tod-von-cornell-borchers-die-nachkriegsdiva/9909832.html |access-date=October 12, 2021 |work=Der Tagesspiegel |date=May 19, 2014 |language=de-DE}}
  • 2014 – Marco Cé, Italian cardinal (b. 1925){{Cite web |url=http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1401958.htm |title=Cardinal Marco Ce, retired patriarch of Venice, dies at 88 |access-date=August 6, 2014 |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20150109132614/http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1401958.htm |archive-date=January 9, 2015 |url-status=dead}}
  • 2014 – H. R. Giger, Swiss painter, sculptor, and set designer (b. 1940)
  • 2014 – Sarat Pujari, Indian actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1934)
  • 2014 – Lorenzo Zambrano, Mexican businessman and philanthropist (b. 1944)
  • 2015 – Peter Gay, German-American historian, author, and academic (b. 1923){{cite web |author=William Grimes |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/13/arts/peter-gay-historian-who-explored-social-history-of-ideas-dies-at-91.html |title=Peter Gay, Historian Who Explored Social History of Ideas, Dies at 91 |website=New York Times |date=May 12, 2015}}
  • 2016 – Mike Agostini, Trinidadian sprinter (b. 1935)
  • 2017 – Mauno Koivisto, Finnish banker and politician, ninth President of Finland (b. 1923){{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/14/world/europe/mauno-koivisto-president-who-led-finland-into-eu-dies-at-93.html |title=Mauno Koivisto, President Who Led Finland Into E.U., Dies at 93 |date=May 14, 2017 |website=New York Times |access-date=May 12, 2020}}
  • 2018 – Dennis Nilsen, Scottish serial killer (b. 1945){{cite web |title=Serial killer Dennis Nilsen dies in prison aged 72 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/may/12/serial-killer-dennis-nilsen-dies-in-prison-aged-72 |website=The Guardian |access-date=January 3, 2022 |language=en |date=May 12, 2018}}
  • 2020 – Aimee Stephens, American funeral director and U.S. Supreme Court litigant (b. 1960){{cite news |title=Aimee Stephens, Plaintiff in Transgender Case, Dies at 59 |last=Ortiz |first=Aimee |newspaper=The New York Times |date=12 May 2020 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/12/us/aimee-stephens-supreme-court-dead.html |accessdate=5 Oct 2021}}
  • 2024 – Mark Damon, American film actor and producer (b. 1933){{Cite web |last=Saperstein |first=Pat |date=2024-05-13 |title=Mark Damon, Veteran International Sales Executive and Actor, Dies at 91 |url=https://variety.com/2024/film/news/mark-damon-dead-international-sales-actor-1236000115/ |access-date=2024-05-14 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}
  • 2024 – David Sanborn, American saxophonist (b. 1945){{Cite news |last=Chinen |first=Nate |date=May 13, 2024 |title=Saxophonist David Sanborn, 6-time Grammy winner, has died at age 78 |url=https://www.npr.org/2024/05/13/1251006759/saxophonist-david-sanborn-6-time-grammy-winner-has-died-at-age-78 |access-date=May 14, 2024 |work=NPR}}
  • 2024 – A. J. Smith, American football executive (b. 1949){{Cite web |date=2024-05-12 |title=Smith, winningest GM in Chargers history, dies |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/40133269/aj-smith-winningest-gm-chargers-history-dies-75 |access-date=2024-05-15 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}

Holidays and observances

References

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External links

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  • [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/may/12 BBC: On This Day]
  • {{NYT On this day|month=5|day=12}}
  • [https://www.onthisday.com/events/may/12 Historical Events on May 12]

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Category:Days of May