What Happened On
Clinton Impeachment - Acquitted
February 12, 1999
U.S. President Bill Clinton is acquitted of the charges of perjury, obstruction of justice, and malfeasance in office in connection with the Monica Lewinsky scandal and the Paula Jones lawsuit.
The Scream is Stolen
February 12, 1994
Edvard Munch's famous painting The Scream is stolen from Oslo's National Art Museum. Thieves stole the painting by using a ladder to enter a window where the painting was stored. They then cut the painting from the wall. The theft took less than a minute and was recorded by security cameras. The following May, two men were arrested while trying to collect a $414,000 ransom for the painting and the painting was returned.
To add to the confusion, a week after the theft, the Rev. Borre Knudsen, leader of a Norwegian anti-abortion movement, had announced that the painting would be returned if Norwegian television would broadcast the anti-abortion film The Silent Scream. However, Knudsen was not involved in the theft.
The Blinding of Isaac Woodard
February 12, 1946
While traveling home after being honorably discharged from the U.S. Army, African-American Isaac Woodard, still in uniform, is attacked and beaten by several South Carolina police officers over a dispute with a bus driver over the use of a restroom. He was then arrested and further beaten by the chief of police for reportedly answering "yes" instead of "yes, sir". The attack left Woodard completely and permanently blind. Suffering from partial amnesia, he was fined $50 and denied medical treatment for two days. When South Carolina wouldn't pursue the case, U.S. President Harry S. Truman ordered a federal investigation. The sheriff was acquitted by an all-white jury in federal court in South Carolina. This incident was the subject of Woody Guthrie's song, The Blinding of Isaac Woodard.
First Televised Sporting Event
February 12, 1931
Japan makes their first television broadcast, a Japanese baseball game played in Tokyo. It was broadcast on a mechanical TV system.
Dracula
February 12, 1931
Dracula, starring Bela Lugosi, opens in theaters. It was based on the 1924 stage play Dracula, which was adapted from the 1897 novel Dracula by Bram Stoker. This was the first sound film version of the classic character.
Lugosi had previously played the role on Broadway.
A silent version was also released as well as a Spanish language version starring Carlos Villarías as "Conde Drácula". The English and Spanish versions were filmed together using the same sets, but the English version was filmed during days and the Spanish version was filmed during nights.
First Beatles Concert in the U.S.
February 12, 1964
The Beatles perform their first U.S. concert at Carnegie Hall, New York.
Life is Worth Living
February 12, 1952
The TV series Life is Worth Living debuts, hosted by Bishop (later Archbishop) Fulton J. Sheen. It was one of the most successful religious TV shows of all time, and is believed to have been the most widely viewed religious series in the history of television. It ran until 1957, followed by similar series, also featuring Sheen, from 1958-61 and 1961-68.
Sheen had hosted the radio program on the radio program The Catholic Hour from 1928 to 1952.
George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue
February 12, 1924
George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue is performed publicly for the first time.
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
February 12, 1909
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is founded.
First Around-the-World Automobile Race
February 12, 1908
From New York to Paris, via Alaska, Siberia, Russia.
Illinois Fines Negroes For Entering
February 12, 1853
Illinois enacts a law requiring all negroes who enter the state and stay for 10 days to be fined $50 or sold into slavery until the fine was resolved.
Creek Indians Cede Their Land
February 12, 1825
Creek Indians cede all their land in Georgia and Alabama to the U.S. for some land between the Arkansas and Canadian rivers. The Indians, unhappy with the treaty, killed the chief who signed it and negotiated a new treaty.
Photo Credit: André Karwath aka Aka
Photo Credit: André Karwath aka Aka
Fugitive Slave Act
February 12, 1793
Fugitive Slave Act enacted by the U.S. Congress, allowing slave owners to recover runaway slaves.
Georgia
February 12, 1733
General James Oglethorpe lands at present day Savannah, naming the new colony Georgia in honor of King George II.
Founding of Santiago by Pedro de Valdivia
Founding of Santiago by Pedro de Valdivia
Santiago, Chile
February 12, 1541
The city of Santiago, Chile is founded by Spanish conqueror Pedro de Valdivia.
Birthdays
Bill Russell
Born February 12, 1934 d. 2022
American Basketball Hall of Famer. Russell played as a center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969 as part of a dynasty that won 11 NBA championships during his 13-year career. A five-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) and a 12-time NBA All-Star, he is widely considered to be one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Standing at 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) tall, with a 7 ft 4 in (2.24 m) arm span, his shot-blocking and man-to-man defense were major reasons for the Celtics' dominance during his career. Russell also led the NBA in rebounds four times.
Lorne Greene (Lyon Himan Green)
Born February 12, 1915 d. 1987
Canadian actor. TV: Bonanza (1959-73, Ben Cartwright), Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (1962-72, co-host with Betty White), Roots (1977, first master of Kunta Kinte), and Battlestar Galactica (1978-79, Commander Adama). Film: Earthquake (1974). Music: Ringo (#1, spoken-word ballad about the real-life Old West outlaw Johnny Ringo).
Alice Roosevelt Longworth
Born February 12, 1884 d. 1980
American socialite. She was the daughter of U.S. President (1901-1909) Theodore Roosevelt. Known for her unconventional lifestyle, she smoked cigarettes in public, rode in cars with men, stayed out late partying, kept a pet snake named Emily Spinach in the White House, was seen placing bets with a bookie, and frequently interrupted oval office meetings to offer political advice. Her father, President Roosevelt, once commented, "I can either run the country or I can attend to Alice, but I cannot possibly do both".
She became known to the American people as "Princess Alice".
Known for her numerous affairs, her only child was the result of an affair with Senator William Borah.
Quote: "If you can't say something good about someone, sit right here by me."
Joseph Edgar Howard
Born February 12, 1878 d. 1961
American songwriter. Music: Hello! Ma Baby (1899, with his wife: "Hello my baby, hello my honey. Hello my ragtime, summertime gal").
Charles Robert Darwin
Born February 12, 1809 d. 1882
English evolutionist. Author of On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection (1859).
Abraham Lincoln
Born February 12, 1809 d. 1865
American politician. 16th U.S. President (1861-65). He was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, making Vice-President Andrew Johnson President. Lincoln was the first actual person to have their portrait on a U.S. coin (1909 penny) and the only U.S. President to hold a patent.
Lincoln was also the first U.S. President to bring a pet cat into the White House. Secretary of State William H. Seward gave him two kittens, which Lincoln named Tabby and Dixie. Lincoln is said to have remarked, "Dixie is smarter than my whole cabinet, and furthermore she doesn't talk back".
Steam Power versus Horse Power
Steam Power versus Horse Power
Horse vs. Machine
Peter Cooper
Born February 12, 1791 d. 1883
American inventor. He built the first U.S. steam locomotive (1830, the Tom Thumb), which participated in the celebrated Horse versus Machine race of 1830. Even though he lost the race due to mechanical difficulties, he proved the value of steam power. Up to then, railroad cars had been pulled by horses and mules.
He also invented a washing machine which was powered by the tides.
Arsenio Hall
Born February 12, 1956
American late-night host. Film: Coming to America (1988). TV: The Arsenio Hall Show.
Joanna Kerns
Born February 12, 1953
American actress. TV: Growing Pains (Maggie Seaver).
Maud Adams (Maud Wikstrom)
Born February 12, 1945
Swedish actress. Film: The Man with the Golden Gun (1974, Andrea Anders) and Octopussy (1983, title role).
Ray Manzarek (Raymond Daniel Manczarek)
Born February 12, 1939 d. 2013
American keyboardist, with The Doors. Music: Light My Fire (1967, #1) and L.A. Woman (1971).
Joe Don Baker
Born February 12, 1936
American actor. Film: Walking Tall (1973).
Joe Garagiola Sr.
Born February 12, 1926 d. 2016
American baseball player, sportscaster.
Van Doren (right) on Twenty-One with Vivienne Nearing and Jack Barry
Van Doren (right) on Twenty-One with Vivienne Nearing and Jack Barry
Charles Van Doren
Born February 12, 1926 d. 2019
American game show contestant. He became involved in the quiz show scandal of the 1950s and testified before Congress that he was given the answers for the show Twenty-One. The producers of the show provided him answers so that he could beat the reigning champion, Herb Stempel, in order to boost the ratings that were dropping during Stempel's long reign. Van Doren's winning streak earned him $129,000 ($1,150,759 in today's dollars). His success on Twenty-One also earned him a spot on the cover of Time Magazine and a job on The Today Show, eventually becoming a host. After the scandal broke, he was fired by NBC.
The 1994 movie Quiz Show was based on the Twenty-One scandal.
Alan Dugan
Born February 12, 1923 d. 2003
American Pulitzer-winning poet (1962).
Forrest Tucker
Born February 12, 1919 d. 1986
American actor. TV: F Troop (1965-67, Sgt. O'Rourke).
Harry Bellaver
Born February 12, 1905 d. 1993
American actor. TV: Naked City (Frank Arcaro) and Another World (Ernie Downs).
Omar Nelson Bradley
Born February 12, 1893 d. 1981
American World War II hero, the last U.S. five-star general. He commanded the 12th Army - the largest U.S. force ever commanded by a single person - and served 69 years on active duty, the longest ever served by a U.S. soldier.
John Graham Chambers
Born February 12, 1843 d. 1883
British sportsman. He defined the Marquess of Queensberry boxing rules (1867), which established the mandatory use of gloves, the ten-count rule, and three-minute rounds. They were named after the 9th Marquess of Queensberry who publicly endorsed the rules.
Chambers was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
Charles Edward Cheney
Born February 12, 1836 d. 1916
American religious leader. Founder of the Reformed Episcopal Church (1873).
Deaths
Charles M. Schulz (Charles Monroe Schulz)
Died February 12, 2000 b. 1922
American cartoonist. Creator of Peanuts (1950) featuring Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the gang.
American Gothic, by Grant Wood, 1930
American Gothic, by Grant Wood, 1930
Grant Wood
Died February 12, 1942 b. 1891
American artist. Known for his paintings of the rural American Midwest. Paintings: American Gothic (1930). The models for American Gothic were his sister and his dentist.
Marty Allen
Died February 12, 2018 b. 1922
American comedian, with his famous catchphrase "Hello Dere!" TV: Regular on Hollywood Squares.
Al Jarreau (Alwyn Lopez Jarreau)
Died February 12, 2017 b. 1940
American Grammy-winning jazz singer. Music: Breakin' Away (1981).
Gary Owens
Died February 12, 2015 b. 1934
American actor, disc jockey. TV: Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In and The Gong Show (1976-77, host).
Sid Caesar
Died February 12, 2014 b. 1922
American actor, comedian. TV: Your Show of Shows (1950-54, host). Film: Grease (1978, Coach Calhoun).
Zina Bethune
Died February 12, 2012 b. 1945
American dancer, actress. TV: Love of Life (Barbara Sterling Latimer). She founded Dance Outreach (1982), which enrolls about 1,000 disabled children in dance-related activities.
Betty Garrett
Died February 12, 2011 b. 1919
American actress. TV: All in the Family (1973-75, Irene Lorenzo) and Laverne & Shirley (1976-81, Edna Babish).
Sammi Smith
Died February 12, 2005 b. 1943
American country singer. She was one of the few women of "outlaw country" music in its early days. Music: Help Me Make It Through The Night (1971, #1, Grammy).
Tom Landry
Died February 12, 2000 b. 1924
American football player, coach for the Dallas Cowboys. He invented the "4-3 Defense."
Nicholas Colasanto
Died February 12, 1985 b. 1924
American actor. TV: Cheers (Coach).
J.C. Penney (James Cash Penney, Jr.)
Died February 12, 1971 b. 1875
American businessman. Founded the J.C. Penney department store chain (1902).
Fanny Crosby (Frances Jane Crosby)
Died February 12, 1915 b. 1820
American hymn writer. Blind since an infant, she composed over 5,000 hymns including Safe in the Arms of Jesus, Blessed Assurance, and To God Be the Glory.
Immanuel Kant
Died February 12, 1804 b. 1724
German philosopher, founder of critical philosophy.
Ethan Allen
Died February 12, 1789 b. 1738
American Revolutionary War commander. He organized the Green Mountain Boys (1770).
Lady Jane Grey
Died February 12, 1554 b. circa 1537
Queen of England for nine days, her half-sister Mary Tudor, the rightful heir to the throne, forced her to renounce the throne and then had her and her husband beheaded.