1912

January 1 - Establishment of Republic of China in mainland China.
January 6 - New Mexico is admitted as the 47th U.S. state.
Alfred Wegener proposes the theory of continental drift
February 12 - China adopts the Gregorian calendar
February 14 - Arizona is admitted as the 48th U.S. state.
February 14 - In Groton, Connecticut, the first diesel-powered submarine is commissioned.
March 1 - Albert Berry makes the first parachute jump from a moving airplane.
March 5 - Italian forces are the first to use dirigibles for a military purpose by using them for reconnaissance west of Tripoli behind Turkish lines.
March 7 - Roald Amundsen announces discovery of the South Pole
March 10 - China becomes a republic following the overthrow of the Manchu Qing Dynasty.
March 12 - The Girl Guides (later renamed the Girl Scouts) are founded.
March 30 - France establishes a protectorate over Morocco.
April 15 - Sinking of the S.S. Titanic.
May 13 - In the United Kingdom, the Royal Flying Corps (now the Royal Air Force) in established.
June 6-June 8 - eruption of Novarupta in Alaska, second largest volcanic eruption in historic time.
July 30 - In Japanese History, end of the Meiji Era and beginning of the Taisho Era.
August 25 - Kuomintang, the Chinese nationalist party is founded
September 30 - Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism founded
October 8 - First Balkan War begins: Montenegro declares war against Turkey.
October 14 - While campaigning in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, former president Theodore Roosevelt is shot by saloonkeeper William Schrank. With a fresh flesh wound and the bullet still in him, Roosevelt still delivers his scheduled speech.
November 5 - U.S. presidential election, 1912: Democraticic challenger Woodrow Wilson wins a landslide victory over Republican incumbent William Howard Taft. Taft's base was undercut by Progressive Party candidate (and former Republican) Theodore Roosevelt, who finished second, ahead of Taft.
November 27 - Spain declares a protectorate over the north shore of Morocco.
November 28 - Albania declares its independence from the Ottoman Empire.
December 3 - First Balkan War ends - Bulgaria, Greece, Montenegro, and Serbia (the Balkan League) sign an armistice with Turkey, ending the two-month long war.
December 14 - Norwegian polar explorer Roald Amundsen and a team of four, become the first people to reach the South Pole.
Sea Scouting begins under the aegis of the Boy Scouts of America
Kazimierz Funk identifies vitamins.
The first blues song, "The Memphis Blues," is published.

Year in topic

Births

January 7 - Charles Addams, cartoonist
January 8 - Jos� Ferrer, actor († 1992)
January 14 - Rudolf Hagelstange, German lyricist, narrator and essayist († 1984)
January 16 - Franz Tumler, Austrian narrator († 1998)
January 28 - Jackson Pollock, painter, initiator of Dripping painting († 1956)
January 30 - Barbara W. Tuchman, historian († 1989)
February 6 - Eva Braun, Adolf Hitler's mistress († 1945)
February 11 - Roy Fuller English poet/novelist.
February 11 - Rudolf Firkusny Napajedla, Czechoslovakian, pianist.
February 18 - Heinz K�hn, politician († 1992)
February 19 - Stan Kenton, musician († 1979)
February 20 - Pierre Boulle, author
February 27 - Lawrence Durrell, writer († 1990)
March 12 - Irving Layton, poet
March 14 - Les Brown, band leader († 2001)
March 15 - Lightnin' Hopkins, musician († 1982)
March 16 - Pat Nixon, actress, First Lady of the United States († 1993)
March 17 - Bayard Rustin, civil rights activist († 1987)
March 22 - Karl Malden, actor
March 23 - Wernher von Braun, physicist and engineer († 1977)
March 27 - James Callaghan, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
March 31 - Hermann H�cherl, politician († 1989)
April 8 - Sonja Henie, Olympic and World Champion figure skater
April 26 - A.E. van Vogt, science fiction writer († 2000)
April 28 - Odette Sansom, SOE agent, WW II heroine (+ 1995)
May 9 - Pedro Armend�riz, actor († 1963)
May 12 - Archibald Cox, Watergate special prosecutor
May 14 - Ben Hogan, golfer († 1997)
May 16 - Studs Terkel, writer
May 18 - Walter Sisulu, anti-apartheid activist († 2003)
May 18 - Perry Como, singer († 2001)
May 23 - John Payne, actor († 1989)
May 27 - Sam Snead († 2002)
May 28 - Patrick White, author († 1990)
May 30 - Joseph Stein, playwright
May 31 - Alfred Deller, singer, early modern countertenor († 1979)
June 26 - Jay Silverheels, actor († 1980)
July 1 - David R. Brower, major environmentalist († 2000)
July 14 - Woody Guthrie, folk musician († 1969)
July 17 - Art Linkletter, television host
August 30 - Nancy Wake, WW II heroine
September 5 - John Cage, American composer
September 12 - Jacques Fath, French couturier († 1954)
September 19 - Kurt Sanderling, conductor
September 21 - Chuck Jones, animator
September 29 - Michelangelo Antonioni, Italian film director
October 21 - Georg Solti, conductor († 1997)
October 22 - Johan Hendrik Weidner, Belgian born WW II hero (+ 1994)
October 27 - Conlon Nancarrow, composer († 1997)
November 21 - Eleanor Powell, actress, dancer († 1982)
November 26 - Eugene Ionesco, playwright († 1994)

Deaths:

March 29 - Robert Falcon Scott, explorer
March 30 - Karl May, author
April 15 - Most of crew and passengers on the Titanic
April 15 - John Jacob Astor IV, businessman aboard the Titanic
April 15 - Benjamin Guggenheim, businessman, aboard the Titanic
May 14 - August Strindberg
May 25 - Austin Lane Crothers, politician

Nobel Prizes

Physics - Nils Gustaf Dal�n
Chemistry - not awarded
Medicine - Alexis Carrel
Literature - Gerhart Johann Robert Hauptmann
Peace - Elihu Root

1912

Events

Year in topic

Births

Deaths:

Nobel Prizes