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On this day in history - November 12

What Happened On This Day – November 12

  • 1991 Dili massacre

    Several pro-independence protesters were shot at the Santa Cruz cemetery in Dili, East Timor by Indonesian soldiers. about 250 people were killed in this event, which is also known as the Dili massacre or the Santa Cruz massacare

  • 1990 Coup in Lesotho

    Justin Metsing Lekhanya staged a coup against King Moshoeshoe II of Lesotho and took over the government of Lesotho. Lekhanya was deposed a few months later in another military coup.

  • 1984 First salvage operation in space

    Astronauts Dale A. Gardner and Joseph P. Allen aboard space shuttle Discovery performed a series of space walks to salvage parts from two satellites, the Palapa B-2 and the Westar 6 which had steered away from their orbits.

  • 1981 STS-2 launched

    The second space shuttle mission by NASA, space shuttle Columbia was launched from NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It was the first time a manned space shuttle had been launched twice.

  • 1966 First images of a Solar Eclipse taken from space

    The crew of Gemini 12 which included Edwin Eugene "Buzz" Aldrin were able to view and take pictures of the total solar eclipse over South America.

Illustration of stork, signifying birth

Births On This Day,
November 12

  • 1980 Ryan Gosling

    Canadian actor, singer

  • 1945 Neil Young

    Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer

  • 1934 Charles Manson

    American cult leader, murderer

  • 1866 Sun Yat-sen

    Chinese revolutionary, politician, 1st President of the Republic of China

  • 1840 Auguste Rodin

    French sculptor, created The Thinker

Illustration of tombstone, signifying death

Deaths On This Day,
November 12

  • 2010 Henryk Górecki

    Polish composer

  • 1969 Iskander Mirza

    Pakistani politician, 1st President of Pakistan

  • 1939 Norman Bethune

    Canadian physician

  • 1757 Colley Cibber

    English poet

  • 1035 Cnut the Great

    Danish king