What Happened on September 12
Historical Events
- 1758 French astronomer Charles Messier mistakenly identifies the Crab Nebula, and begins his Messier Catalogue
- 1909 World's first patent for synthetic rubber granted to German chemist Fritz Hofmann
- 1933 Leó Szilárd, waiting for a red light on Southampton Row in Bloomsbury, conceives idea of a nuclear chain reaction
- 1940 Four teens, following their dog down a hole near Lascaux, France discover 17,000 year old drawings now known as the Lascaux Cave Paintings
- 1958 US Supreme Court orders the all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas to integrate
- 1959 Luna 2 launched by USSR; 1st spacecraft to impact on the Moon
- More Historical Events
Sep 12 in Film & TV
- 1981 "The Smurfs" animated cartoon series by Hanna-Barbera first broadcasts in North America
Sep 12 in Music
- 1910 Gustav Mahler's 8th Symphony ("Symphony of A Thousand") premieres in Munich with 1028 musicians
Sep 12 in Sport
- 1992 Stefan Edberg beats Michael Chang 6-7, 7-5, 7-6, 5-7, 6-4 in the longest match in US Open history (5 hours, 26 minutes)
Did You Know?
1st submarine publicly tested in London on the Thames for King James I
On September 12, 1624
Francis I of France
Henry Hudson
H. H. Asquith
Irene Joliot-Curie
Jesse Owens
Paul WalkerWould You Believe?
United States' 1st known female cop appointed, Alice Stebbins Wells by LAPD
On September 12, 1910
Famous Weddings
- 1812 Revolutionary leader Jose de San Martin (33) weds María de los Remedios de Escalada at Buenos Aires Cathedral in Argentina
- 1840 German pianist and composer Robert Schumann (30) marries German pianist and composer Clara Wieck (20), until his death in 1856
- 1846 Poet and playwright Robert Browning (34) weds fellow poet Elizabeth Barrett (40) at Marylebone Church in London
Famous Divorces
- 1967 Actress Rosemary Clooney divorces actor José Ferrer for the second time after she found out his affair with Stella Magee
More Weddings & Divorces
Peter Mark Roget
Anthony Perkins
Johnny Cash
Jack Kramer
Ray Dolby
Ian PaisleyArticles, Photos and Quiz
Dog Unearths Cave of Antiquity
A cave complex that contained wall paintings later described by experts as 'the cradle of art' was unearthed on this day by a curious dog, named Robot.
September 12, 1940
The Smurfs TV Debut
The Smurfs title card from the 1981 TV series
September 12, 1981
Weekly Quiz for September 9-15
In 1776 US Congress officially adopted the name 'United States of America', what was the previous name? Which war saw the 1st use of tanks on the battlefield?
