Epic Idiot's what happened
On This Day

May 12

1993
Cross of Jesus: Two small slivers of Jesus's cross are auctioned for $18,587. They had been authenticated by the Vatican in 1855.

1975
Mayaguez: The U.S. merchant ship is captured by Cambodia and charged with spying.

1950
Segregation: The American Bowling Congress ends its 34-year-old ban of membership to blacks.

1937
First worldwide radio broadcast: The coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth is broadcast by the BBC.

1936
A Chinese woman delivers 10 babies: Tying the record for the highest number reported for a single birth.

1932
Lindbergh kidnapping: Charles Lindbergh's 20-month-old son is found dead after having been kidnapped.

1913
Virgin Mary: The mother of Christ appears to the shepherd children of Fatima. Thousands now make the yearly pilgrimage to receive healing and blessings.

1896
Spitting: The New York City Department of Health passes the first ban in the U.S. on spitting in public places.

1861
The Battle Hymn of the Republic: Julia Ward Howe's song is performed for the first time at a flag-raising ceremony for Union recruits at Fort Warren near Boston.

1969
Kim Fields, American actress. TV: The Facts of Life (Tootie).

1962
Emilio Estevez, American actor. Film: Repo Man (1984), The Breakfast Club (1985), St. Elmo's Fire (1985), and Young Guns (1988).

1950
Bruce Boxleitner, American actor. TV: The Scarecrow and Mrs. King (Lee Stetson).

1950
Billy Squier, American singer. Music: Don't Say No (1981).

1948
Steve Winwood, British Grammy-winning singer, songwriter. Music: Back in the High Life (1986) and Higher Love (1986, #1, Grammy).

1937
George Carlin, American comedian. Albums: Class Clown (1972, with Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television). TV: George Carlin.

1936
Tom Snyder, American talk show host.

1928
Burt Bacharach, American Oscar-winning composer. Music: Magic Moments (1958), What's New Pussycat? (1965), Do You Know the Way to San Jose? (1968), Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head (1969, Oscar, Grammy), Close To You (1970), and Arthur's Theme (1981, Oscar).

1925
Yogi Berra (Lawrence Peter Berra), American baseball Hall of Famer, MVP (1951, 54-55). His famous quotes include: "A nickel ain't worth a dime anymore" and "If the people don't want to come to the park, nobody's going to stop 'em."

1918     d. 1953
Julius Rosenberg, American traitor. He and his wife Ethel became the first U.S. citizens executed for treason during peace time. They had been convicted of selling top secret information to the Soviets.

1907     d. 2003
Katharine Hepburn, American Oscar-Emmy-winning actress. Film: Morning Glory (1933, Oscar), Bringing Up Baby (1938), The African Queen (1951), and On Golden Pond (1981, Oscar). She teamed with Spencer Tracy for numerous films.

1880     d. 1951
Lincoln Ellsworth, American explorer. He led the first trans-arctic flights (1926) and the first trans-antarctic flights (1935).

1866     d. 1952
Max Adler, American philanthropist. He donated the first U.S. public planetarium, the Adler Planetarium and Astronomical Museum, to the city of Chicago. (Source: Famous First Facts)

1820     d. 1910
Florence Nightingale, English nurse and hospital reformer. She contributed greatly to the development of modern hospital practices and the nursing profession.

1812     d. 1888
Edward Lear, English artist, author. Writings: Book of Nonsense (1846), which was responsible for popularizing limericks.

1803     d. 1873
Justus von Liebig, German organic chemist. His work in replacing soil minerals laid the foundation for modern fertilization.

1994     b. 1910
Roy J. Plunkett, American chemist, inventor of Teflon (1938). He was working with refrigerant gases when he and his co-workers discovered that the sample had polymerized spontaneously into a white, waxy solid to form polytetrafluoroethylene.

1992     b. 1932
Robert Reed (John Robert Rietz), American actor. TV: The Brady Bunch (father Mike Brady). He died of AIDS.

1957     b. 1885
Erich Von Stroheim (Erich Oswald Stroheim), German-born actor, director. He was billed as "The Man You Love to Hate."

1012     b. ????
Sergius IV, Italian religious leader, 142nd Pope (1009-12).

1003     b. circa 945
Sylvester II (Gerbert), religious leader, 139th Pope (999-1003). He introduced the abacus to Europe.

Please send Corrections and Omissions to epicidiot.com