12 History Lessons + 6 Births & 7 Deaths for July 12, 2025
Today’s History:
- 1543 – King Henry VIII of England marries his sixth and final wife, Catherine Parr.
- 1690 – Battle of the Boyne: Protestant forces led by William of Orange defeat Catholic King James II in Ireland.
- 1862 – The Medal of Honor is authorized by the U.S. Congress.
- 1892 – The first issue of Vogue magazine is published.
- 1912 – Socialist Party candidate Eugene V. Debs is nominated for President of the United States for the fourth time.
- 1933 – The U.S. Congress passes the first minimum wage law as part of the National Industrial Recovery Act.
- 1962 – The Rolling Stones perform their first concert at the Marquee Club in London.
- 1979 – Kiribati gains independence from the United Kingdom.
- 1984 – Democratic presidential candidate Walter Mondale selects Geraldine Ferraro as his running mate, the first woman chosen for major party VP nominee.
- 1993 – A magnitude 7.8 earthquake hits northern Japan, causing a tsunami that kills over 200 people.
- 2006 – Hezbollah initiates a cross-border raid into Israel, sparking the 34-day Israel–Lebanon war.
- 2013 – Malala Yousafzai gives her “Malala Day” speech at the United Nations on her 16th birthday.
Today’s Birthdays:
- 1952 – Cheryl Ladd, actress best known for Charlie’s Angels (73)
- 1959 – Jon Lovitz, comedian and former Saturday Night Live cast member (66)
- 1967 – John Petrucci, guitarist of Dream Theater (58)
- 1978 – Michelle Rodriguez, actress (Fast & Furious, Avatar) (47)
- 1984 – Natalie Martinez, actress and model (Death Race, Under the Dome) (41)
- 1997 – Malala Yousafzai, Nobel Peace Prize-winning education activist (28)
Today’s Deaths:
- 1804 – Alexander Hamilton, U.S. Founding Father, dies after a duel with Aaron Burr (47)
- 1910 – Charles Rolls, British co-founder of Rolls-Royce (32)
- 1945 – Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen, German field marshal and cousin of the Red Baron (49)
- 1993 – Hans Bellmer, German surrealist artist (88)
- 2008 – Tony Snow, White House Press Secretary and Fox News commentator (53)
- 2019 – João Gilberto, Brazilian musician and pioneer of bossa nova (88)
- 2020 – Kelly Preston, actress and wife of John Travolta (Jerry Maguire, Twins) (57)
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