1986Celestial
Halley's Comet appears
Halley's Comet reached perihelion, closest approach to Sun, visible from Earth.
Tuesday 13 October 2026
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Coincidence Engine
Two birth milestones share this date — Jack London born (1876) and Zayn Malik born (1993), 117 years apart.
2 / 3 coincidences found today • Auto-spins every 7s
From CurioVault
Today's curiosity
Its copper-based blood detects bacteria — and pharma bleeds it.
Read on CurioVault.co →Birthday twins
You share your birthday with...
Zayn Malik1993- Howard Stern1954
- Jack London1876
12 January in history
1 eventEvents, inventions, discoveries and releases. Looking for people or sport? See , and below.
We are adding more verified events for this date - more coming soon.
Showing 1 event
What happened on this day · Odd history for today
Vintage News
Strange but true headlines of the day
OddlyTrue News Stand
From the archives
Classic headlineKids Make Nutritious Snacks
Source: Classic headline (CJR 'Squad Helps Dog Bite Victim' collections)View clipping source
Did you guess the year?
Streak 0 days Best 0
When was “The foundation stone of Saint Fin Barre's Cathedral in Cork was laid.” happening? Slide to your guess.
1950
Weird history, same day
???? Oddly trueThe foundation stone of Saint Fin Barre's Cathedral in Cork was laid.
Read more →Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1872 First everYohannes IV is crowned Emperor of Ethiopia in Axum, the first imperial coronation in that city in over 200 years.
Read more →Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1792 First everFederalist Thomas Pinckney appointed first U.S. minister to Britain.
Read more →Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Hall of Fame headlines are manually verified clippings (source linked); nothing is scraped from Newspapers.com. Facts from Wikipedia On This Day API (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia. Clippings from the Library of Congress, Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers site.
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Viewing 12 January — today is 13 October.
Born on this day
3
1876Birth
Jack London born
American author Jack London, author of Call of the Wild and White Fang, was born in San Francisco.
1954Birth
Howard Stern born
Howard Stern was born. American radio host.
1993Birth
Zayn Malik born
Zayn Malik was born. English singer.
Died on this day
17 in the archiveFive infamous ends — executed, assassinated or murdered — drawn at random from the archive. All infamous ends →
Suicide
2008Death
Heath Ledger dies
Heath Ledger, actor, died on this day in 2008. Accidental prescription drug overdose. Remembered as: Acclaimed performances, including the Joker in The Dark Knight.
Assassinated
1948Death
Mahatma Gandhi dies
Mahatma Gandhi, political ethicist, died on this day in 1948. Assassinated. Remembered as: Leader of the Indian independence movement.
Assassinated
1968Death
Martin Luther King Jr. dies
Martin Luther King Jr., civil rights leader, died on this day in 1968. Assassinated in Memphis. Remembered as: Prominent leader in the American civil rights movement.
Assassinated
1980Death
John Lennon dies
John Lennon, musician, died on this day in 1980. Assassinated in New York City. Remembered as: Co-lead vocalist and founder of The Beatles.
Suicide
1962Death
Marilyn Monroe dies
Marilyn Monroe, actress and model, died on this day in 1962. Barbiturate overdose. Remembered as: Iconic actress and sex symbol of the 1950s and 1960s.
Famous birthdays
23 this weekToday · 12 January
- Zayn MalikEnglish singer (born 1993)Born 1993 · 33 years ago today
- Howard SternAmerican radio and television personality (born 1954)Born 1954 · 72 years ago today
- Jack LondonAmerican author, journalist, and social activist (1876–1916)Born 1876 · 150 years ago today
Coming up this week
Liam HemsworthAustralian actor (born 1990)13 January · born 1990
Orlando BloomEnglish actor (born 1977)13 January · born 1977
Julia Louis-DreyfusAmerican actress and comedian (born 1961)13 January · born 1961
Grant GustinAmerican actor (born 1990)14 January · born 1990
Dave GrohlAmerican rock musician and songwriter (born 1969)14 January · born 1969
Faye DunawayAmerican actress (born 1941)14 January · born 1941
Celebration12 January
National Youth Day (India)
Honors the birthday of Swami Vivekananda and his contributions to youth empowerment.
Music · No.1 on this day
What was topping the charts
The official No.1 singles and albums in the UK and the USA on this date, decade by decade.
2016 10 yrs ago
2006 20 yrs ago
1996 30 yrs ago
1986 40 yrs ago
1976 50 yrs ago
1966 60 yrs ago
1956 70 yrs ago
Sport on this day
0Finals, medals and records decided on 12 January.
No recorded sporting finals on this date yet.
Sporting almanac
Who was champion, 10, 25 and 50 years ago
World Cups, Olympics, Wimbledon, the Masters, Super Bowl and more — year by year since 1877.
2016 10 yrs ago
- Olympic GamesSummer Olympics in Rio
- WimbledonAndy Murray and Serena Williams win Wimbledon
- Super BowlDenver Broncos win Super Bowl 50
- Tour de FranceChris Froome wins the Tour de France
- The MastersDanny Willett wins the Masters
- World SeriesChicago Cubs win the World Series
2001 25 yrs ago
- WimbledonGoran Ivanisevic and Venus Williams win Wimbledon
- Super BowlBaltimore Ravens win Super Bowl XXXV
- The MastersTiger Woods wins the Masters
- World SeriesArizona Diamondbacks win the World Series
- NBA FinalsLos Angeles Lakers win the NBA Finals
- Stanley CupColorado Avalanche win the Stanley Cup
1976 50 yrs ago
- Olympic GamesSummer Olympics in Montreal
- Olympic GamesWinter Olympics in Innsbruck
- WimbledonBjorn Borg and Chris Evert win Wimbledon
- Super BowlPittsburgh Steelers win Super Bowl X
- Tour de FranceLucien Van Impe wins the Tour de France
- The MastersRaymond Floyd wins the Masters
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