Also available in: Português (Brasil)
What happened on June 12
Every June 12 carries a layer of history: wars that began or ended, inventions, premieres, treaties, and people born or lost on this day across the centuries. We gathered 12 of the most striking events recorded on June 12, plus notable births and deaths, each with its year and a link to the Wikipedia article where the story continues. It is a fast way to answer "what happened on June 12" without digging through many sources: the list arrives ranked by relevance and dated.
Notable events
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Air India Flight 171 (wreckage pictured) crashed shortly after take-off in Ahmedabad, India, killing 260 people. Air India Flight 171 |
| 2016 | An Islamic terrorist killed 49 people in a mass shooting at the gay nightclub Pulse in Orlando, Florida. Pulse nightclub shooting |
| 2010 | Sixteen-year-old Abby Sunderland was rescued after her boat was dismasted in the Indian Ocean while trying to become the youngest sailor around the world. Abby Sunderland |
| 1999 | In the aftermath of the bombing of Yugoslavia and the Kosovo War, the NATO-led Kosovo Force entered the territory with a mandate of establishing a secure environment. NATO bombing of Yugoslavia |
| 1994 | The Boeing 777, the world's largest twinjet, made its maiden flight. Boeing 777 |
| 1991 | More than 150 Sri Lankan Tamil civilians were massacred by members of the military in the village of Kokkadichcholai. Sri Lankan Tamils |
| 1987 | Cold War: During a speech at the Brandenburg Gate by the Berlin Wall, US president Ronald Reagan challenged Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to "tear down this wall!" (speech featured). Cold War |
| 1981 | Raiders of the Lost Ark, the first film in the Indiana Jones franchise, was released. Raiders of the Lost Ark |
| 1978 | American serial killer David Berkowitz, popularly known as the "Son of Sam", was sentenced to 25-years-to-life in prison for each of six killings. David Berkowitz |
| 1967 | The U.S. Supreme Court struck down laws restricting interracial marriage in the landmark civil rights case Loving v. Virginia. Supreme Court of the United States |
| 1963 | The premiere was held in New York of the historical drama film Cleopatra, the most expensive film made to that point. Cleopatra (1963 film) |
| 1954 | Dominic Savio, who was 14 years old at his death in 1857, was canonized by Pope Pius XII, making him one of the youngest non-martyred saints in the Catholic Church. Dominic Savio |
Births
| Year | Who |
|---|---|
| 2002 | Koni De Winter, Belgian footballer Koni De Winter |
| 1999 | CarryMinati, Indian YouTuber CarryMinati |
| 1996 | Gustav Forsling, Swedish ice hockey player Gustav Forsling |
| 1996 | Davinson Sánchez, Colombian footballer Davinson Sánchez |
Deaths
| Year | Who |
|---|---|
| 2024 | William H. Donaldson, American businessman (born 1931) William H. Donaldson |
| 2024 | Neil Goldschmidt, American lawyer and politician, 33rd Governor of Oregon (born 1940) Neil Goldschmidt |
| 2024 | Jerry West, American basketball player and executive (born 1938) Jerry West |
| 2023 | Silvio Berlusconi, Italian businessman and politician, Prime Minister of Italy (born 1936) Silvio Berlusconi |
A single anniversary does not explain on its own why a day matters: one June 12 can hold a scientific milestone, a tragedy and the birth of an artist, centuries apart. That is why we date every row and link the source, so you can follow what interests you. The selection mixes 12 events, 4 births and 4 deaths; the full list, with every reference, lives on Wikipedia.
Source, license and method
This page curates the day's anniversaries for June 12 from Wikipedia, delivered through the Wikimedia "On this day" feed (the encyclopedia's own open dataset). It is not original research: the facts, years and wording come from Wikipedia and are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike (CC BY-SA 4.0), which requires crediting the source and keeping the same license. We pick each day's most relevant items, favouring the editors' own selection and the most prominent articles, and every row links back to the matching entry. For the full list and primary references, see the day's article on Wikipedia (June 12).
Continue in the dates cluster
Anniversaries are just a doorway. People who arrive asking about the date usually also want: What day is it today, in every calendar, Moon phase today and the Date and age calculators.
Last updated: · Methodology and sources