Today in history 12

Here are some historical events that occurred on December 12th:

1. 1816 - The Treaty of St. Petersburg is signed, ending the Finnish War between Sweden and Russia.
2. 1865 - The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified, abolishing slavery.
3. 1917 - The United States takes possession of the Danish West Indies, which are renamed the United States Virgin Islands.
4. 1925 - The first issue of Time magazine is published.
5. 1946 - The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) is established.
6. 1963 - The United States launches the Mariner 2 spacecraft, which becomes the first spacecraft to fly by another planet (Venus).
7. 1985 - The first mobile phone call is made in the United Kingdom.
8. 1991 - The United States and the Soviet Union sign the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START).
9. 2000 - The United States Supreme Court rules in the case of Bush v. Gore, effectively ending the presidential election recount in Florida and awarding the presidency to George W. Bush.

Some notable birthdays on December 12th include:

• 1867 - Thomas Edison, American inventor and businessman
• 1881 - Charlie Chaplin, British actor and filmmaker
• 1928 - James Earl Jones, American actor
• 1954 - Steve Jobs, American entrepreneur and inventor
• 1963 - Chris Cornell, American musician and singer-songwriter

Some notable deaths on December 12th include:

• 1793 - King Louis XVI of France is executed by guillotine
• 1941 - Pearl Harbor is attacked by the Japanese
• 1980 - John Lennon, British musician and singer-songwriter, is assassinated
• 2004 - Ray Charles, American musician and singer-songwriter, dies at the age of 73