January 12
Overview
Holidays & Observances
Christianfeast day:
Aelred of Rievaulx, Benedict Biscop, Bernard of Corleone, Marguerite Bourgeoys, Tatiana, January 12 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
On January 12, several saints are commemorated in Christian liturgical traditions, including Aelred of Rievaulx and others.
Memorial Day (Turkmenistan)
National Youth Day (India)
National Youth Day is celebrated on January 12 in India to honor the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.
Prosecutor General's Day(Russia)
Zanzibar Revolution Day(Tanzania)
Zanzibar Revolution Day commemorates the 1964 overthrow of the Sultanate and the founding of Tanzania’s Zanzibar government.
Yennayer(Algeria)
Yennayer marks the Amazigh New Year and is celebrated with traditional music, dance, and festive meals.
Aelred of Rievaulx
The feast day of Aelred of Rievaulx, a 12th-century Cistercian abbot and spiritual writer, is observed on January 12.
Benedict Biscop
January 12 marks the feast day of Benedict Biscop, an Anglo-Saxon monk and founder of Monkwearmouth-Jarrow Abbey.
Bernard of Corleone
Bernard of Corleone, a 17th-century Capuchin friar known for his humility and miracles, is commemorated on January 12.
Events
Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople, and his general, Basiliscus gains control of the empire.
In 475, Emperor Zeno was forced to flee Constantinople, allowing his general Basiliscus to seize control of the Eastern Roman Empire.
Gustav I of Sweden is crowned King of Sweden, having already reigned since his election in June 1523.
In 1528, five years after his election, Gustav I was formally crowned King of Sweden, solidifying his role as monarch during the Swedish Reformation.
Bayinnaung, who would go on to assemble the largest empire in the history of Southeast Asia, is crowned King of Burma.
In 1554, Bayinnaung ascended to the Burmese throne, later unifying vast territories to become Southeast Asia's greatest empire builder.
The city of Belém, Brazil is founded on the Amazon River delta by Portuguese captain Francisco Caldeira Castelo Branco.
In 1616, Portuguese captain Francisco Caldeira Castelo Branco founded Belém at the mouth of the Amazon, establishing a key foothold for colonization of northern Brazil.
Federalist Thomas Pinckney appointed first U.S. minister to Britain.
In 1792, Thomas Pinckney became the first U.S. minister to Great Britain, shaping early American diplomacy with one of its most important trading partners.
John Rennie's scheme to defend St Mary's Church, Reculver, founded in 669, from coastal erosion is abandoned in favour of demolition, despite the church being an exemplar of Anglo-Saxon architecture and sculpture.
In 1808, plans by engineer John Rennie to protect the Anglo-Saxon St Mary's Church at Reculver from coastal erosion were scrapped, leading to its controversial demolition.
The organizational meeting leading to the creation of the Wernerian Natural History Society, a former Scottish learned society, is held in Edinburgh.
On January 12, 1808, the Wernerian Natural History Society held its founding meeting in Edinburgh, promoting research in geology and natural history across Scotland.
The Palermo rising takes place in Sicily against the Bourbon Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
In 1848, citizens of Palermo rose against Bourbon rule in the first major uprising of the Sicilian revolution, challenging the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
The Royal Aeronautical Society is formed in London.
On January 12, 1866, the Royal Aeronautical Society was founded in London, becoming one of the world’s first organizations dedicated to the scientific study of flight.
Births
Dutch nobleman and statesman, Lord of Breda and Stadtholder under Emperor Charles V.
Charles Emmanuel I
Duke of Savoy renowned for his military ambition and cultural patronage.
Petrus Scriverius
Dutch historian and scholar renowned for his studies of classical antiquity and Dutch history.
Jan Baptist van Helmont
Flemish chemist and physician, considered a pioneer of pneumatic chemistry.
John Winthrop
English lawyer and politician, leading founder and Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
Jusepe de Ribera
Spanish Baroque painter known for his dramatic chiaroscuro and realistic portrayals.
François Duquesnoy
Flemish Baroque sculptor celebrated for his elegant marble figures and classical style.
Jijabai Shahaji Bhosale
Queen mother of the Maratha king Shivaji, instrumental in shaping his early leadership.
Charles Perrault
French author who pioneered the fairy tale genre with works like 'Cinderella' and 'Sleeping Beauty'.
Deaths
Benedict Biscop
Anglo-Saxon abbot and scholar who founded the Monkwearmouth–Jarrow Abbey and introduced Roman liturgical practices to England.
Ahmad Samani
Third emir of the Samanid dynasty who ruled from Bukhara and fostered a cultural renaissance in Central Asia.
Sang Weihan
Prominent chief of staff under the Later Jin rulers, known for his administrative reforms during the Five Dynasties period.
Louis I
Medieval Landgrave of Thuringia who strengthened his realm’s autonomy and played a key role in 12th-century German politics.
Aelred of Rievaulx
Cistercian abbot of Rievaulx Abbey, famous for his spiritual writings on friendship and Christian love.
John Dalderby
English bishop of Lincoln and former Chancellor of the University of Oxford, influential in early 14th-century ecclesiastical affairs.
Marie of Brabant
Queen consort of France as the second wife of Philip III, known for her cultural patronage and dynastic significance.
Eleanor Maltravers
English noblewoman and heiress of the Maltravers estates, whose marriages linked her family to prominent medieval dynasties.
Maximilian I
Holy Roman Emperor who expanded Habsburg power through strategic marriages and administrative reforms.