February 12
Overview
Holidays & Observances
Christianfeast day:
Benedict of Aniane, Damian(?), Julian the Hospitaller, Martyrs of Abitinae, February 12 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
An Eastern Orthodox feast day honoring Benedict of Aniane, Damian, Julian the Hospitaller, and the Martyrs of Abitinae on February 12.
Darwin Day(International)
An annual celebration of Charles Darwin's birthday and his contributions to science and evolutionary theory.
Georgia Day(Georgia (U.S. state))
Commemorates the founding of the Colony of Georgia by James Oglethorpe on February 12, 1733, celebrated in the U.S. state of Georgia.
Lincoln's Birthday(United States)
Marks the birthday of Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States, on February 12.
Red Hand Day(United Nations)
International Day Against the Use of Child Soldiers, also known as Red Hand Day, raises awareness and campaigns to end the use of child soldiers.
Union Day (Myanmar)
National holiday in Myanmar commemorating the signing of the Panglong Agreement on February 12, 1947.
Benedict of Aniane
Feast day celebrating Benedict of Aniane, a 9th-century Carolingian monk known for monastic reforms.
Damian(?)
Feast day honoring Saint Damian, one of the twin physician-martyrs venerated in Christian tradition.
Julian the Hospitaller
Feast day honoring Saint Julian the Hospitaller, patron saint of travelers and boatmen.
Events
Pope Urban II confirms the foundation of the abbey of La Roë under Robert of Arbrissel as a community of canons regular.
In 1096, Pope Urban II officially recognized Robert of Arbrissel’s abbey of La Roë, establishing a new community of canons regular.
The Italian professor Galeazzo di Santa Sofia performed the first post-mortem autopsy for the purposes of teaching and demonstration at the Heiligen–Geist Spital in Vienna.
In 1404, Italian professor Galeazzo di Santa Sofia conducted the first public post-mortem autopsy at the Heiligen–Geist Spital in Vienna for educational purposes.
English forces under Sir John Fastolf defend a supply convoy carrying rations to the army besieging Orléans in the Battle of the Herrings.
In 1429, Sir John Fastolf led English troops to defend a crucial supply convoy against French forces in the Battle of the Herrings during the Hundred Years’ War.
Isabella I issues an edict outlawing Islam in the Crown of Castile, forcing virtually all her Muslim subjects to convert to Christianity.
In 1502, Queen Isabella I of Castile decreed that all Muslims in her realm must convert to Christianity or face exile.
Vasco da Gama sets sail with 15 ships and 800 men from Lisbon, Portugal on his second voyage to India.
In 1502, Vasco da Gama departed Lisbon with a fleet of 15 ships and 800 men on his second expedition to India.
Santiago, Chile is founded by Pedro de Valdivia.
In 1541, Spanish conquistador Pedro de Valdivia founded the city of Santiago at the Mapocho River in present-day Chile.
Japanese invasion of Korea: Approximately 3,000 Joseon defenders led by general Kwŏn Yul successfully repel more than 30,000 Japanese forces in the Siege of Haengju.
In 1593, during the Japanese invasion of Korea, General Kwŏn Yul led 3,000 Joseon defenders to victory at the Siege of Haengju against 30,000 Japanese troops.
The Convention Parliament declares that the flight to France in 1688 by James II, the last Roman Catholic British monarch, constitutes an abdication.
In 1689, England’s Convention Parliament declared King James II’s flight to France in 1688 an abdication, enabling William and Mary to assume the throne.
Georgia Day: Englishman James Oglethorpe founds Georgia, the 13th colony of the Thirteen Colonies, by settling at Savannah.
On Georgia Day 1733, James Oglethorpe landed at what became Savannah to found the colony of Georgia, the last of Britain’s Thirteen Colonies.
Births
Britannicus
Britannicus was a Roman prince and heir apparent as the only son of Emperor Claudius.
Daughter of Emperor Xiaoming of Northern Wei
She was the daughter of Emperor Xiaoming of Northern Wei and briefly declared empress regnant during a turbulent period.
Princess Ōku was a Japanese imperial princess known for her poetry and contributions to the Man'yōshū anthology.
Conrad II of Italy was the eldest son of Emperor Henry IV, serving as King of Italy and Duke of Lower Lorraine during the Investiture Controversy.
Kujo Yoritsune
Kujo Yoritsune was the fourth shōgun of the Kamakura shogunate in medieval Japan, serving under the regency of the Hōjō clan.
John Henry
John Henry was a Bohemian prince of the Luxembourg dynasty, serving as Margrave of Moravia and Duke of Austria in the mid-14th century.
Giovanni II Bentivoglio
Giovanni II Bentivoglio was the de facto ruler of Bologna during the Italian Renaissance, known for his patronage of the arts.
Frederick II of Legnica
Frederick II was Duke of Legnica in Silesia, governing his duchy in the late 15th and early 16th centuries.
Wŏn Kyun
Wŏn Kyun was a 16th-century Korean naval commander best known for his early campaigns during the Imjin War.
Deaths
Benedict of Aniane
Frankish monk who led a major monastic reform during the Carolingian Empire and became abbot of Aniane.
Henjō
Heian-period Japanese priest and renowned waka poet, celebrated among the Thirty-six Poetry Immortals.
Ælfstan
Anglo-Saxon bishop who oversaw the diocese of Ramsbury in 10th-century England.
Antony II
Byzantine cleric who served as Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople and guided the church under Emperor Leo VI.
Li
Empress of the short-lived Yan state during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, known for her imperial status amid political turmoil.
Wulfhelm
Anglo-Saxon prelate who served as Archbishop of Canterbury and advisor to King Athelstan.
Ermesinde
Countess of Luxembourg who skillfully governed her territories and expanded their influence in the early 13th century.
Amadeus of the Amidei
Italian nobleman who embraced religious life and was venerated as a local saint after his death.
Queen regnant of Navarre who faced dynastic struggles between France and Spain and preserved her kingdom’s autonomy.