On This Day in History: April 12

The city of Constantinople falls to the Crusaders on April 12, 1204 during the Fourth Crusade, second siege. The city was sacked for three days as the crusaders loot holy relics, destroyed ancient artwork, and committed widespread violence during their brutal attack. Expand +

The Treaty of Meaux - Paris was signed on April 12, 1229, between Raymond VII of Toulouse and Louis IX of France (Saint Louis), formally ending the Albigensian Crusade and bringing the region under French control finalizing a process of centralization and marking a crucial step towards modern France's borders.

The Union Flag, combining the flags of England and Scotland, is adopted for the first time on April 12, 1606, by Royal decree from King James I & VI, combining the English, red St George's Cross and the Scottish white saltire, St Andrew's Cross on a blue field. Expand +

Galileo goes on trial for heresy on April 12, 1633. The trigger for the trial was his 1632 publication, "Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems," presenting "heliocentrism", the theory that the Earth revolves around the Sun which contradicted the Church doctrine where the Earth was the center. 

The first edition of "Tatler" magazine is published by Richard Steele in London on April 12, 1709. Writing under the pseudonym "Isaac Bickerstaff, Esquire," Steele produced a pioneering, periodical featuring social commentary, literature, gossip, and news from London's coffee houses, continuing publication, three times a week until January 2, 1711.

The British Parliament voted on April 12, 1770, to repeal most of the three year-old Townshend Acts, which imposed taxes in the American colonies on imported goods, like paper, glass, paint, and tea. The taxes had sparked strong colonial protests, boycotts and riots, The import taxes on tea remained as a symbol of the crown power to tax; continuing to cause discontent and conflict.

Napoleon Bonaparte secures his first major victory on April 12, 1796 as Commander -in-Chief  at the Battle of Montenotte, during his Italian campaign, where his forces along with André Masséna, decisively defeated the Austrian forces under Eugène-Guillaume Argenteau. This was followed by further wins which forced Austria to seek peace.

The Confederate Forces attack Fort Sumter, South Carolina, on April 12, 1861, marking the official beginning of the The American Civil War. The Union forces in the Fort, surrendered after a 33-hour bombardment by Confederate cannons. The war lasted four years, cost the lives of more than 620,000 Americans, and freed 3.9 million enslaved people from bondage. More

President Franklin D. Roosevelt died on April 12, 1945, at age 63 from a massive cerebral hemorrhage (stroke) in Warm Springs, Georgia while serving his fourth term during WWII. Vice President Harry S. Truman becomes president. More

Bill Haley and His Comets record "Rock Around The Clock" on April 12, 1954. It may not have been the first rock’n’roll record but it is an event often referred to as marking the beginning of the Rock and Roll era. Bill Haley, a square-looking country singer from the suburbs of Philadelphia, nearly 30 years old at the time, was an unlikely hero of the Rock era.

Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human to travel into space and orbit the Earth on April 12, 1961. More

Dr Martin L. King Jr. and Rev. Ralph Abernathy were arrested in Birmingham, Alabama, on April 12, 1963, for leading an anti-segregation protest march in defiance of a recent injunction from a State judge banning all anti-segregation protests.  Expand +

The space shuttle Columbia lifts off from Cape Canaveral, Florida on April 12, 1981, and becomes the first reusable manned spacecraft to travel into space. Carrying the two-person crew of John Young and Robert Crippen, Columbia proved the operational concept of a winged, reusable spaceship. Expand +

The Netherlands passed a bill permitting euthanasia, on April 12, 2001 the first such national law in the world. It came into force on April 1, 2002.