Byzantine Emperor, Constantine VIII dies on November 12, 1028 ending the Macedonian dynasty's line of direct male succession because he had no sons. While his daughters, Zoe and Theodora, continued the dynasty's rule through marriages with capable emperors, their failure to produce heirs led to a period of instability and ultimately ending the Macedonian dynasty by 1056.
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What Happened Today in History on November 12
Explore the historical events that shaped our world on November 12th. From major milestones to cultural achievements, see what happened on this day in history. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.
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King Canute the Great of England and Denmark dies on November 12, 1035. Rule of the empire was disputed and divided, between his sons: Harold Harefoot and Harthacnut.
Harold was crowned King of England in 1037. Harthacnut ruled Denmark and the North Sea empire and became king of both England and Denmark after Harolds death in 1040. Harthacnut rule was unpopular and his sudden death in 1042 ended the union and restored the Anglo-Saxon line in England with the ascension of Edward the Confessor.
King Cnut the Great of England, Denmark, and Norway dies on November 12, 1035 and his empire is divided among his sons, Harold Harefoot and Harthacnut.
Their inability to maintain control resulted in the rapid decline and end of the North Sea Empire as Norway and Denmark broke away and England eventually passed to Edward the Confessor in 1042 CE.
The Grand Duke of Muscovy, Ivan III, marries Zoe (later Sophia) Palaiologina, the niece of the last Byzantine Emperor on November 12, 1472.
Their marriage took place in the Dormition Cathedral in Moscow cementing the connection between the Muscovite state and the legacy of the Byzantine Empire, contributing to Moscow's adoption of the title of "Third Rome" and the use of the double-headed eagle emblem.
American astronomer, Andrew Ellicott sees the Leonid meteor shower and records and reports the event in what it is believed to be the first time a meteor shower was recorded in North America.
The Leonids are a prolific annual meteor shower associated with the comet Tempel–Tuttle . They occur between 15 and 20 November each year and are also known for their spectacular meteor storms that occur about every 33 years.res They enter the atmosphere at 44 miles per second, and begin to glow at an altitude of around 96 miles. More
The first successful transfer of fuel in mid-air. On November 12, 1921, while circling over Long Beach, California as wing walker Wesley May climbed from the wingtip of a Standard J-1 biplane to a Curtiss JN-4 “Jenny” biplane with a five-gallon can of gasoline strapped to his back and successfully poured the gas into the Jenny’s fuel tank.
The J-1 was piloted by Frank Hawks and the Jenny was piloted by Earl Daugherty. The first transfer of fuel using the more conventional fuel hose system took place in 1923.
The Ellis Island Immigration Gateway is officially closed. The processing center began receiving arriving immigrants on January 1, 1892. Over the next 62 years, more than 12 million, mostly working class immigrants, would arrive in the United States via Ellis Island.
About 40% of people in the US are descendants of people who travelled through Ellis Island. First and second-class passengers bypassed the island and now could go straight ashore. But third class passengers were subjected to medical and legal checks. After 1924, Ellis Island changed from being a processing center to being a detention and deportation facility. More
The Bhola cyclone, the deadliest tropical cyclone ever recorded, and one of the deadliest natural disasters in modern times occurred on this day in East Pakistan, now Bangladesh. and India's West Bengal.
The estimated fatalities were at least 300,000 and possibly as many as 500,000. primarily as a result of the storm surge that flooded much of the low-lying islands of the Ganges Delta. More
Congress changes the status of Arches to National Park in recognition of over 10,000 years of human history that flourished in this now-famous landscape of rock.
Located in Southeastern Utah, U.S., on the Colorado River just north of Moab and northeast of Canyon lands National Park, it had been previously established as a National Monument in 1929. More
The U.S. space probe Voyager 1 reaches the planet Saturn. More
Tim Berners-Lee publishes a formal proposal for the World Wide Web, laying the foundation for the internet as we know it. More
The United States launches Operation Iron Hammer during the Iraq War.
The Rosetta spacecraft's Philae lander successfully lands on Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko.