October 12
Overview
Holidays & Observances
Christianfeast day:
BlessedLouis Brisson, Edith CavellandElizabeth Fry(Church of England), Fiacc, Our Lady of the Pillar(Fiestas del Pilar), Our Lady of Aparecida, Radim Gaudentius(Czech Republic), Seraphin of Montegranaro, Wilfrid of Ripon, Carlo Acutis, October 12 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
A collection of Christian feast days observed on October 12, honoring saints and blessed individuals across various Christian traditions.
Children's Day(Brazil)
Children's Day in Brazil honors the well-being and happiness of children with gifts, family outings, and community activities.
Discovery of America byColumbus-related observances (see alsoOctober 8):
Columbus Day (Honduras), Día de la HispanidadorFiesta Nacional de España, alsoArmed Forces Day(Spain), Día de la Raza(El Salvador,Uruguay), Día de la Resistencia Indígena, "Day of Indigenous Resistance" (Venezuela), Día de las Américas(Belize), Día de las Culturas, "Day of the Cultures" (Costa Rica), Día del Respeto a la Diversidad Cultural, "Day of respect for cultural diversity" (Argentina)
Various countries observe October 12 to commemorate Columbus’s landing in the Americas, celebrating heritage, culture, and history.
Discovery Day(The Bahamas)
Discovery Day in The Bahamas commemorates Christopher Columbus's first landing in the islands in 1492 with cultural events and celebrations.
Feast for LifeofAleister Crowley, celebrated as "Crowleymas" (Thelema)
Crowleymas celebrates the birthday of occultist Aleister Crowley with rituals and gatherings among practitioners of Thelema.
Fiesta Nacional de España(Spain)
Spain’s National Day, or Fiesta Nacional de España, celebrates the nation’s cultural unity and patron saint on October 12.
HafezDay (Iran)1
Hafez Day honors the legacy of the celebrated Persian poet Hafez with poetry readings and cultural events.
Independence Day (Equatorial Guinea), celebrates the independence ofEquatorial Guineafrom Spain in 1968.
Equatorial Guinea’s Independence Day marks its separation from Spanish colonial rule on October 12, 1968.
International Day Against DRM
The International Day Against DRM advocates for digital rights by highlighting the drawbacks of restrictive digital locks and copyright measures.
Events
The army of Cyrus the Great of Persia conquer Babylon, ending the Babylonian empire. (Julian calendar)
In 539 BC, Cyrus the Great's Persian army captured Babylon, bringing an end to the ancient Babylonian Empire.
Battle of Hatfield Chase: King Edwin of Northumbria is defeated and killed by an alliance under Penda of Mercia and Cadwallon of Gwynedd.
In 633, King Edwin of Northumbria was defeated and slain at the Battle of Hatfield Chase by an alliance of Mercian and Welsh forces.
The Nichiren Shōshū branch of Buddhism is founded in Japan.
In 1279, the Nichiren Shōshū branch of Buddhism was established in Japan, tracing its origins to the teachings of Nichiren.
In the Treaty of Salynas, Lithuania cedes Samogitia to the Teutonic Knights.
In 1398, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ceded Samogitia to the Teutonic Knights under the terms of the Treaty of Salynas.
Chen Yanxiang, the only person from Indonesia known to have visited dynastic Korea, reaches Seoul after having set out from Java four months before.
In 1406, Chen Yanxiang from Java reached Seoul after a four-month voyage, becoming the only known Indonesian visitor to dynastic Korea.
Christopher Columbus's first expedition makes landfall in the Caribbean, specifically on San Salvador Island. (Julian calendar)
On October 12, 1492, Christopher Columbus landed on San Salvador Island in the Caribbean during his first transatlantic voyage.
The Delft Explosion devastates the city in the Netherlands, killing more than 100 people.
In 1654, a massive gunpowder explosion tore through Delft in the Netherlands, killing over 100 residents and destroying much of the city.
The Salem witch trials are ended by a letter from Province of Massachusetts Bay Governor William Phips.
In 1692, Governor William Phips of Massachusetts Bay issued a decree that brought the Salem witch trials to an end.
War of Jenkins' Ear: A British squadron wins a tactical victory over a Spanish squadron off Havana.
In 1748, during the War of Jenkins’ Ear, a British naval squadron achieved a tactical victory against the Spanish near Havana.
Births
Go-Ichijō
The 68th emperor of Japan who reigned during the Heian period.
Trần Thánh Tông
The second emperor of Vietnam's Trần dynasty who defended his realm against Mongol invasions.
Dmitri Donskoi
A Grand Duke of Moscow celebrated for his victory at the Battle of Kulikovo against the Golden Horde.
Bernardo Pisano
An Italian Renaissance composer and priest known for his pioneering madrigals and music publications.
Asakura Yoshikage
A 16th-century Japanese daimyō of Echizen Province known for his resistance against Oda Nobunaga.
Edward VI
King of England and Ireland who advanced the Protestant Reformation during his brief reign.
Peregrine Bertie
An English nobleman and diplomat who served as the 13th Baron Willoughby de Eresby in Elizabethan England.
Maximilian III
An Archduke of Austria and Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights who contended for the Polish crown.
Jacques Sirmond
A French Jesuit scholar renowned for his editions of classical texts and church histories.
Deaths
Demosthenes
Ancient Athenian statesman and orator who championed democracy against Macedonian expansion.
Honorius I
Pope of the Catholic Church from 625 to 638, known for his administrative reforms and saintly reputation.
John IV
Pope from 640 to 642 who supported missionary efforts in England and defended Byzantine interests.
Tsunesada
Japanese imperial prince of the early Heian period, known as heir apparent before political upheaval altered his fate.
Al-Muti
Abbasid caliph in Baghdad, whose reign saw the decline of central power amid rising regional dynasties.
Leopold II
Margrave of Austria who strengthened his frontier territory and maintained alliances with the Holy Roman Empire.
Adolf III of Berg
Count of Berg who oversaw his family's rising prominence within the Holy Roman Empire’s Rhineland territories.
William d'Aubigny
1st Earl of Arundel and influential English nobleman who served under Kings Henry I and Henry II.
Michael IX Palaiologos
Byzantine co-emperor known for defending the empire against external threats and internal strife.