This Day in History on 12th February

The historical events hold a lot of value for aspirants who are sitting for UPSC competitive exams including the IAS Exam. 

On this page, we will list all historical events that occurred on 12th February. The students can refer to them while preparing for all competitive exams and banking exams.

Important Days

Darwin Day

Important Events

1502: Vasco-da-Gama embarked on his second voyage to India from Lisbon, Portugal.

1825: The Creek cede the last of their lands in Georgia to the United States government by the Treaty of Indian Springs, and migrate west.

1922: Gandhi persuaded the Congress Executive Committee to end the non-cooperation movement.

1928: Gandhi signaled a satyagraha in Bardoli.

1975: India declared itself smallpox free.

1976: Hadekki (Kerala) project was inaugurated by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

1993: M. N. Venkatachalaya became the 25th Chief Justice of India.

2002: An Iran Airtour Tupolev Tu-154 crashes in the mountains outside Khorramabad, Iran while descending for a landing at Khorramabad Airport, killing 119.


2004: The city of San Francisco begins issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in response to a directive from Mayor Gavin Newsom.


2009: Colgan Air Flight 3407 crashes into a house in Clarence Center, New York while on approach to Buffalo Niagara International Airport, killing all on board and one on the ground.

2016: Student leader Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested on “anti-nationalism” charges by Indian police at an anniversary event of the death of Afzal Guru, at Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University.


2016: Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill sign an Ecumenical Declaration in the first such meeting between leaders of the Catholic and Russian Orthodox Churches since their split in 1054.


2019: The country known as the Republic of Macedonia renames itself the Republic of North Macedonia in accordance with the Prespa agreement, settling a long-standing naming dispute with Greece.

Birth/Birth Anniversary

1742: Nana Phadnavis, an influential minister and statesman of the Maratha Empire.

1804: Emil Lenz, a Russian physicist.

1809: Charles Darwin, an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, best known for his contributions to the science of evolution.

Dayananda Saraswati

1809: Abraham Lincoln, an American statesman, and lawyer who served as the 16th president of the United States.

1824: Dayananda Saraswati, an Indian philosopher, social leader, and founder of the Arya Samaj.

1871: Charles Freer Andrews, a priest of the Church of England.

1877: Louis Renault, a French industrialist, was one of the founders of Renault.

1920: Pran Krishan Sikand, better known as Pran, is an Indian actor.

1949: Gundappa Viswanath, an Indian former cricketer.

1962: Jagapathi Babu, an Indian film actor.

1988: Nicolás Otamendi, Argentine footballer

1988: Mike Posner, American singer-songwriter and producer

1990: Robert Griffin III, an American football player

1991: Patrick Herrmann, German footballer

1994: Arman Hall, American sprinter

2000: Kim Ji-min, South Korean actress

Death/ Death Anniversary

1710: Jahandar Shah, a Mughal Emperor.

1794: Mahadaji Shinde, a Maratha Statesman, and ruler of Ujjain in Central India.

1808: Immanuel Kant, a German philosopher and one of the central Enlightenment thinkers.

2001: Bhakti Barve, an Indian film, theatre, and television actress.

2016: Yannis Kalaitzis, Greek cartoonist (b. 1945)

2016: Yan Su, Chinese general and composer (b. 1930)

2017: Al Jarreau, American singer (b. 1940)

2017: Anna Marguerite McCann, first female American underwater archaeologist (b. 1933)

2017: Ren Xinmin, Chinese rocket scientist (b. 1915)

2019: Gordon Banks, English footballer (b. 1937)

2019: Lyndon LaRouche, American political activist (b. 1922)

2019: Pedro Morales, Puerto Rican professional wrestler, and commentator (b. 1942)

2020: Christie Blatchford, Canadian newspaper columnist, journalist, and broadcaster (b. 1951)

Further Reading

Month-wise This Day in History