This Day In History : June 12

1776 United States

Virginia adopts Declaration of Rights

The Virginia Declaration of Rights holds significant historical importance. It was written by George Mason and adopted by the Virginia Constitutional Convention on June 12, 1776.

Also on This Day in History June 12

Discover what happened on June 12 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries,
famous births and notable deaths.

Births on This Day, June 12
  • 1942 Bert Sakmann

    He shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Erwin Neher in 1991 for their work on "the function of single ion channels in cells," and the invention of the patch clamp.

  • 1922 Margherita Hack

    Italian astrophysicist and activist who was one of the most important in her field in Italy, and contributed to the spectral identification of many stars.

  • 1912 Carl I. Hovland

    Carl Iver Hovland was an American psychologist who pioneered in the study of social communication and the modification of attitudes and beliefs.

  • 1906 Lyman C. Craig

    Lyman Creighton Craig was an American chemist who developed the counter-current distribution (CCD) method.

  • 1883 Robert H. Lowie

    He was an Austrian-born American anthropologist whose extensive studies of North American Plains Indians include exemplary research on the Crow.

Deaths on This Day, June 12
  • 2010 Richard Darwin Keynes

    British physiologist who did pioneering work on the mechanisms underlying the conduction of the action potential along nerve fibres.

  • 1982 Karl von Frisch

    Zoologist whose studies of communication among bees added significantly to the knowledge of the chemical and visual sensors of insects and simple animals.

  • 1912 Ferdinand Zirkel

    German geologist and micropetrographist who was a pioneer in microscopic petrography, the study of rock minerals by viewing thin slices of rock under a microscope and noting their optical characteristics.

  • 1885 Fleeming Jenkin

    British engineer noted for his work in establishing units of electrical measurement.

  • 1916 Silvanus Phillips Thompson

     He was elected to the Royal Society in 1891 and was known for his work as an electrical engineer and as an author.

1776

Virginia Adopts Declaration Of Rights

Virginia's Declaration of Rights was drawn upon by Thomas Jefferson for the opening paragraphs of the Declaration of Independence.
1775

1st naval battle of Revolution-Unity (US) captures Margaretta (Br)

 In which the British armed schooner MARGARETTA was captured by a party of Americans, led by Captain Jeremiah O'Brien.
1830

Beginning of the French colonization of Algeria

Beginning of the French colonization of Algeria: 34,000 French soldiers land 27 kilometers west of Algiers, at Sidi Ferruch.
1560

Battle of Okehazama

1560 Battle of Okehazama: Oda Nobunaga defeats Imagawa Yoshimoto in Owari Province, Japan
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