This Day In History : October 12

1964 Russian Federation

Voskhod 1 Launches, First Mission with 3 People in Space (Komarov, Feoktistov, Yegorov)

On October 12, 1964, the Soviet spacecraft Voskhod 1 was launched, marking the first time in history that three people—cosmonauts Vladimir Komarov, Konstantin Feoktistov, and Boris Yegorov—were in space together. This mission demonstrated Soviet space capability and contributed to advancements in human spaceflight during the Cold War era.

Also on This Day in History October 12

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

Births on This Day, October 12
  • 1865 Arthur Harden

    English biochemist who shared (with Hans von Euler-Chelpin) the 1929 Nobel Prize for Chemistry for work on the fermentation of sugar and the enzyme action involved.

  • 1860 Elmer Sperry

    Elmer Ambrose Sperry was an American engineer and inventor who devised the gyrocompass.

  • 1812 Ascanio Sobrero

    Italian chemist who discovered the explosive compound nitroglycerin (1847) by adding glycerine slowly to mixture of nitric and sulphuric acids.

  • 1862 Theodor Boveri

    German cytologist whose work with roundworm eggs proved that chromosomes are separate, continuous, organized structures within the nucleus of a cell.

  • 1868 August Horch

    August Horch was a German engineer and automobile pioneer, the founder of the manufacturing giant that eventually became Audi.

Deaths on This Day, October 12
  • 1914 Margaret E. Knight

    American inventor of flat-bottomed paper bag

  • 1971 Dean Acheson

    American lawyer, politician, 51st United States Secretary of State

  • 2011 Dennis Ritchie

    American computer scientist who created C programming language, helped developed Unix

  • 2005 Cynthia Delores Tucker

    American politician and civil rights activist

  • 1946 Joseph Stilwell

    American general who commanded U.S. forces in China, Burma, and India in WWII

1850

Women's Medical College

In 1850, classes began at the Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania, the first medical school entirely for women.
 
1928

Iron lung

In 1928, the Iron Lung was used by its first patient, a young girl at the Children's Hospital in Boston.
1773

First Insane Asylum Opens in America

On October 12, 1773, the first insane asylum in America, known as the Public Hospital for Persons of Insane and Disordered Minds, opened in Williamsburg, Virginia. This institution marked a significant development in the treatment and care of individuals with mental illness in the United States, laying the groundwork for the establishment of psychiatric hospitals and advancements in mental health care.
1968

Equatorial Guinea becomes independent from Spain

On October 12, 1968, Equatorial Guinea gained independence from Spain. This event marked the end of Spanish colonial rule and the establishment of Equatorial Guinea as an independent nation in Africa.
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