Significant Events and Birthdays on August 12

Today is Wednesday, August 12, 2026, marking the 224th day of the year. With 141 days remaining in the year, this date has witnessed many notable events throughout history.

Historical Events

In 1990, fossil collector Sue Hendrickson made a groundbreaking discovery. She uncovered one of the largest and best-preserved Tyrannosaurus Rex skeletons in South Dakota. Named ‘Sue’ in her honor, this significant find is now prominently displayed at Chicago’s Field Museum.

In 1867, President Andrew Johnson faced potential impeachment. He defied Congress by suspending Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton during disputes over Reconstruction policies. Although impeached, he was later acquitted by the Senate.

In 1898, the Spanish-American War concluded, marking the end of hostilities.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the venue for the famed Indianapolis 500, first opened in 1909.

During World War II, on this date in 1944, Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., son of Joseph and Rose Kennedy, was killed in a plane explosion over England.

The Soviet Union secretly tested its first hydrogen bomb in 1953.

The United States launched its first balloon communications satellite, Echo 1, in 1960 from Cape Canaveral.

IBM introduced its first personal computer, model 5150, in 1981 at a New York press conference.

A tragic air disaster occurred in 1985 when a Japan Airlines Boeing 747 crashed, killing 520 people with only four survivors.

Baseball players went on strike in 1994 due to disputes over salary caps in the sport’s eighth work stoppage since 1972.

In 2000, the Russian submarine Kursk was lost in the Barents Sea along with its 118 crew members.

Infamous mob boss James ‘Whitey’ Bulger was convicted in 2013 of multiple crimes, including 11 murders. He was later killed in prison in 2018.

In 2017, tragedy struck during a protest in Virginia when a driver killed Heather Heyer and injured several others. The attacker received a life sentence on both federal and state charges.

Author Salman Rushdie was attacked during a public lecture in New York in 2022, following longstanding threats stemming from his writings.

Notable Birthdays

• Investor and philanthropist George Soros is celebrating his 96th birthday.
• Actor George Hamilton turns 87.
• Mark Knopfler, musician of Dire Straits fame, is 77.
• Singer Kid Creole is 76 today.
• Celebrated film director Chen Kaige reaches 74 years.
• Jazz guitarist Pat Metheny turns 72.
• Actor Bruce Greenwood is 70.
• Basketball Hall of Famer Lynette Woodard is celebrating 67 years.
• Rapper Sir Mix-A-Lot hits 63.
• Actor Peter Krause turns 61.
• Tennis icon Pete Sampras is 55 today.
• Actor-comedian Michael Ian Black shares his 55th birthday.
• Actor Yvette Nicole Brown is also 55.
• Actor Casey Affleck is 51.
• Boxer Tyson Fury turns 38.
• Actor Lakeith Stanfield celebrates his 35th birthday.
• NBA All-Star Khris Middleton is 35.
• Model and actor Cara Delevingne turns 34.
• Greek tennis player Stefanos Tsitsipas reaches 28 years today.