Osun Defender History Corner: February 12 In Focus

Today, on the history corner, we take a trip in the realm of flashback and recall some events that marked this day.

February 12, 1733

English colonists led by James Oglethorpe founded Georgia, the 13th colony in America.

February 12, 1818

Chile formally proclaimed its independence from Spain.

February 12, 1909

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was founded in New York City.

February 12, 1912

The last emperor of China, Puyi, abdicated his throne, marking the end of the Qing Dynasty.

February 12, 1924

George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” premiered in New York City.

February 12, 1938

German troops entered Austria, completing the Anschluss.

February 12, 1947

Christian Dior unveiled his first haute couture collection, revolutionizing women’s fashion with the “New Look.”

February 12, 1963

Construction began on the Berlin Wall, separating East and West Berlin.

February 12, 1974

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was expelled from the Soviet Union.

February 12, 1994

Four men were convicted in the World Trade Center bombing trial in New York City.

February 12, 1999

The United States Senate acquitted President Bill Clinton of perjury and obstruction of justice charges related to the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

February 12, 2002

The trial of Slobodan Milošević, former President of Yugoslavia, began at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague.

February 12, 2009

Colgan Air Flight 3407 crashed near Buffalo, New York, killing all 49 passengers and crew on board, along with one person on the ground.

February 12, 2014

The XXII Winter Olympics officially opened in Sochi, Russia.

February 12, 2015

A ceasefire agreement was reached between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.

February 12, 2018

SpaceX successfully launched the Falcon Heavy, the most powerful operational rocket in the world, on its maiden flight.

February 12, 2019

Pope Francis held an unprecedented summit at the Vatican to address sexual abuse within the Catholic Church.

February 12, 2020

The World Health Organization (WHO) officially named the novel coronavirus disease COVID-19.

February 12, 2021

NASA’s Perseverance rover successfully landed on Mars, beginning its mission to search for signs of past microbial life and collect samples for future return to Earth.

February 12, 2022

The Winter Olympics in Beijing, China, concluded after two weeks of competition.

Please note that these are just a few historical events that happened on February 12. History is full of numerous other significant events on this day, ranging from politics and warfare to cultural and scientific milestones.