August 12 in history — What Happened Today in History

The first free flight of the Space Shuttle Enterprise.

The Sri Lanka Riots, targeting the minority Sri Lankan Tamils, begin, less than a month after the United National Party came to power. Over 300 Tamils are killed.

Between 1,000 and 3,500 Palestinians are killed in the Tel al-Zaatar massacre, one of the bloodiest events of the Lebanese Civil War.

Violence erupts after the Apprentice Boys of Derry march in Derry, Northern Ireland, resulting in a three-day communal riot known as the Battle of the Bogside.

South Africa is banned from the Olympic Games due to the country's racist policies.

Echo 1A, NASA's first successful communications satellite, is launched.

Thermonuclear bomb testing: The Soviet atomic bomb project continues with the detonation of "RDS-6s" (Joe 4) using a "layered" scheme.

The 7.2 Ms Ionian earthquake shakes the southern Ionian Islands with a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme). Between 445 and 800 people are killed.

The Night of the Murdered Poets: Thirteen prominent Jewish intellectuals are murdered in Moscow, Russia, Soviet Union.

Korean War: Bloody Gulch massacre: Seventy-five American POWs are massacred by the North Korean Army.

Between 15 and 150 unarmed members of the Khudai Khidmatgar movement are killed by Pakistani police.

World War II: Waffen-SS troops massacre 560 people in Sant'Anna di Stazzema.

World War II: Nazi German troops end the week-long Wola massacre, during which at least 40,000 people are killed indiscriminately or in mass executions.

World War II: Alençon is liberated by General Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque, becoming the first city in France to be liberated from the Nazis by French forces.

World War I: France, the United Kingdom and the British Empire declare war on Austria-Hungary.

World War I: The Battle of Halen a.k.a. Battle of the Silver Helmets, a clash between large Belgian and German cavalry formations at Halen, Belgium.

The Hawaiian flag is lowered from ʻIolani Palace in an elaborate annexation ceremony and replaced with the flag of the United States to signify the transfer of sovereignty from the Republic of Hawaii to the United States where it is formally recognized as Hawaii.

The last quagga dies at the Natura Artis Magistra, a zoo in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Joseph Lister, British surgeon and scientist, performs the first antiseptic surgery.

Isaac Singer is granted a patent for his sewing machine.

French intervention forces William I of the Netherlands to abandon his attempt to suppress the Belgian Revolution.

Santiago de Liniers, 1st Count of Buenos Aires re-takes the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina after the first British invasion.

The Rhône and Loire départments are created when the former département of Rhône-et-Loire is split into two.

The Anjala conspiracy is signed.

Treaty of Allahabad is signed. The Treaty marks the political and constitutional involvement and the beginning of Company rule in India.

Battle of Mohács: Charles of Lorraine defeats the Ottoman Empire.

Praying Indian John Alderman shoots and kills Metacomet, the Wampanoag war chief, ending King Philip's War.

Charles de La Vieuville is arrested and replaced by Cardinal Richelieu as the French king's chief advisor.

Luna, South Korean singer, actress and presenter

Cara Delevingne, English model and actress

Jacob Loko, Australian rugby player

Teo Gheorghiu, Swiss pianist and actor

Jesinta Campbell, Australian model

Sam Hoare, Australian rugby league player

Khris Middleton, American basketball player

LaKeith Stanfield, American actor and musician

Mario Balotelli, Italian footballer

Tom Cleverley, English footballer

Hong Jeong-ho, South Korean footballer

Sunye, South Korean singer

Tyson Fury, English boxer

Kongō Masahiro, Japanese sumo wrestler (born 1948)

Tereza de Arriaga, Portuguese painter (born 1915)

Hans-Ekkehard Bob, German soldier and pilot (born 1917)

Pauline Maier, American historian and academic (born 1938)

David McLetchie, Scottish lawyer and politician (born 1952)

Vasiliy Mihaylovich Peskov, Russian ecologist and journalist (born 1930)

Jimmy Carr, American football player and coach (born 1933)

Jerry Grant, American race car driver (born 1935)

Joe Kubert, Polish-American illustrator, founded The Kubert School (born 1926)

Édgar Morales Pérez, Mexican engineer and politician

Alf Morris, English politician and activist (born 1928)

Robert Robinson, English journalist and author (born 1927)

Isaac Bonewits, American Druid, author, and activist; founded Ár nDraíocht Féin (born 1949)