July 12
Subject to Britannica's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
1861: Wild Bill Hickok’s first gunfight
On this day in 1861, in a postal station in Rock Creek, Nebraska, a legend was born. The man who would become known as Wild Bill Hickok is said to have fought his first gunfight there. Then known as “Duck Bill” (a derogatory reference to Hickok’s thin lips), Hickok confronted a group of men led by local bully and landowner David McCanles over the station’s rent, leaving McCanles and two of his men dead. But what really happened? Read on to discover how the legend was made.
READ MORE
© GL Archive/Alamy; Photo Illustration Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Featured Event
PhotoQuest—Archive Photos/Getty Images
Democratic presidential candidate Walter F. Mondale put forward Geraldine Ferraro as his running mate on this day in 1984, making her the first woman ever nominated for vice president by a major U.S. political party. [Discover the history of women in politics.]
Featured Biography
Featured Biography
Universal History Archive—Universal Images Group/Getty Images
Dutch humanist Desiderius Erasmus, the leading scholar of the northern Renaissance who was known for his work involving the Greek New Testament and the Church Fathers, died this day in 1536 in Basel, Switzerland.
Famous Birthdays
More on July 12
© Featureflash Photo Agency/Shutterstock.com
2005
Prince Albert II, the only son of Prince Rainier III and Grace Kelly, formally assumed the throne of Monaco. [Take our quiz about kings and emperors.]
© Album/Alamy
1979
Between games of a baseball doubleheader between the Chicago White Sox and the Detroit Tigers at Comiskey Park, a crate of disco records was blown up as part of a promotion dubbed Disco Demolition Night. Fans rushed the field, and, as a result of the ensuing mayhem, the second game was forfeited to the Tigers. [Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about Chicago history.]
© Gregg DeGuire—WireImage/Getty Images
1976
The television quiz show Family Feud began airing on ABC, and it became hugely popular, in part because of the personal charm and witty banter of host Richard Dawson. The show continued—with different hosts, including Steve Harvey—into the 21st century. [Sort fact from fiction in our pop culture quiz.]
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
1975
The island nation of Sao Tome and Principe was granted independence from Portugal. [Test your knowledge of islands.]
© Terry O'Neill—REX/Shutterstock.com
1962
Iconic British rock band the Rolling Stones performed their first show, billed as the Rollin’ Stones, at a club in London. [Read about 10 iconic Rolling Stones songs.]
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Camera Press/Globe Photos
1904
Chilean poet, diplomat, and politician Pablo Neruda, perhaps the most important Latin American poet of the 20th century and the winner of the 1971 Nobel Prize for Literature, was born in Parral. [Sort fact from fiction in our poetry quiz.]
Image: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
1896
Revere Beach, located in Revere, Massachusetts, five miles north of Boston, became the United States’ first public beach. [Test your knowledge in our 50 States, 50 Fun Facts quiz.]
Statens Museum for Kunst (National Gallery of Denmark); www.smk.dk (Public domain)
1884
Italian painter and sculptor Amedeo Modigliani, whose portraits are among the most important of the 20th century, was born. [Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about artists and painters.]
U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs
1862
The Medal of Honor, awarded for battlefield bravery, was created for the U.S. Army. [Take our military history buff quiz.]
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
1776
British explorer Capt. James Cook set out on his third and final voyage to find the Northwest Passage through northern Canada and Alaska or the Northeast Passage around Siberia, linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Sailing on the Resolution, Cook was unsuccessful, and the voyage led to his death. In a brief confrontation with Native Hawaiians over the theft of a cutter, Cook was killed on the beach at Kealakekua Bay in February 1779.
Historic Collection/Alamy
1543
King Henry VIII of England wed his sixth and last wife, Catherine Parr. [How much do you know about Henry VIII and his wives?]