May 12
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Featured Event
Bob Baker—Redferns/Getty Images; Photo Illustration Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
The album Are You Experienced by the Jimi Hendrix Experience was released on this day in 1967. Its bold, psychedelic sound proved that its mastermind, Jimi Hendrix, was demolishing any boundaries rock music had once known. [Read today’s edition of Today in History > >]
Featured Biography
Featured Biography
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
My greatest strength is…common sense. I’m really a standard brand—like Campbell’s tomato soup or Baker’s chocolate.
Born this day in 1907, American actress Katharine Hepburn brought a spirited individuality and depth of character to her roles that made her one of Hollywood’s most dynamic leading ladies and earned her four Academy Awards.
Famous Birthdays
More on May 12
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc./Kenny Chmielewski
2008
A massive earthquake struck Sichuan province in China, destroying some four-fifths of the structures in the affected area and killing some 90,000 people. [Explore a list of the largest earthquakes in history.]
© Michael Putland/Retna
1972
The British rock group the Rolling Stones released Exile on Main Street, a double album that is considered one of their defining works. [Take our quiz about rock music and rock and roll.]
Air Force Historical Research Agency
1949
The Soviet Union lifted its blockade of Berlin. [Find out how “candy bombers” saved West Berliners.]
© Central Press—Hulton Royals Collection/Getty Images
1937
King George VI of the United Kingdom was crowned following the abdication of Edward VIII. [Test your knowledge of the kings of England.]
The National Library of Norway (bldsa_NPRA0093)
1926
Aboard the semirigid airship Norge, Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, American scientist Lincoln Ellsworth, and Italian engineer Umberto Nobile made the first undisputed flight over the North Pole. [Take our quiz about exploration and discovery.]
© Bettmann/Getty Images
1925
Baseball player, manager, and coach Yogi Berra, who won 10 World Series as a player for the New York Yankees, was born in St. Louis, Missouri. [How well do you know Yogi Berra’s most famous quotes?]
Used by permission, Utah State Historical Society
1846
The ill-fated Donner party left Independence, Missouri, for California. Months later the group became trapped in the Sierra Nevada, and some members reportedly resorted to cannibalism when the food ran out. [How many people survived the Donner party ordeal?]
© Photos.com/Thinkstock
1820
Florence Nightingale, who was the foundational philosopher of modern nursing and the first woman awarded the Order of Merit, was born in Florence, Italy. International Nurses Day is celebrated on her birthday. [Test your knowledge of famous people in history.]
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
1780
During the American Revolution, Major General Benjamin Lincoln of the Continental Army surrendered his 7,000 troops at Charleston, South Carolina, to the British. [Take our American Revolution quiz.]