34 fun facts for May, 12

Discover dozens of fun facts for this special day. Read the summary for a quick recap on what happened.
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Summary
On May 12th, many significant events took place, including the birth of Florence Nightingale, the first flight over the North Pole, and the presentation of the world's first programmable digital computer, the Z3. Important celebrations such as International Nurses Day and Limerick Day are also observed on this date.

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34 Fun facts
  1. May 12, 1820: Florence Nightingale was born in Florence, Italy. She became a pioneer of modern nursing and is best known for her role in the Crimean War where she established sanitary conditions for the soldiers and significantly reduced the death rates in military hospitals.
  2. May 12, 1926: The first successful flight over the North Pole took place. Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, American polar explorer Lincoln Ellsworth, and Italian airship designer Colonel Umberto Nobile flew over the North Pole in an airship called Norge.
  3. May 12, 1932: The body of Charles Lindbergh's 20-month-old son was found less than a quarter-mile from the Lindbergh family's New Jersey home. The infant's kidnapping, dubbed "The Crime of the Century," gained worldwide attention.
  4. May 12, 1937: King George VI was crowned at Westminster Abbey in London, England, after the abdication of his brother King Edward VIII. He reigned until his death in 1952 and was succeeded by his daughter, Queen Elizabeth II.
  5. May 12, 1941: Konrad Zuse presented the Z3, the world's first operational, programmable, and fully automatic digital computer. The Z3 was used to perform complex calculations for aircraft design and other engineering applications.
  6. May 12, 1949: The Soviet Union ended its blockade of West Berlin, which was established in June 1948 in an attempt to gain control of the city. The blockade was met with a massive Allied airlift of food and supplies, known as the Berlin Airlift.
  7. May 12, 1955: American inventor George Retzlaff patented the first solar water heater. His invention significantly improved energy efficiency and reduced the use of non-renewable resources for heating water.
  8. May 12, 1978: The U.S. Commerce Department announced that the country's smallpox vaccination program would be discontinued due to the global eradication of the disease. Smallpox is the only human disease to have been completely eradicated worldwide.
  9. May 12, 1986: The first successful heart-lung transplant was performed by Dr. Bruce Reitz of Stanford University in California. The recipient was a 45-year-old woman suffering from severe pulmonary hypertension.
  10. May 12, 1990: The World Health Organization (WHO) removed homosexuality from its list of mental disorders. This important step helped combat discrimination and promote LGBTQ+ rights worldwide.
  11. May 12, 1999: David Steel was elected as the first Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament. The Scottish Parliament was re-established after a hiatus of 292 years, marking an important milestone in the devolution of powers from the United Kingdom to Scotland.
  12. May 12, 2002: Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter became the first U.S. president to visit Cuba since the 1959 revolution. His visit aimed to improve relations between the two countries.
  13. May 12, 2008: A major earthquake struck Sichuan, China, killing approximately 87,000 people and rendering millions homeless. The devastating 8.0 magnitude quake was felt as far away as Beijing and Shanghai.
  14. May 12 is International Nurses Day. This annual celebration is held to recognize the invaluable contributions of nurses to society and to honor the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale.
  15. May 12 is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) Awareness Day. This day aims to raise public awareness about this debilitating illness and to promote research and support for those affected.
  16. May 12 is Limerick Day. This day celebrates the popular form of poetry and is named in honor of English author Edward Lear, who popularized limericks in his book "A Book of Nonsense."
  17. May 12 is Nutty Fudge Day. This delicious day is dedicated to celebrating and enjoying the tasty combination of chocolate fudge and nuts.
  18. May 12 is National Odometer Day in the United States. This day celebrates the invention of the odometer, a device that measures the distance traveled by a vehicle.
  19. May 12 is National Receptionists Day. This day recognizes the important role receptionists play in companies and organizations worldwide.
  20. May 12 is Kite Day in India. This festival, also known as Basant Panchami, celebrates the arrival of spring with kite flying competitions, music, and food.
  21. May 12, 1935: The first MLB night game was played between the Cincinnati Reds and the Philadelphia Phillies. This historic event took place at Cincinnati's Crosley Field and marked a turning point for the sport.
  22. May 12, 1971: Mick Jagger, lead singer of the Rolling Stones, married Bianca Pérez-Mora Macías in France. The star-studded wedding was attended by celebrities like Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and Eric Clapton.
  23. May 12, 1963: Bob Dylan walked off the set of "The Ed Sullivan Show" after being told he couldn't perform his chosen song, "Talkin' John Birch Paranoid Blues." This controversial move cemented his status as a countercultural icon.
  24. May 12, 2001: Australian pop star Kylie Minogue released her hit single "Can't Get You Out of My Head." The song went on to become her highest-charting single in the United States and one of her most successful hits globally.
  25. May 12, 1993: The hit sitcom "Cheers" aired its final episode after 11 successful seasons. The show became a pop culture phenomenon and launched the careers of several famous actors, including Ted Danson, Shelley Long, and Kelsey Grammer.
  26. May 12, 2018: Veteran Malaysian politician Mahathir Mohamad was sworn in as Prime Minister at the age of 92. He became the oldest currently-serving elected head of government at the time.
  27. May 12, 1975: The U.S. merchant ship SS Mayaguez was seized by the Khmer Rouge off the coast of Cambodia, leading to the final U.S. military action of the Vietnam War, known as the Mayaguez Incident.
  28. May 12, 2001: Tony Blair's Labour Party won a second successive term in the U.K.'s general election, securing a large parliamentary majority.
  29. May 12, 2016: The Kenyan government announced the closure of the world's largest refugee camp, Dadaab, due to economic and security reasons. The camp housed over 260,000 refugees, primarily from Somalia.
  30. May 12, 1937: The first jet airliner, the de Havilland DH.106 Comet, made its maiden flight in England. The Comet revolutionized air travel but suffered from several high-profile crashes due to structural issues.
  31. May 12, 1918: Julius Rosenberg, an American engineer who was convicted of spying for the Soviet Union, was born. He was executed in 1953 alongside his wife, Ethel, for passing atomic bomb secrets to the Soviets during World War II.
  32. May 12, 2009: The animated sitcom "Glee" debuted on Fox. The show gained a massive following and became a cultural phenomenon, launching the careers of several young actors and inspiring a renewed interest in music and the performing arts.
  33. May 12, 2020: The first murder hornet (Asian giant hornet) nest was confirmed to be found in the United States in Washington State. They made headlines due to their potential to devastate honeybee populations.
  34. May 12, 2012: Google launched Knowledge Graph, a search enhancement feature that uses semantic search to understand the meaning of search queries and provide better search results.

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