Box-office #1
The Empire Strikes Back
1980 · dir. Irvin Kershner
Wide US release on May 23, 1980. Goes on to become the highest-grossing film of the year.
Sci-fiStar Wars $538M worldwide
On this day
May 12 Tuesday, May 12, 2026
A curious almanac of what happened on May 12 across the years — history, birthdays, the songs that ruled the charts, the films that packed cinemas, and the science that nudged the world forward.
12
Events
7
Birthdays
3
Holidays
War 162 years ago
American Civil War: The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House: Union troops assault a Confederate salient known as the "Mule Shoe", with some of the fiercest fighting of the war, much of it hand-to-hand combat, occurring at "the Bloody Angle" on the northwest.
Union troops assault the Confederate "Mule Shoe" salient at Spotsylvania Court House, with brutal hand-to-hand combat at the "Bloody Angle" marking some of the war's fiercest fighting.
History
What happened on May 12
12 verified entries Full timeline
- 113World history
Roman emperor Trajan dedicates a column celebrating and depicting his victory over the Dacians.
Trajan dedicates a column commemorating his triumph over the Dacians.
- 254Religion
Pope Stephen I succeeds Pope Lucius I, becoming the 23rd pope of the Catholic Church, and immediately takes a stand against Novatianism.
Pope Stephen I becomes the 23rd pope and opposes Novatianism.
- 907World history
Zhu Wen forces Emperor Ai into abdicating, ending the Tang dynasty after nearly three hundred years of rule.
Zhu Wen forces Emperor Ai to abdicate, marking the end of the Tang dynasty's nearly three-century reign.
- 1157Religion
A church council presided over by Byzantine emperor Manuel I Komnenos in the Palace of Blachernae investigates the orthodoxy of the patriarch of Antioch, Soterichos Panteugenos.
A church council presided over by Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Komnenos investigates the orthodoxy of Antioch's Patriarch Soterichos Panteugenos at the Palace of Blachernae.
- 1191Royalty
Richard I of England marries Berengaria of Navarre in Cyprus; she is crowned Queen consort of England the same day.
Richard I marries Berengaria of Navarre and crowns her Queen consort of England in Cyprus.
- 1328Religion
Antipope Nicholas V, a claimant to the papacy, is consecrated in Rome by the Bishop of Venice.
Nicholas V is consecrated as antipope in Rome by the Bishop of Venice.
- 1364European history
Jagiellonian University, the oldest university in Poland, is founded in Kraków.
Jagiellonian University is established in Kraków, becoming the oldest university in Poland.
- 1497Religion
Pope Alexander VI excommunicates Girolamo Savonarola.
Pope Alexander VI excommunicates Girolamo Savonarola for heresy and schism.
- 1510World history
The Prince of Anhua rebellion begins when Zhu Zhifan kills all the officials invited to a banquet and declares his intent on ousting the powerful Ming dynasty eunuch Liu Jin during the reign of the Zhengde Emperor.
Zhu Zhifan kills officials at a banquet and declares rebellion against the Ming dynasty's Liu Jin.
- 1588European history
French Wars of Religion: Henry III of France flees Paris after Henry I, Duke of Guise, enters the city and a spontaneous uprising occurs.
Henry III of France flees Paris as Henry I, Duke of Guise, enters the city amid a spontaneous uprising.
- 1780War
American Revolutionary War: In the largest defeat of the Continental Army, Charleston, South Carolina is taken by British forces.
British forces capture Charleston, South Carolina, in the largest defeat of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.
- 1864War
American Civil War: The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House: Union troops assault a Confederate salient known as the "Mule Shoe", with some of the fiercest fighting of the war, much of it hand-to-hand combat, occurring at "the Bloody Angle" on the northwest.
Union troops assault the Confederate "Mule Shoe" salient at Spotsylvania Court House, with brutal hand-to-hand combat at the "Bloody Angle" marking some of the war's fiercest fighting.
Born today
Famous birthdays on May 12
7 this date All birthdays
Justus von Liebig
German chemist and academic
Justus Freiherr von Liebig, the German chemist who made major contributions to organic chemistry, agricultural science, and laboratory teaching methods, was born today in 1803.
Born
1803
Died
1873
Pompeo Colonna
Catholic cardinal
1479 – 1532
Robert Baldwin
Canadian lawyer and politician, third Premier of West Canada
1804 – 1858
Bruce Boxleitner
American actor and author
b. 1950 · 76
George Karl
American basketball player and coach
b. 1951 · 75
Kieron Pollard
Trinidadian cricketer
b. 1987 · 39
Etika
American YouTuber and live streamer
1990 – 2019
Music
The number one songs on May 12
Across the years Full chart history
Also #1 on this day
- 2026"Rein Me In"— Sam Fender and Olivia Dean
- 2025"Ordinary"— Alex Warren
- 2024"Espresso"— Sabrina Carpenter
- 2023"Miracle"— Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding
- 2022"As It Was"— Harry Styles
- 2021"Montero (Call Me by Your Name)"— Lil Nas X
Film & TV
At the movies
Box office #1 and premieres All releases
🏆 Sport May 12, 1926
Suzanne Lenglen defeats Mary K. Browne in the first professional tennis match
French tennis star Suzanne Lenglen, the dominant amateur champion of the 1920s, made her professional debut at Madison Square Garden in New York. The match marked a watershed moment as professional tennis began to emerge as a viable alternative to the amateur game.
Read the story
🔬 Science May 12, 1941
Konrad Zuse presents the Z3, the world's first working programmable, fully automatic computer, in Berlin.
Konrad Zuse unveils the Z3, a pioneering programmable and fully automatic computer, in Berlin.
Read the storyToday is also
Holidays & observances
3 celebrated today
International ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia Awareness Day
International
International May 12th Awareness Day, also known as International ME/CFS Awareness Day is held every year to raise awareness of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, multip
International Nurses Day
International
International Nurses Day (IND) is an international day observed around the world on 12 May each year, to mark the contributions that nurses make to society
J. V. Snellman Day or the Finnish Heritage Day (Finland)
International
Flag flying days in Finland are days of the year when the national flag is flown nationwide, either by law or by custom
❝
The wealth of nations is to be estimated by the abundance of their productions, not by the gold they possess.
— Justus von Liebig · born May 12, 1803