Warsaw, Poland. A series of major events recorded on May 12 span political upheaval, wartime developments, notable visits, disasters, sporting achievements, and prominent deaths. The following list highlights key moments from 1926 to 2008.
1926
Jozef Pilsudski led a successful military coup in Poland.
1943
The German commander in North Africa, General von Arnim, surrendered in World War Two.
2001
The American singer Perry Como died. His relaxed vocal style endured through six decades with such easy-listening ballads as “Catch a Falling Star” and “It’s Impossible”.
2002
Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter landed in Havana on a private visit, the highest-profile American to visit since Fidel Castro came to power in 1959.
2006
Around 200 people died when an oil pipeline exploded on the outskirts of Nigeria’s capital Lagos after thieves tapped into it to steal fuel.
2006
Justin Gatlin of the U.S. sets new 100m world record with a time of 9.76 seconds.
2008
A 7.9 magnitude earthquake centred in Sichuan province devastated southwestern China, killing nearly 70,000 people.
2008
The American artist Robert Rauschenberg, labelled a “Titan” of American art by the New York Times, died aged 82.
2008
Irena Sendler, a Polish woman who saved thousands of Jewish children during World War Two by smuggling them out of the Warsaw Ghetto, died.
Which of these May 12 events do you want to learn more about?