Significant Events and Celebrity Birthdays on September 12 Throughout History
Today is Saturday, September 12, 2026, marking the 255th day of the year with 110 days remaining. On this day in history, significant events took place. In 1940, the ancient Lascaux cave paintings were discovered in France, dating back 17,000 years. The S.S. Central America sank in 1857, resulting in a tragic maritime disaster. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of public school desegregation in 1958. The Soviet Union launched Luna 2 to the moon in 1959. President John F. Kennedy expressed his commitment to the manned space program in a speech in 1962. South African activist Steve Biko died in police custody in 1977, sparking international outrage. In 1994, a stolen plane crashed into the White House. Tragic incidents occurred in Fallujah in 2003 and Los Angeles in 2008. Novak Djokovic won the U.S. Open in 2011, and Voyager 1 left the solar system in 2013. A deadly explosion rocked central India in 2015, and a massacre occurred in Haiti in 2025.
Celebrity birthdays today include Linda Gray, Maria Muldaur, Michael Ondaatje, Joe Pantoliano, Nan Goldin, Hans Zimmer, Rachel Ward, Louis C.K., Angel Cabrera, Jennifer Nettles, 2 Chainz, Ruben Studdard, Yao Ming, Jennifer Hudson, Alfie Allen, Emmy Rossum, Freddie Freeman, Kelsea Ballerini, Sydney Sweeney, Chris Grey, and Jayla Walton.