December 12

Today in History
• 1279 - Discovery of a sarcophagus supposedly containing the body of Mary Magdalene in France
• 1524 - Pope Clement VII approves Organization of Jewish Community of Rome
• 1700 - Utrecht, Overijssel, Buren, Leerdam and Ijsselstein adopt Gregorian calendar
• 1787 - Pennsylvania becomes 2nd state to ratify US constitution
• 1822 - Mexico officially recognized as an independent nation by US
• 1858 - 1st Canadian coins circulated (1 cent, 5 cent, 10 cent and 20 cent)
• 1901 - Guglielmo Marconi sends the first transatlantic radio signal
• 1915 - 1st all-metal aircraft (Junkers J-1) test flown at Dessau, Germany


Holidays - Traditional and Obscure
• Choral Day
• Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe
• Jamhuri Day
• Gingerbread House Day
• National Poinsettia Day
• Pa Togan Nengminza Sangma
• Thailand Constitution Day
• Universal Health Coverage Day

Birthdays
• 1298 - Albert II, Duke of Austria
• 1673 - Ahmed III, 23rd sultan, Turkey, 1703-30
• 1724 - Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood, British admiral in the American Revolutionary War
• 1745 - John Jay, US statesman and 1st US Chief Justice
• 1779 - Madeleine Sophie Barat, French saint, founder of the Society of the Sacred Heart
• 1801 - John of Saxony, King of Saxony (1854-73)
• 1805 - Henry Wells, founder, American Express Co and Wells Fargo and Co
• 1818 - Paul Octave Hébert, American Brigadier General and 14th Governor of Louisiana