Today in History: Attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II

The following is a chronological list of notable events that occurred on May 12 throughout history:

1780 – Charleston surrenders during the American Revolutionary War
After a siege that began on April 2, 1780, American forces under Major General Benjamin Lincoln surrendered Charleston, South Carolina, to British forces on May 12, marking one of the worst defeats for the Americans during the war.

1846 – The Donner Party departs for California
On May 12, 1846, the Donner and Reed families departed Independence, Missouri, heading westward to California. Their journey would later become infamous due to extreme hardships and reports of cannibalism after becoming trapped in the Sierra Nevada during winter.

1926 – First verified flight over the North Pole
The Italian-built airship Norge, piloted by Roald Amundsen, Lincoln Ellsworth, and Umberto Nobile, completed the first verified flight over the North Pole on May 12, 1926.

1932 – Discovery of Charles Lindbergh Jr.’s body
On May 12, 1932, the body of Charles Lindbergh Jr., the kidnapped 20-month-old son of aviator Charles Lindbergh, was found in a wooded area near Hopewell, New Jersey, more than two months after his abduction.

1937 – Coronation of King George VI
Following the abdication of his brother Edward VIII, George VI was crowned King of the United Kingdom at Westminster Abbey on May 12, 1937, with his wife Elizabeth crowned as Queen Consort.

1949 – Soviet Union lifts the Berlin Blockade
After an 11-month blockade of West Berlin, the Soviet Union ended its restrictions on May 12, 1949, which had been countered by the Western Allies through the Berlin Airlift, supplying the city by air.

1957 – Fatal crash at the Mille Miglia race
On May 12, 1957, during Italy’s Mille Miglia endurance race, a Ferrari driven by Alfonso de Portago suffered a tire failure, crashing into spectators and resulting in the deaths of de Portago, his co-driver, and nine bystanders.

1975 – SS Mayaguez incident
Cambodian Khmer Rouge forces seized the American merchant ship SS Mayaguez on May 12, 1975, leading to a U.S. military rescue operation. The ensuing conflict resulted in the deaths of 41 American servicemen.

1982 – Attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II
On May 12, 1982, in Fatima, Portugal, a Spanish priest armed with a bayonet attempted to attack Pope John Paul II during a pilgrimage. The pontiff sustained minor injuries in the assault.

2008 – Sichuan earthquake devastates China
A magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck China’s Sichuan province on May 12, 2008, resulting in over 87,000 people dead or missing and leaving millions homeless. It was one of the deadliest natural disasters in the country’s history.