On this day

August 12, 1952

Revisit the news, notable people, and historical moments connected to this date.

Historical Context for August 12, 1952

In 1952, the world population was approximately 2,584,086,339 people[โ€ ]

Notable Births

1952Daniel Biles, American associate justice of the Kansas Supreme Court[โ€ ]

William Daniel Biles is a justice of the Kansas Supreme Court. Biles was appointed on January 7, 2009, by Governor Kathleen Sebelius to replace retiring Chief Justice Kay McFarland.

Sitaram Yechury

1952Sitaram Yechury, Indian politician and leader of CPI(M) (died 2024)[โ€ ]

Sitaram Yechury was an Indian Marxist politician and the General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), who was a member of the Politburo of the CPI(M) from 1992 until his death in September 2024. Previously, he was a Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, West Bengal, from 2005 to 2017.

Notable Deaths

David Bergelson

1952David Bergelson, Ukrainian author and playwright (born 1884)[โ€ ]

David Bergelson was a Yiddish language writer born in the Russian Empire. He lived for a time in Berlin, Germany, before moving to the Soviet Union following the Nazi rise to power in Germany. He was a victim of the post-war antisemitic "rootless cosmopolitan" campaign and one of those executed on the Night of the Murdered Poets.

Historical Events

Night of the Murdered Poets

1952The Night of the Murdered Poets: Thirteen prominent Jewish intellectuals are murdered in Moscow, Russia, Soviet Union.[โ€ ]

The Night of the Murdered Poets occurred on 12 August 1952, and it involved the execution of 13 Soviet Jews in the Lubyanka Prison in Moscow. Arrests were made in September 1948 and June 1949, with all defendants having been falsely accused of espionage and treason, as well as many other crimes. Following their arrests and detention, they were tortured, beaten, and isolated for three years before being formally charged. There were five Yiddish writers among these defendants, all of whom were part of the Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee.

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Headlines from August 12, 1952

POWER OF DICTATOR WON BY MOSSADEGH; Iranian Senate, in About-Face, Gives Premier Unrestricted Authority for Six Months

By Albion Ross

Sen approves dictatorial powers despite please by Lessani and Daftary; Deputy Premier Kazemi repts on reforms plans; Mossadegh reptdly will drop demand for martial law extension; Ahwaz Mil Gov and other officials suspended after riots; Kashani says US mil advisers do not harm Iran; agitation for their ouster seen ended except by Tudeh; US popularity seen revived by repts US urges GB to change oil stand; Kashani urges Sen approve Tahamsebi pardon; crowd cheers Sens; assails Lessani and Daftary

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