On this day
Revisit the news, notable people, and historical moments connected to this date.
In 2012, the world population was approximately 7,201,202,485 people[â ]
2012Humayun Ahmed, Bangladeshi director and playwright (born 1948)[â ]
Humayun Ahmed was a Bangladeshi novelist, dramatist, screenwriter, filmmaker, songwriter, scholar, and academic. His breakthrough was his debut novel Nondito Noroke published in 1972. He wrote over 200 fiction and non-fiction books. He was one of the most popular authors and filmmakers in post-independence Bangladesh. Pakistani English newspaper Dawn referred to him as the cultural legend of Bangladesh.
2012Tom Davis, American comedian, actor, and screenwriter (born 1952)[â ]
Thomas James Davis was an American comedian, writer, and author. He is best known for his comedy partnership with Al Franken, as half of the comedy duo "Franken & Davis" on Saturday Night Live.
2012Mohammad Hassan Ganji, Iranian meteorologist and academic (born 1912)[â ]
Mohammad Hassan Ganji Ph.D., was an Iranian meteorologist and academic. He was born in Birjand. He is credited as being the father of modern geography in Iran.
2012Omar Suleiman, Egyptian general and politician, 16th Vice President of Egypt (born 1935)[â ]
Omar Mahmoud Suleiman was an Egyptian army general, politician, diplomat, and intelligence officer. A leading figure in Egypt's intelligence system beginning in 1986, Suleiman was appointed to the long-vacant vice presidency by President Hosni Mubarak on 29 January 2011. On 11 February 2011, Suleiman announced Mubarak's resignation and ceased being vice president; governing power was transferred to the Armed Forces Supreme Council, of which Suleiman was not a member. A new head of intelligence services was appointed by the ruling Supreme Council. Suleiman withdrew from the political scene and did not appear in public after announcing Mubarak's resignation.
2012Sylvia Woods, American businesswoman, co-founded Sylvia's Restaurant of Harlem (born 1926)[â ]
Sylvia Woods was an American restaurateur who founded the restaurant Sylvia's in Harlem on Lenox Avenue, New York City with her husband, Herbert Woods, in 1962. The soul food eatery is a popular gathering place for Harlem residents and tourists not far from the Apollo Theater.
2012Valiulla Yakupov, Islamic cleric (born 1963)[â ]
Valiulla Makhmutovich Yakupov was a prominent Muslim cleric in Tatarstan, Russia and the deputy to the Muslim province's chief mufti. He was also known as a strong critic of radical Islamist organisations which advocate Salafism, a radical form of Islam. According to news agency Interfax, Yakupov founded Russia's first Islamic literary publishing house.
2012Syrian civil war: The People's Protection Units (YPG) capture the city of KobanĂź without resistance, starting the Rojava conflict in Northeast Syria.[â ]
The Syrian civil war is an ongoing conflict in Syria that began with the Syrian revolution in March 2011, when popular discontent with the Ba'athist regime ruled by Bashar al-Assad triggered large-scale protests and pro-democracy rallies across Syria, as part of the wider Arab Spring protests in the region. The Assad regime responded to the protests with lethal force, sparking a civil war that culminated in the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024. All revolutionary factions were united into the Syrian caretaker government by 12 March 2025.
Retirees who were offered pension buyouts from General Motors are finding the decision, a lump-sum check or continued monthly payments, anything but simple.
Because of a corporate spat, Nickelodeon, owned by Viacom, has disappeared from DirecTVâs lineup, giving the Disney Channel, the Cartoon Network and other channels an edge.
The attack on President Bashar al-Assadâs security chiefs aligned neatly with a tactical shift by rebels: the swift and successful adoption of makeshift bombs.
Stockton, Calif., recently became the largest city in the country to declare bankruptcy, but evidence of its problems has been mounting for years.
American officials confirmed Israelâs assertions that the suicide bomber who killed five Israelis on a tour bus was a member of a Hezbollah cell.
The yearslong process of cleaning up the Bronx River and the land along its banks continues, with some notable, even miraculous, successes.
âThe Queen of Versaillesâ follows a high-living couple as they seek to build the largest private home in America just as the 2008 financial crisis hits.
Prompted by declining incomes, as well as fears about radiation, more Japanese consumers and businesses are fighting for the tiny available amounts of imported rice.
Thereâs nostalgia, yes, and trying out the new rides. But thereâs also the option to duck into a quiet bar.
Opened last month, Cars Land is part of an upgrade to Disneyâs California Adventure amusement park. But can it win over the ultimate critic, a 7-year-old âCarsâ expert?
A meeting this week of the worldâs two major accounting boards revealed the divisions that prevent agreement on a single set of rules.
Building on momentum gained by their brazen assassination of three top Syrian security officials a day earlier, rebel fighters seized all four crossings with Iraq and one into Turkey.