Aug. 12 (UPI) — On this date in history:
In 1851, Isaac Singer was granted a patent for his sewing machine. He set up business in Boston with $40 in capital.
In 1898, a peace protocol was signed, ending the Spanish-American War. The United States acquired Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines, and annexed Hawaii.
In 1939, The Wizard of Oz, starring Judy Garland, had its world premiere in Oconomowoc, Wis.
In 1966, as the Beatles were beginning their last tour, John Lennon apologized for saying they were more popular than Jesus Christ.
In 1973, Jack Nicklaus won the PGA championship for his 14th major title, surpassing Bobby Jones’ record of 13. Nicklaus won 18 majors in his career.
In 1981, IBM introduced the first personal computer.
In 1984, the 23rd Olympic Games ended in Los Angeles. It had a record attendance of 5.5 million people despite a Soviet-led boycott.
File Photo by Steve W Grayson/UPI
In 1985, in aviation’s worst single-plane disaster, a Japan Air Lines Boeing 747 slammed into a mountain in central Japan, killing 520 people. Four passengers survived.
In 1992, President George H.W. Bush announced the completion of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Mexico and Canada, creating the world’s largest free trade bloc. President Bill Clinton signed the agreement into law on December 8, 1993.
In 2012, officials in Iran said the death toll from two earthquakes that struck the northwestern part of the country rose to 250, with at least 2,000 others injured.
File Photo by Maryam Rahmanian/UPI
In 2015, a series of powerful explosions rocked the Chinese port city of Tianjin, killing 173 people and injuring hundreds more.
In 2017, a car plowed through a crowd of counterprotesters at a Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., killing Heather Heyer. The driver of the vehicle, James Fields Jr., was sentenced to life in prison plus 419 years after pleading guilty to federal hate crime charges.
In 2021, census data showed that the white population in the United States declined for the first time in history.
In 2022, British-American author Salman Rushdie was stabbed multiple times during an appearance at the Chautauqua Institution in Western New York, sustaining serious injuries, including the loss of one eye. Hadi Matar, an American-born Islamic extremist of Lebanese descent, was convicted of attempted murder and assault charges. Though he never admitted to trying to act on the fatwa issued against Rushdie by Iran, Matar said he was motivated by the author’s criticisms of Islam.
In 2025, the British Antarctic Survey announced the remains of British researcher Dennis “Tink” Bell were found in a melting Antarctic glacier 66 years after died in a fall while on a research mission there.
File Photo courtesy NASA
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