June 12 in History: Anne Frank’s Diary, Reagan’s Berlin Wall Challenge, and Digital TV Takes Over

Discover what happened on June 12 in history, along with major moments that shaped civil rights, entertainment, technology, sports, and notable events connected to Michigan history.

What Happened on June 12 in History?

Important events on this day include Anne Frank receiving her famous diary, the Supreme Court striking down laws banning interracial marriage, Ronald Reagan challenging the Soviet Union to tear down the Berlin Wall, and the United States completing its transition to digital television broadcasting.

JUNE 12 – TODAY IN HISTORY:

1838 – The Iowa Territory was organized.

1839 – According to legend, Abner Doubleday created the game of baseball on this date.

1849 – Lewis Haslett patented a gas mask.

1897 – Carl Elsener patented his penknife. The object later became known as the Swiss army knife.

1904 – The steamer Helen C. Lamoore made its first trip down the Grand River. It ran during the summer of 1904, making 3 round trips per week from Grand Rapids, MI to Grand Haven, MI at a passenger rate of 50 cents per person.

1921 – President Warren Harding urged every young man to attend military training camp.

1923 – Harry Houdini, while suspended upside down 40 feet above the ground in New York, NY, escaped from a strait jacket.

1931 – Chicago, IL gangster Al Capone, and 68 of his henchmen, were indicted for violating Prohibition Laws restricting the manufacture, sale and distribution of alcohol.

1935 – Senator Huey Long, of Louisiana, made the longest speech on Senate record. The speech took 15-1/2 hours and was filled by 150,000 words.

1939 – The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum was dedicated in Cooperstown, NY, 100 years after Abner Doubleday invented the game.

1942 – Anne Frank received a diary for her 13th birthday.

1948 – Ben Hogan won his first U.S. Open golf classic.

1952 – Foremost Insurance was founded in Grand Rapids, MI.

1963 – The movie “Cleopatra”, starring Elizabeth Taylor, Rex Harrison, and Richard Burton, premiered at the Rivoli Theatre in New York, NY.

1967 – State laws which prohibited interracial marriages were ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

1971 – Tricia Nixon and Edward F. Cox were married in the White House Rose Garden.

1972 – The fast food restaurant chain Popeyes was founded in Arabi, LA. It was originally called “Chicken on the Run”.

1978 – David Berkowitz, New York’s “Son of Sam” killer, was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for each murder, to be served consecutively.

1979 – The Detroit Tigers hired Sparky Anderson to be their manager. He would spend 17 years with the team.

1981 – Major league baseball players began a 49 day strike. The issue was free-agent compensation.

1981 – The movie “Raiders of the Lost Ark” opened in the theaters.

1985 – The U.S. House of Representatives approved $27 million in aid to the Nicaraguan contras.

1987 – In Germany, President Ronald Reagan publicly challenged Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall. “General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”

1987 – The movie “Predator”, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, was released in theaters.

1987 – The movie “The Witches of Eastwick”, starring  Jack Nicholson, Cher, Michelle Pfeiffer and Susan Sarandon, opened in theaters.

1989 – In Memphis, TN, Graceland opened the Elvis Presley Autoland Museum, which contains over 20 cars owned by Presley.

1991 – The Chicago Bulls won their first NBA championship. The Bulls beat the Los Angeles Lakers four games to one.

1994 – The Boeing 777, the world’s largest twinjet, made its first flight.

1994 – Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman were murdered outside her home in Los Angeles, CA. Her estranged husband, OJ Simpson, was tried and acquitted for the killings, but he was held liable for their deaths in a civil suit.

1995 – Grand Rapids, MI became the “home office” of “The Late Show with David Letterman”. Dave made the change after a man from Grand Rapids called him while he was a guest on “Larry King”.

1996 – In Philadelphia, PA, a panel of federal judges blocked a law against indecency on the internet. The panel said that the 1996 Communications Decency Act would infringe upon the free speech rights of adults.

1997 – Interleague play began in baseball, ending a 126-year tradition of separating the major leagues until the World Series. The Giants beat the Rangers 4-3.

1997 – The U.S. Treasury Department unveiled a new $50 bill meant to be more counterfeit-resistant.

1998 – Compaq Computer paid $9 billion for Digital Equipment Corp. in largest high-tech acquisition.

2003 – In Arkansas, Terry Wallis spoke for the first time in nearly 19 years. Wallis had been in a coma since July 13, 1984, after being injured in a car accident.

2006 – Super Bowl winning Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger suffered a serious head injury when the motorcycle he was riding collided with a car in Pittsburgh.

2009 – In the U.S., the switch from analog TV transmission to digital was completed.

2009 – In the NHL, the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Detroit Red Wings in game seven to take the Stanley Cup.

2014 – Amazon’s Prime Music was launched.

2015 – In Gothenburg, Sweden, Dave Grohl, of the Foo Fighters, fell off the stage and broke his leg. He had his leg set backstage and returned to perform more songs.

2019 – In the NHL, the St. Louis Blues won their first Stanley Cup since entering the league in 1967, defeating the Boston Bruins in game seven of the finals, 4-1.

2020 – Ontonagon County was the only place in Michigan with zero COVID-19 cases.

CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS ON JUNE 12:

Marv Albert – 85 years old (1941) – Sportscaster

Lucille Roybal-Allard – 85 years old (1941) – Politician

Sonia Manzano – 76 years old (1950) – Actress

Spencer Abraham – 74 years old (1952) – Academic and politician, 10th United States Secretary of Energy

Junior Brown – 74 years old (1952) – Country music singer-songwriter and guitarist

Rocky Burnette – 73 years old (1953) – Singer-songwriter and guitarist

Michael Angelo Batio – 70 years old (1956) – Heavy metal guitarist

Timothy Busfield – 69 years old (1957) – Actor, director, and producer

Meredith Brooks – 68 years old (1958) – Singer-songwriter and guitarist

John Linnell – 67 years old (1959) – Singer-songwriter and musician

Joe Kopicki – 66 years old (1960) – Basketball player and coach

Gwen Torrence – 61 years old (1965) – Sprinter

Scott Aldred – 58 years old (1968) – Baseball player and coach

Mathieu Schneider – 57 years old (1969) – Ice hockey player

Mark Henry – 55 years old (1971) – Weightlifter and wrestler

Ryan Klesko – 55 years old (1971) – Baseball player

Jason Caffey – 53 years old (1973) – Basketball player and coach

Bryan Alvarez – 51 years old (1975) – Wrestler and journalist

Stéphanie Szostak – 51 years old (1975) – French-American actress

Antawn Jamison – 50 years old (1976) – Basketball player and sportscaster

Dallas Clark – 47 years old (1979) – Football player

Earl Watson – 47 years old (1979) – Basketball player and coach

Dave Franco – 41 years old (1985) – Actor

Blake Ross – 41 years old (1985) – Computer programmer, co-created Mozilla Firefox

Kendra Wilkinson – 41 years old (1985) – Model, actress, and author

Jrue Holiday – 36 years old (1990) – Basketball player

Allie DiMeco – 34 years old (1992) – Actress and musician

Don Toliver – 32 years old (1994) – Rapper and singer-songwriter

DAYS OF THE YEAR FOR JUNE 12:

For additional information check out websites like: www.on-this-day.com, www.born-today.com, www.famousbirthdays.com, www.daysoftheyear.com, and www.nationaldaycalendar.com.