May 12th, 1839

Born on May 12th, 1839

Age in days, weeks and months
Wow, over 67,000 days old!

Why not celebrate an alternative birthday? In 444 days, exactly on July 15th, 2025, people who were born on May 12th, 1839 will be 68,000 days old!

... in seconds, minutes and hours

What happened on May 12th?

May 12th, 2008

In Postville, Iowa, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted the largest-ever raid of a workplace and arrested nearly 400 immigrants for identity theft and document fraud.

May 12th, 1998

Four students were shot and killed by Indonesian soldiers at Trisakti University in Jakarta, which led to widespread riots and the resignation of President Suharto nine days later.

May 12th, 1975

The Cambodian navy seized the American container ship SS Mayaguez in what they claimed to be Cambodian territorial waters.

May 12th, 1968

Vietnam War: The 1st Australian Task Force began the defence of Fire Support Base Coral in the largest unit-level action of the war for the Australian Army.

May 12th, 1967

The Jimi Hendrix Experience released the critically acclaimed and widely influential debut album Are You Experienced.

May 12th, 1948

The United Kingdom publicly announced that it was independently developing nuclear weapons, after the US Atomic Energy Act of 1946 ended cooperation on the matter.

May 12th, 1941

German engineer Konrad Zuse presented the Z3, the first working programmable and fully automatic computer, to an audience of scientists in Berlin.

May 12th, 1938

During an exercise to demonstrate air power, United States Army Air Corps bomber aircraft intercepted the Italian ocean liner SS Rex (pictured) 620 nautical miles (1,100 km) off the US Atlantic coast.

May 12th, 1932

Nazi deputies assaulted journalist Helmuth Klotz in the German parliament building after he broke the Röhm scandal.

May 12th, 1888

North Borneo was established as a British protectorate.

May 12th, 1881

Under threat of invasion, Muhammad III as-Sadiq, Bey of Tunis, signed the Treaty of Bardo to make Tunisia a French protectorate.

May 12th, 1863

American Civil War: The Confederates were routed in the Battle of Raymond, a small battle that had an inordinately large impact on the Vicksburg campaign.

May 12th, 1846

The Donner Party, an American pioneer group which became known for resorting to cannibalism when they became trapped in the Sierra Nevada, left Independence, Missouri, for California.

May 12th, 1743

War of the Austrian Succession: Habsburg ruler Maria Theresa was crowned Queen of Bohemia after driving French troops from the territory.

May 12th, 2018

Paris knife attack: A man is fatally shot by police in Paris after killing one and injuring several others.

Birthdays
... of famous people, actors, celebrities and stars on May 12th

Born on May 12th, 1839

73

Tôn Thất Thuyết

Vietnamese revolutionary (1839-1913)

*May 12th, 1839, Huế †January 1st, 1913, Longzhou County

Same Day
Who's birthday is on May 12th?

79

Gabriel Fauré

French composer, organist, pianist and teacher

*May 12th, 1845, Pamiers †November 4th, 1924, Paris

90

Florence Nightingale

English social reformer, statistician, and founder of modern nursing (1820-1910)

*May 12th, 1820, Florence †August 13th, 1910, London

70

Jules Massenet

French composer (1842–1912)

*May 12th, 1842, Saint-Étienne †August 13th, 1912, Paris

43

Rishi Sunak

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since 2022

*May 12th, 1980, Southampton

35

Liu Xiaolong

Badminton player

*May 12th, 1988, Zhangzhou

31

Erik Durm

German association football player

*May 12th, 1992, Pirmasens

28

Luke Benward

American actor

*May 12th, 1995, Franklin

58

Song Yang

Chinese-born Australian badminton player

*May 12th, 1965, Nanjing

44

Gustav Adolf von Götzen

German explorer, diplomat and colonial administrator

*May 12th, 1866, Ścinawka Górna †December 2nd, 1910, Berlin

71

George Carlin

American stand-up comedian (1937–2008)

*May 12th, 1937, New York City †June 22nd, 2008, Santa Monica

96

Katharine Hepburn

American actress (1907–2003)

*May 12th, 1907, Hartford †June 29th, 2003, Old Saybrook

90

Jiddu Krishnamurti

Indian spiritual philosopher, mystic, speaker and writer (1895–1986)

*May 12th, 1895, Madanapalle †February 17th, 1986, Ojai

84

Dorothy Hodgkin

British chemist

*May 12th, 1910, Cairo †July 29th, 1994, Ilmington

73

Gabriel Byrne

Irish actor

*May 12th, 1950, Dublin

40

Domhnall Gleeson

Irish actor (1983-)

*May 12th, 1983, Dublin

55

Bettina Stark-Watzinger

German politician

*May 12th, 1968, Frankfurt

75

Lindsay Crouse

Actress

*May 12th, 1948, New York City

81

Karl von Appen

German stage designer/member:Association of Revolutionary Visual Artists. (1900-1981)

*May 12th, 1900, Düsseldorf †August 22nd, 1981, East Berlin

81

Hans Ils

German politician (1906-1988)

*May 12th, 1906, Weißenhorn †March 25th, 1988, Freiburg im Breisgau

45

Andreas Franz Wilhelm Schimper

German botanist (1856–1901)

*May 12th, 1856, Strasbourg †September 9th, 1901, Basel

Same year
Born in 1839

57

Carl Humann

German architect, engineer and archeologist (1839-1896)

*January 4th, 1839, Steele †April 12th, 1896, İzmir

72

Heinrich Nissen

German historian of classical antiquity, epigraphican and archaeologist of roman provinces (1839-1912)

*April 3rd, 1839, Haderslev †February 29th, 1912, Bonn

97

John D. Rockefeller

American business magnate and philanthropist (1839–1937)

*July 8th, 1839, Richford †May 23rd, 1937, Ormond Beach

67

Paul Cézanne

French painter (1839–1906)

*January 19th, 1839, Aix-en-Provence †October 22nd, 1906, Aix-en-Provence

74

Charles Sanders Peirce

American philosopher, logician, mathematician, and scientist (1839-1914)

*September 10th, 1839, Cambridge †April 19th, 1914, Milford

84

Hilaire de Chardonnet

French engineer

*May 1st, 1839, Besançon †March 11th, 1924, Paris

69

Machado de Assis

Brazilian writer

*June 21st, 1839, Rio de Janeiro †September 29th, 1908, Rio de Janeiro

20

Oliver Brown

American abolitionist

*March 9th, 1839, Franklin †October 18th, 1859, Harpers Ferry

68

Sully Prudhomme

French poet, Nobel prize for literature winner 1901

*March 16th, 1839, 10th arrondissement of Paris †September 6th, 1907, Châtenay-Malabry

42

Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky

Russian composer (1839–1881)

*March 9th, 1839, Karevo †March 16th, 1881, Saint Petersburg

75

Carol I of Romania

King of Romania from 1881 to 1914

*April 20th, 1839, Sigmaringen †October 10th, 1914, Peleș Castle

76

Théodule-Armand Ribot

French psychologist (1839-1916)

*December 18th, 1839, Guingamp †December 9th, 1916, Paris

37

Crazy Horse

Oglala Sioux chief (1840–1877)

*November 30th, 1839, South Dakota †September 5th, 1877, Fort Robinson

90

Elisabeth Järnefelt

Finnish mother of Finnish art and culture

*January 11th, 1839, Saint Petersburg †February 3rd, 1929, Helsinki

58

Henry George

American political economist and journalist (1839–1897)

*September 2nd, 1839, Philadelphia †October 29th, 1897, New York City

64

Josiah Willard Gibbs

American scientist (1839–1903)

*February 11th, 1839, New Haven †April 28th, 1903, New Haven

59

Alfred Sisley

British painter (1839-1899)

*October 30th, 1839, Paris †January 29th, 1899, Moret-sur-Loing

69

Ouida

British novelist (1839–1908)

*January 1st, 1839, Bury St Edmunds †January 25th, 1908, Viareggio

49

Nikolay Przhevalsky

Russian soldier, explorer, & geographer (1839-1888)

*March 31st, 1839, Kimborovo †October 20th, 1888, Karakol

68

Redvers Buller

Recipient of the Victoria Cross (1839-1908)

*December 7th, 1839, Crediton †June 2nd, 1908, Crediton

Birthdays of famous people

Public holidays on May 12th

Fixed holidays (Christian feast day) which are celebrated on May 12th.

Date as a Roman numeral / digit

Leap year

No: With 365 days 1839 is a normal year and no leap year.

Calendar
May 1839