May 12th, 1840

Born on May 12th, 1840

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

Why not celebrate an alternative birthday? In 811 days, exactly on July 16th, 2026, people who were born on May 12th, 1840 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, 1840

71

Marie-Léonie Paradis

Canadian master of novices (1840-1912)

*May 12th, 1840, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu †May 3rd, 1912, Sherbrooke

72

Alejandro Gorostiaga

Chilean Army officer

*May 12th, 1840, La Serena †October 30th, 1912, Santiago

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

70

Jules Massenet

French composer (1842–1912)

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

90

Florence Nightingale

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

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

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 1840

53

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Russian composer (1840–1893)

*April 25th, 1840, Votkinsk †October 25th, 1893, Malaya Morskaya Street, 13

86

Claude Monet

French painter (1840–1926)

*November 14th, 1840, Paris †December 5th, 1926, Giverny

78

Augusta Lundin

Swedish fashion designer

*June 13th, 1840, Kristianstad †February 20th, 1919, Stockholm

62

Émile Zola

French journalist, playwright and poet (1840–1902)

*April 2nd, 1840, Paris †September 29th, 1902, Paris

87

Thomas Hardy

English novelist and poet (1840–1928)

*June 2nd, 1840, Dorchester †January 11th, 1928, Dorchester

77

Auguste Rodin

French sculptor (1840–1917)

*November 12th, 1840, Paris †November 17th, 1917, Meudon

53

Georg von der Gabelentz

German linguist (1840-1893)

*March 16th, 1840, Poschwitz †December 11th, 1893, Berlin

67

Gustav von Hüfner

German chemist

*May 13th, 1840, Bad Köstritz †March 14th, 1908, Tübingen

87

Henry Birks

Canadian businessman

*November 30th, 1840, Montreal †April 16th, 1928, Montreal

63

Murad V

Ottoman Sultan

*September 21st, 1840, Topkapı Palace †August 29th, 1904, Çırağan Palace

57

Alphonse Daudet

French novelist

*May 13th, 1840, Nîmes †December 16th, 1897, Paris

64

Ernst Abbe

German physicist

*January 23rd, 1840, Eisenach †January 14th, 1905, Jena

81

John Boyd Dunlop

Scottish inventor

*February 5th, 1840, Dreghorn †October 23rd, 1921, Dublin

88

Johann II, Prince of Liechtenstein

Prince of Liechtenstein (1840-1929)

*October 5th, 1840, Lednice Castle †February 11th, 1929, Valtice Castle

73

Arsène Arnaud Claretie

French writer, theatre administrator (1840-1913)

*December 3rd, 1840, Limoges †December 23rd, 1913, Paris

184

Gustave Ruiz

French composer

*March 6th, 1840, Nevers

81

Carl Menger

Founder of the Austrian School of economics

*February 23rd, 1840, Nowy Sącz †February 26th, 1921, Vienna

61

Edmond Audran

French composer

*April 12th, 1840, Lyon †August 17th, 1901, Tierceville

52

Henri Duveyrier

French explorer of the Sahara

*February 28th, 1840, Paris †April 25th, 1892, Sèvres

76

Hiram Stevens Maxim

American-born inventor (1840-1916)

*February 5th, 1840, Sangerville †November 24th, 1916, London

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

Yes: 1840 is a leap year, therefore has a 29th of February with an additional leap day and a total of 366 days (instead of the usual 365 days in a normal year).

Calendar
May 1840