Browse Historical Events by Day: What Happened on March 12th?

The approximate time when King Solomon is believed to have begun construction of the First Temple in Jerusalem.

Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II as Holy Roman Emperor.

Bertha of Savoy, wife of Emperor Henry IV, is crowned Holy Roman Empress.

Crusaders capture the fortress of Arqa from the Fatimids in the First Crusade.

Siege of Montségur during the Albigensian Crusade: The Cathar stronghold falls to the Crusaders.

Battle of Arnemuiden: The English defeat a French fleet near the coast of Holland during the Hundred Years' War.

The city of Orléans in France is placed under siege by English forces during the Hundred Years' War.

King John II Casimir of Poland abdicates the throne.

The Great Blizzard of 1888, one of the most severe snowstorms in U.S. history reaches the East Coast of the United States. More

Coca-Cola is sold in bottles for the first time.

Hitler orders the invasion of Austria to begin and German soldiers in tanks and armored vehicles crossed the border into Austria, encountering no resistance. Hitler joined the invaded forces as they rushed towards Viena and in Linz, where he had attended school, he called for an immediate Anschluss (Annexation). The next day, Austria’s parliament formally approved the annexation and Austria, no longer a nation became a province of Germany. More

President Harry S. Truman outlines the U.S. policy to contain Soviet expansion. n a speech to a joint session of Congress, The announcement is referred to as the "Truman Doctrine" and is considered to be the official start of the Cold War. More

Mauritius achieves independence from British rule.

The seventh and final book in the Harry Potter series, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," is announced by J.K. Rowling.