July 12 in History
1854 — George Eastman, inventor of the Kodak camera and founder of the Eastman KodakCompany (with Henry AStrong) in 1888, is born in Waterville, Oneida County, New York.
1940 — Rufus Robinson and Earl Cooley parachute from a plane to fight a forest fire on Moose Creek in Idaho’s Nez Perce National Forest, becoming the first “smokejumpers”.
1943— The Battle of Prokhorovka (part of the Battle of Kursk during World War 2) is fought when the 5th Guards TankArmy of the Soviet Red Army attacks the II SS-Panzer Corps of the German Wehrmacht in one of the largest armoured engagements in military history.
1947— Gareth Edwards, Welsh rugby player (53 Tests for Wales, 1967-78, and 10 for the British Lions, 1971-74) and sportscaster, is born in Gwaun-CaeGurwen, Glamorgan.
1961 — Pat Boone, pop singer (one of the biggest recording stars in the US) and actor (“April Love”, “Journey to the Center of the Earth”), begins a 10-day tour of SA.
1962 — Brian Jones, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and three others play a gig at The Marquee Club in London, for the first time performing as The Rolling Stones. It is the third-oldest active rock band after Golden Earring (Dutch) and The Beach Boys (American), both formed in 1961.
1963 — Pauline Reade, 16, disappears on her way to a dance near her home in Gorton, Manchester, England — the first of the five victims (aged 10-17) in the Moors murders carried out by Ian Brady and Myra Hindley between July 1963 and October 1965. Pauline’s remains, still wearing her pink and gold party dress, are found on July 1 1987 in a shallow grave on Saddleworth Moor after Brady and Hindley return with police to the scene of their crimes.
1965 — Sanjay Manjrekar, Indian cricketer (1987-96: 37 Tests, 2,043 runs, average 37.14 and 74ODIs, 1,994 runs, average 33.23), is born in Mangalore.
1984 — Five people —M jixwa Nkomo, Makhelwane Mgadi, Joshua Pillay, Phaltokwakhe Simamane and Bongwa Simamane — are killed and 27 injured as a car bomb hurls glass and metal into a crowded street scene on Bluff Road, Jacobs, Durban. Rayman Lalla, a senior MK officer, is granted amnesty for his role in setting up the “Jacobs” bomb operation. Oliver Tambo asserts that the bomb had been intended for a military convoy and condemns the bombers for being “inexcusably careless” by causing civilian casualties. 1986 — JP (Jon-Paul Roger) Pietersen, Springbok wing (70 Tests 2006-16; 2007 World Cup winner), is born in Stellenbosch.