ON THIS DAY, JANUARY 12

1552 The low-lying Dutch west coast is hit by a heavy storm, hundreds of people are killed. 1907 Britain grants responsible government to its former colony, Transvaal.

1913 After using various other pseudonyms over the years, Josef Dzhugashvili signs himself as Stalin (‘man of steel’) in a letter to the paper, Social Democrat.

1915 South African forces invade German South-West Africa at Ramansdrift. 1916 German aces Max Immelmann and Oswald Boelcke receive the Pour le Merite, Germany’s highest military award, for each having shot down 8 Allied aircraft (this was during the infancy of aerial combat).

1941 ‘Long John’ Baldry, one of the top English bluesmen, admired by the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton, and a pivotal force behind the careers of many, including Elton John (Someone Saved My Life Tonight)– yet virtually unknown outside Britain, is born. 1945 German forces in Belgium begin to retreat after fierce fighting during Battle of the Bulge – the last major German Western Front offensive campaign of World War II. 1954 Austria’s worst avalanche kills 200 people – 9 hours later a second kills 115. 1967 Dr James Bedford becomes the first person to be cryogenically preserved for future resuscitation. He is still in this state. 1970 Biafra capitulates, ending the Nigerian Civil War.

1990 A seven-day pogrom breaks out against the Armenian civilian population of Baku, Azerbaijan, during which the Armenians are beaten, tortured, and expelled.

2006 A stampede during the Hajj in Mina kills at least 362 Muslim pilgrims.

2010 An earthquake in Haiti kills more than 100 000 people and destroys much of the capital, Port-au-Prince.

2020 Argentine striker Sergio Agüero becomes top-scoring overseas player in English Premier League history with a hattrick in Manchester City’s 6-1 rout of Aston Villa; total 177 takes him past Thierry Henry. 2021 India’s Supreme Court puts on hold three controversial new farm laws that ignited weeks of protests by farmers in Delhi. | THE HISTORIAN