On This Day: 1988 - The 1988 Black Sea bumping incident: The U
On February 12, 1988, the frigid waters of the Black Sea served as the backdrop for one of the most unusual and dangerous physical confrontations of the late Cold War. Two United Sta...
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On This Day In History
Daily historical events with clear context and storytelling.
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Last update: February 12, 2026
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On This Day In History turns major historical moments into clear, compact stories that you can read in minutes while still understanding why the event mattered.
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The rapid disintegration of the Allied defensive line along the northwest coast of Singapore Island between February 8 and Februar...
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The strategic necessity to widen the narrow land corridor feeding the starving inhabitants of Leningrad compelled the Soviet Red A...
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On February 9, 1941, the Royal Navy's Operation Grog bombarded Genoa, including the unexploded shell strike at the Cathedral of Sa...
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On This Day: 1944 – Exercise Tiger Tragedy: E-boats Attack, 946 Killed
1944: World War II: Nine German E-boats attack US and UK units during Exercise Tiger, the rehearsal for the Normandy landings...
On This Day: 1941 – Gudovac Massacre: Start of Ustaše Genocide
1941: The Ustaše massacre nearly 200 Serbs in the village of Gudovac, the first massacre of their genocidal campaign against...
On This Day: 1996 – Port Arthur Massacre Shocks Australia
1996: Port Arthur massacre, Tasmania: A gunman, Martin Bryant, opens fire at the Broad Arrow Cafe in Port Arthur, Tasmania, k...
On This Day: 1986 – Chernobyl's Fallout: Sweden Sounds the Alarm
1986: High levels of radiation resulting from the Chernobyl disaster are detected at Forsmark Nuclear Power Plant in Sweden,...
On This Day: 1952 – Japan Regains Sovereignty with San Francisco Treaty
1952: The Treaty of San Francisco comes into effect, restoring Japanese sovereignty and ending its state of war with most of...
On This Day: 1945 – Mussolini Executed by Italian Resistance
1945: Benito Mussolini and his mistress Clara Petacci are shot dead by Walter Audisio, a member of the Italian resistance mov...