What happened on July 12 ?

100 BC - Gaius Julius Caesar, Roman soldier and politician (d. 44 BC)

1394 - Ashikaga Yoshinori, Japanese shogun (d. 1441)

1468 - Juan del Encina, Spanish poet and composer

1596 - Tsar Michael I of Russia (d. 1645)

1674 - Abigail Williams, American accuser in the Salem witch trials (d. 1765)

1675 - Evaristo Abaco, Italian composer (d. 1742)

1730 - Josiah Wedgwood, English potter (d. 1795)

1803 - Peter Chanel, French priest and saint (d. 1841)

1807 - Thomas Hawksley, English civil engineer (d. 1893)

1817 - Henry David Thoreau, American writer and philosopher (d. 1862)

1819 - Charles Kingsley, English writer (d. 1875)

1824 - Eugène Boudin, French painter (d. 1898)

1828 - Nikolai Chernyshevsky, Russian philosopher (d. 1889)

1849 - Sir William Osler, Canadian physician and author (d. 1919)

1850 - Otto Schoetensack, German anthropologist (d. 1912)

1852 - Hipólito Yrigoyen, President of Argentina (d. 1933)

1854 - George Eastman, American inventor (d. 1932)

1861 - George Washington Carver, American botanist (d. 1943)

1863 - Paul Karl Ludwig Drude, German physicist (d. 1906)

1863 - Albert Calmette, French physician (d. 1933)

1868 - Stefan George, German poet (d. 1933)

1870 - Louis II of Monaco (d. 1949)

1876 - Max Jacob, French poet (d. 1944)

1880 - Tod Browning, American film director (d. 1962)

1884 - Amedeo Modigliani, Italian painter and sculptor (d. 1920)

1886 - Jean Hersholt, Danish film director and actor (d. 1956)

1892 - Bruno Schulz, Polish writer and painter (d. 1942)

1895 - Kirstin Flagstad, Norwegian soprano (d. 1962)

1895 - Buckminster Fuller, American architect (d. 1983)

1895 - Oscar Hammerstein II, American lyricist (d. 1960)

1904 - Pablo Neruda, Chilean poet, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1973)

1908 - Milton Berle, American comedian (d. 2002)

1909 - Joe DeRita, American actor and comedian (d. 1993)

1913 - Willis Lamb, American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate

1917 - Andrew Wyeth, American artist

1920 - Pierre Berton, Canadian journalist and writer (d. 2004)

1920 - Beah Richards, American actress (d. 2000)

1922 - Mark Hatfield, U.S. Senator from Oregon

1925 - Roger B. Smith, American automobile executive

1928 - Elias James Corey, American chemist, Nobel Prize laureate

1930 - Gordon Pinsent, Canadian actor, director, and writer

1932 - Otis Davis, American runner

1933 - Donald E. Westlake, American author

1934 - Van Cliburn, American pianist

1937 - Bill Cosby, American comedian and actor

1937 - Lionel Jospin, former Prime Minister of France

1938 - Wieger Mensonides, Dutch swimmer

1942 - Billy Smith, Australian rugby player

1943 - Christine McVie, British singer, musician, and songwriter (Fleetwood Mac)

1943 - Walter Murch, American film editor

1947 - Gareth Edwards, Welsh rugby player

1948 - Walter Egan, American singer

1948 - Richard Simmons, American fitness trainer

1948 - Jay Thomas, American actor

1949 - John Wetton, British bassist and vocalist (King Crimson, Asia)

1951 - Cheryl Ladd, American actress

1952 - Voja Antoni?, Serbian inventor and writer

1956 - Sandi Patty, American singer

1962 - Dan Murphy, American guitarist (Soul Asylum)

1964 - Gaby Roslin, English television presenter

1965 - Robin Wilson, American singer

1967 - Richard Herring, English comedian

1967 - John Petrucci, American guitar player (Dream Theater)

1969 - Lisa Nicole Carson, American actress

1971 - Kristi Yamaguchi, American figure skater

1972 - Travis Best, American basketball player

1972 - Brett Reed, American muscian (Rancid)

1973 - Magoo, American rapper

1973 - Christian Vieri, Italian football player

1974 - Gregory Helms, American professional wrestler

1974 - Sharon den Adel, Dutch singer (Within Temptation)

1974 - Stelios Giannakopoulos, Greek footballer

1976 - Dan Boyle, Canadian Hockey Player, and Olympic Reserve

1976 - Anna Friel, British actress

1976 - Tracie Spencer, American singer

1977 - Brock Lesnar, American professional wrestler

1978 - Topher Grace, American actor

1978 - Michelle Rodriguez, American actress

1982 - Antonio Cassano, Italian footballer

1983 - Megumi Kawamura, Japanese Volleyballer

1984 - Gareth Gates, British singer

1984 - Michael McGovern, Northern Irish footballer

1985 - Luiz Ejlli, Albanian singer

1988 - Melissa O'Neil, Canadian singer

1990 - Charles Hamblin, British musican

1991 - Erik Per Sullivan, American actor

1995 - Georgie Henley, English actress