On August 12, a Japanese airliner crash, a Russian submarine sinking, and Northern Irish riots converge in a single day of catastrophe and unrest.
August 12 in History
JAL 747 Crashes in Japan; 520 Dead in Worst
The world's worst single-aircraft aviation disaster kills 520 of 524 aboard Flight 123; singer Kyu Sakamoto among the victims.
Japan Air Lines Flight 123, the Boeing 747 involved in the 1985 aviation disaster — Kjell Nilsson
The world's worst single-aircraft aviation disaster unfolded tonight as Japan Air Lines Flight 123, a Boeing 747, crashed into Mount Takamagahara in Gunma Prefecture, killing 520 of the 524 people on board. The crash, which occurred on August 12, 1985, has sent shockwaves through Japan and the global aviation community. Among the dead is singer Kyu Sakamoto, best known for his 1963 hit "Sukiyaki." Rescue teams, battling difficult mountain terrain, have so far recovered few survivors. The aircraft, which departed Tokyo's Haneda Airport, lost contact with air traffic control shortly before the crash. Officials have not yet speculated on a cause, though the flight's final moments reportedly included a distress call. The disaster surpasses the 1977 Tenerife runway collision, which killed 583 but involved two aircraft. As the nation mourns, investigators are expected to examine the aircraft's maintenance records and flight data recorders. The crash has prompted an outpouring of grief in Japan, where air travel is a cornerstone of domestic transport.
Kursk Disaster: 118 Dead, Navy Blames Faulty
The Russian submarine Kursk sank in the Barents Sea after an on-board explosion; the navy's final report cited a faulty weld in a torpedo.
A modern memorial in Russia honoring the 118 sailors lost aboard the Kursk submarine — Don-vip
The sinking of the Kursk, an Oscar-class submarine of the Russian Navy, has become a defining tragedy of the post-Soviet era, a stark reminder of the decline of Russia's once-mighty fleet. On August 12, 2000, during a military exercise in the Barents Sea, an on-board explosion tore through the vessel, killing all 118 crew members. The sub sank to a depth of 108 meters, about 135 km off Severomorsk. A second explosion, 135 seconds after the initial blast, was equivalent to 3-7 tons of TNT. Norwegian and Russian divers later found 24 bodies in the ninth compartment, and Captain-Lieutenant Dmitri Kolesnikov left a note listing 23 survivors in the final hours. The Russian Navy's final report attributed the disaster to a hydrogen peroxide-fueled Type 65 torpedo explosion caused by a faulty weld.
Apprentice Boys March Sparks Bogside Riots; RUC Uses CS Gas
Loyalist march along the Bogside triggers riots, spreading across Northern Ireland.
The Apprentice Boys of Derry marched along the edge of the Bogside today, sparking riots that have spread across much of Northern Ireland. The RUC, using CS gas, armoured vehicles, and water cannons, clashed with nationalist residents in the Bogside.
Belgians Win at Halen but German Tide Rolls
Belgian troops victorious at Halen, but unable to halt German invasion.
In a rare bright spot for the Allies, Belgian troops won a victory at the Battle of Halen today, but they were ultimately unable to stop the German invasion of Belgium.
Mob Wreaks Havoc on South Street
A mob of several hundred white men attacked the Flying Horses tavern and destroyed homes and businesses in Moyamensing, leaving two dead.
On the night of Wednesday, August 12, a mob of several hundred white men, chiefly Irish, attacked the Flying Horses tavern on South Street, destroying the carousel and building. The rioters then proceeded into Moyamensing, where they demolished black-owned buildings and assaulted African Americans, leaving two persons dead.
Mayor John Swift assembled a posse of several hundred citizens, and eighteen arrests were made on the first night. Over four nights, sixty arrests, forty-four buildings destroyed (including thirty houses), and two lives lost. Rioting resumed the following night, resulting in the destruction of the African Presbyterian Church and the beating death of a black man. The city remains under a heavy guard.
Atomic Report Released to Press
War Department lifts embargo on the Smyth Report, releasing 1,000 copies to the press at 9:00 pm on August 11.
At 9:00 pm on August 11, the War Department lifted the embargo on the Smyth Report, releasing 1,000 copies to the press for today's papers. The official history of the Manhattan Project, written by physicist Henry DeWolf Smyth, appears as the first public account of the atomic bomb's development.
Fatimids Retreat, Crusade Concludes
Al-Afdal's army of about 20,000 Egyptians began its retreat to Egypt after defeat at Ascalon on August 12.
The First Crusade has ended. On August 12, the crusaders, numbering some 9,000 infantry and 1,200 knights, defeated al-Afdal Shahanshah's army of about 20,000 Egyptians at Ascalon. Al-Afdal, who had marched to retake Jerusalem, began his retreat to Egypt.
Most crusaders, their vows fulfilled, have returned home.
Rare T. rex Skeleton Unearthed in South Dakota
Paleontologist Sue Hendrickson discovered the most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton on August 12, 1990.
In the annals of paleontology, few finds rival the one made on August 12, 1990, when Sue Hendrickson, examining a cliff-side with the Black Hills Institute team, discovered the most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton known.
Last Quagga Dies at Amsterdam Zoo
The final known quagga, a subspecies of the plains zebra, perished at Artis zoo on August 12, 1883.
The last known quagga, a subspecies of the plains zebra, died at Natura Artis Magistra, the Amsterdam zoo, on the 12th of August. Because all zebras were long referred to as quaggas, none realized this was the last of its kind until years later. Only two quaggas were ever photographed alive; twenty-three skins and seven skeletons remain. The quagga, hunted to extinction in the wild by 1878, with its last wild population in the Orange Free State, was the first extinct animal to have its DNA analyzed, in a 1984 study.
North Korea Hosts First Beer Festival in Pyongyang
The state-owned Taedonggang Brewing Company inaugurated the country's first beer festival on August 12, 2016.
The first beer festival in North Korea opened in Pyongyang on August 12, 2016, inaugurated by the state-owned Taedonggang Brewing Company. The event, a novel spectacle in the capital, drew crowds to sample the local brew. The company bought the old brewery of Ushers of Trowbridge in the United Kingdom for £1.5M, and its factory, opened in April 2002 in East Pyongyang, uses German-made computerized brewing control technology. Organizers cancelled the festival for 2017, possibly due to drought.
