THE DAY IN HISTORY · APRIL 12

April 12 in history

What happened on April 12: 4 moments from the Maps of History atlases, in 1812, 1864, 1927 and 1945, each linked to the map that shows it.

1812 — Rawfolds Mill attack

11–12 Apr 1812 — Shearing frames threaten the croppers' trade, and about 150 of them attack William Cartwright’s mill. The defenders fire muskets, killing two attackers. The Luddite rising reaches its crest and is broken.

READ THIS MOMENT → · SEE IT ON THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION MAP → · THE FULL STORY →

1864 — Fort Pillow massacre

12 Apr 1864 — After Fort Pillow falls, Confederate troops under Forrest massacre surrendering soldiers, most of them Black; perhaps 200 die. The massacre shows the war’s racial hatred in action. “Remember Fort Pillow” becomes a cry of Black regiments.

READ THIS MOMENT → · SEE IT ON THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR MAP → · THE FULL STORY →

1927 — Shanghai massacre

12 Apr 1927 — Chiang turns against his communist allies. In one morning, Green Gang enforcers and soldiers kill hundreds of unionists and militants; thousands more are killed here and across the south in the following weeks. The First United Front breaks apart at the moment of its victory, setting the course of events after 1927.

READ THIS MOMENT → · SEE IT ON THE CHINA IN REVOLUTION MAP → · THE FULL STORY →

1945

Franklin Roosevelt dies at Warm Springs. Harry Truman, president for minutes, is told for the first time about the atomic bomb.

READ THIS MOMENT → · SEE IT ON THE WW2 MAP →