ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
Thursday 12th February 2026
This is day 43 of the year with 322 remaining. This is week 07 and there are 316 days till Christmas.    
UK & World News
2025 Deranged far right US politician 'Buddy Carter' tries to get the US government to call Greenland 'Red White and Blueland'.2009 Colgan Air 3407 an internal US flight crashes into a house in New York. All 49 people on board and 1 on the ground are killed.2005 A huge fire breaks out at the Windsor Tower in Madrid, Spain. The building is destroyed but nobody is killed.2002 The trial began at The Hague of war criminal Slobodan Milosevic. It will last four years but ends when he dies on 11/03/2006.1986 A coal fire burning in an underground mine for at least a year causing damage to the village of Oakthorpe is mentioned in parliament.
   

Music & Entertainment
2008 The BBC revamp the on air look and change the logo of of their BBC3 TV channel which launched in 2003.1994 The first episode of the Channel 4 series 'Dont Forget Your Toothbrush' presented by Chris Evans is broadcast. It runs until 25/02/95.1989 The Sunday Sport publish the headline 'Bus Found Buried at South Pole'.1974 The first episode of the childrens programme Bagpuss is broadcast on BBC1. Only 13 episodes will be made.1968 The first episode of the childrens programme The Herbs is broadcast on BBC1.
   

Birthdays
1988 AJ Odudu, British television presenter best known from reality TV. Note DoB unconfirmed.1965 Mia Frye, American dancer best known for choreographing and appearing in the 1995 Macarena music video.1958 Michael Fenton Stevens, British comedian who sung the Spitting Image Chicken Song and appeared in KYTV.1945 Gareth Thomas, British actor best known for playing Blake in Blake's 7. Died 13th April 2016.1939 Ray Manzarek, American musician best known as a member of hit group The Doors. Died 20th May 2013.1877 Louis Renault, French co-founder of the Renault car company. Died 24th October 1944.1809 Charles Darwin, British naturalist best known for discovering and documenting evolution. Died 19th April 1882.
   

Deaths
2024 Steve Wright, British radio presenter best known for his afternoon show on BBC Radio 1 in the 1980s. Born 26th August 1954.2017 Al Jarreau, American musician best known for the 1987 hit theme to the TV show 'Moonlighting'. Born 12th March 1940.2015 Steve Strange, British singer and musician best known from 'Visage' who had the 1980 hit 'Fade to Grey'. Born 28th May 1959.2013 Reginald Turnill, British space and aviation correspondent for the BBC most famous for Apollo reporting. Born 12th May 1915.
   


   

Today's Videos

   

BBC news clip - 12/02/82 Main stories: 1700 people lose their jobs at Laker Airways, a sex scandle at a Belfast children's home and a pilot escapes the USSR dictatorship with his family.
Channel 4 news clip - 12/02/88 Main story: Thatcher alone.
ITN news clip - 12/02/99 Main stories: Clinton 'survives his day of judgement', more genetic foods and an art conman.
ITV news clip - 12/02/2001 Main stories: A devil worshiper is jailed for murdering a 12 year old boy, Blair says wants to improve Comprehensive schools (he lied and will instead privatise them into 'Academies' making them significantly worse) and NASA lands a space probe on an astreroid.
BBC news clip - 12/02/2002 Main story: The trial began at The Hague of war criminal Slobodan Milosevic. It will last four years but ends when he dies on 11/03/2006.
ITV Central news - 12/02/2014 Main story: Major flooding and a month of rain in several days.
BBC news clip - 12/02/2018 Main stories: ANC corruption scandle in South Africa and claims of sexual misconduct by Oxfam aid workers.
ITV News Meridian clip - 12/02/2020 Main story: Has the spread of the Coronavirus in Sussex been halted.
ITV London news clip - 12/02/2024 ITV London news clip - 12/02/2024

Music and Memes

   


   

BBC3 continuity clip 12/02/2008 On this day in 2008 the BBC revamp the on air look and change the logo of of their BBC3 TV channel which launched in 2003.
Concrete and Steel Tower Collapses On Live TV - Plainly Difficult (2025) On this day in 2005 A huge fire breaks out at the Windsor Tower in Madrid, Spain. The building is destroyed but nobody is killed.
AJ Odudu and Kai Widdrington - BBC Dancing with the Stars clip (2021) On this day in 1988 AJ Odudu the British television presenter best known from reality TV was born. Note DoB unconfirmed.
TOTP chart rundown - 12/02/81 TOTP chart rundown - 12/02/81
Los Del Rio - Macarena (Bayside Boys Remix) (1995) On this day in 1965 Mia Frye the American dancer best known for choreographing and appearing in the 1995 Macarena music video was born (she's the black girl in the video).
Michael Fenton Stevens - Bird's Eye advert (1991) On this day in 1958 Michael Fenton Stevens the British comedian who sung the Spitting Image Chicken Song and appeared in BBC comedy series KYTV was born.
Blakes 7 - Interview with Paul Darrow and Gareth Thomas (1990s) On this day in 1945 Gareth Thomas the British actor best known for playing Blake in Blake's 7 was born. Died 13th April 2016.
The Doors - Riders on the Storm (1971) On this day in 1939 Ray Manzarek the American musician best known as a member of hit group The Doors was born. Died 20th May 2013.
Horrible Histories - Charles Darwin clip (2012) On this day in 1809 Charles Darwin the British naturalist best known for discovering and documenting evolution was born. Died 19th April 1882.