Notable Birthdays for January 12
John Winthrop (1588-1649) - The second Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
Jones Mitchell Withers (1814-1890) - Major General for the Confederate Army.
John Singer Sargent (1856-1925) - Considered one of the greatest painters of his time.
Jack London (1876-1916) - Journalist and pioneer of commercialized fiction.
Texas Guinan (1884-1933) - Actress turned bootlegger.
James Bennett Griffin (1905-1997) - Influential archaeologist.
Ivan Getting (1912-2003) - Engineer who developed the Global Positioning System.
Ruth R. Benerito (1916-2013) - Inventor of washable wash and wear cotton.
Ira Hayes (1923-1955) - Marine who raised the U.S. flag on Iwo Jima.
Ruth Brown (1928-2006) - Considered the Queen of R&B.
Kirstie Alley (1951-2022) - Actress fondly remembered for her role as Rebecca on the sitcom Cheers.
Rush Limbaugh (1951-2021) - Controversial talk show host.
Ricky Van Shelton (1952-Still Living) - Acclaimed country music musician.
Howard Stern (1954-Still Living) - Controversial radio host.
Memorable Events for January 12
1773 - The first public museum established in the U.S.
1896 - Dr. Henry Smith demonstrates the first x-ray in the U.S.
1924 - The History of Science Society is organized.
1942 - President Roosevelt creates the National War Labor Board.
1959 - Tamla Records (later known as Motown Records) opens.