July 12th in History

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July 12th in History

1389: In England, Geoffrey Chaucer is named chief clerk by Richard II
1862: The United States Medal of Honor is created
1920: Panama Canal opened by American president Woodrow Wilson
1975: Sao Tome and Principe declare independence
1990: Boris Yeltsin resigns from the Soviet Communist Party, spelling the end of communism in Russia

July 12th birthdays

1730: Josiah Wedgwood, English potter
1817: Henry Thoreau, American author
1854: George Eastman, American pioneer in photography
1876: Max Jacob, French poet
1884: Amedeo Modigliani, Italian artist
1895: Buckminster Fuller, American architect
1904: Pablo Neruda, Chilean poet
1917: Andrew Wyeth, American painter