On This Day for July 12 - Geraldine Ferraro designated running mate of Walter Mondale, Desiderius Erasmus is featured, and more

Created: 2020-07-12 10:03 Updated: 2020-07-12 10:03 Notebook: On this Day in History

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July 12

FEATURED BIOGRAPHY

Desiderius Erasmus

FEATURED EVENT

1984

Geraldine Ferraro designated running mate of Walter Mondale

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MORE EVENTS ON THIS DAY

2005: Prince Albert II, the only son of Prince Rainier III and Grace Kelly, formally assumed the throne of Monaco. [ Take our quiz about kings and emperors.]

1979: Between games of a baseball doubleheader involving the Chicago White Sox and the Detroit Tigers at Comiskey Park, disco records were blown up as part of a promotion dubbed Disco Demolition Night; fans subsequently rushed the field, and as a result of the ensuing mayhem, the game was forfeited to the Tigers.

1976: The television game show Family Feud began airing on ABC, and it became hugely popular, in part because of the personal charm and witty banter of host Richard Dawson; the show continued—with different hosts, including Steve Harvey—into the 21st century. [ Sort fact from fiction in our pop culture quiz.]

1975: The island nation of Sao Tome and Principe was granted independence from Portugal. [Test your knowledge of islands.]

1962: Iconic British rock band the Rolling Stones performed their first show, billed as the Rollin' Stones, at a club in London. [Take our quiz about rock and roll.]