TODAY IN HISTORY – 12th Jun, 2026 – Africa World News

ByValentine NdukwuJune 13, 20262 Mins read9 Views

By Valentine Uchechukwu Ndukwu.

I could not help but openly submit to the sayings of Johan Huizinga, the Dutch historian whose input in this field of study has become a reference point. He said, “no other discipline has its portals so wide open to the general public as history.”

Here are my reasons, access to historical events is wide open to the public due to its universal relevance, multimedia sources, and accessible records. Historical documents, oral traditions, and digital platforms make it easy for anyone to engage with history. This unique accessibility sets history apart from other disciplines.

Kindly scroll down to enjoy some historical moments in times past

On this day in 1525, Martin Luther marries Katharina von Bora, against the celibacy rule decreed by the Roman Catholic Church for priests and nuns.

Still on this day in 1774, Rhode Island becomes the first of Britain’s North American colonies to ban the importation of slaves.

According to Today in History, on this day in 1895, Émile Levassor wins the world’s first real automobile race. Levassor completed the 732-mile course, from Paris to Bordeaux and back, in just under 49 hours, at a then-impressive speed of about fifteen miles per hour (24 km/h).

It was on this day in 1981, at the Trooping the Colour ceremony in London, a teenager, Marcus Sarjeant, fires six blank shots at Queen Elizabeth II.

Amazingly, on this day in 2000, Italy pardons Mehmet Ali Ağca, the Turkish gunman who tried to kill Pope John Paul II in 1981.

Again, it was on this day in 2005 that the jury acquits pop singer Michael Jackson of his charges for allegedly sexually molesting a child in 1993.

It was also on this day in 2018 that Volkswagen is fined one billion euros over the emissions scandal.

Sadly in 1953, during the height of Kenya’s bloody colonial uprising, British military forces captured and executed 20 suspected Mau Mau freedom fighters on June 13, 1953, in an atrocity that became known as the Chuka Massacre.

Interestingly, today is the birthday of General Abdulsalami Abubakar (1942). On June 13, 1942, former Nigerian Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, was born in Minna, Niger State. He is historically revered as the military leader who successfully orchestrated Nigeria’s swift transition from decades of military regime back to civilian rule, culminating in the handover of power on May 29, 1999.

Today in History has it that on this day in 1964, in a definitive moment for the anti-apartheid struggle, Nelson Mandela and six of his co-accused from the historic Rivonia Trial officially arrived at the notorious Robben Island prison on June 13, 1964. This began his grueling 18-year isolation on the island, which ultimately failed to break his resolve and instead turned him into a global symbol of resistance.

Regrettably on this day in 2023, at least 100 people are killed when a wedding boat capsizes on the Niger River in Kwara State, Nigeria.

For football lovers (like myself), on this day in 1998, Nigeria’s Super Eagles pulled off one of the greatest upsets in FIFA World Cup history by defeating a star-studded Spanish team 3-2 in Nantes, France. The match is eternally etched in football folklore due to Sunday Oliseh’s famous, thunderous long-range winning volley.