So you want to have a drink but you aren't sure why? Here are some GREAT reasons to call your friends over and have a party.

February 12th


- Lincoln's Birthday (United States)
- Christian Feast Day:
- Darwin Day (International)
- Georgia Day (Georgia (U.S. state))
- National Freedom to Marry Day, unofficial (United States)
- Red Hand Day (United Nations)
- Union Day (Myanmar)

February 12th


- 2004 - The city of San Francisco, California begins issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in response to a directive from Mayor Gavin Newsom.
- 1999 - President Bill Clinton is acquitted by the United States Senate in his impeachment trial.
- 1914 - In Washington, D.C., the first stone of the Lincoln Memorial is put into place.
- 2009 - Colgan Air Flight 3407 crashes into a house in Clarence Center, New York while on approach to Buffalo-Niagara International Airport, killing all on board and one on the ground.
- 2002 - The trial of former President of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Slobodan Miloševi? begins at the United Nations war crimes tribunal in The Hague. He dies four years later before its conclusion.
- 2002 - US Secretary of Energy makes the decision that Yucca Mountain is a suitable site for a deep geological repository for the United States.
- 2002 - An Iran Air Tours Tupolev Tu-154 crashes in the mountains outside Khorramabad, Iran while descending for a landing at Khorramabad Airport, killing 119.
- 2001 - NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft touchdown in the "saddle" region of 433 Eros becoming the first spacecraft to land on an asteroid.
- 1997 - Hwang Jang-yop, secretary in the Workers' Party of Korea and a prime architect of North Korea's Juche doctrine, defects at the South Korean embassy in Beijing along with his aide, Kim Dok-hong.
- 1990 - Carmen Lawrence becomes the first female Premier in Australian history when she becomes Premier of Western Australia.
- 1976 - Actor Sal Mineo is stabbed to death in West Hollywood.
- 1974 - Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, winner of the Nobel Prize in literature in , is exiled from the Soviet Union.
- 1973 - Vietnam War: The first United States prisoners of war are released by the Viet Cong.
- 1966 - Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, announces the Six Points in Karachi as the election manifesto of Awami League, that later led to formation of Bangladesh.
- 1961 - U.S.S.R. launches Venera 1 towards Venus.
- 1947 - A meteor creates an impact crater in Sikhote-Alin, in the Soviet Union.
- 1946 - World War II: Operation Deadlight ends after scuttling 121 of 154 captured U-boats.
- 1940 - FBLA-PBL organization is founded.
- 1934 - The Austrian Civil War begins.
- 1934 - The Export-Import Bank of the United States is incorporated.
- 1934 - In Spain the national council of Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional-Sindicalista is inaugurated. The council decides to merge the movement with the Falange Española.
- 1924 - Calvin Coolidge becomes the first President of the United States to deliver a political speech on radio.
- 1912 - Xuantong Emperor of the Manchu Qing dynasty, the last Emperor of China, abdicates.
- 1912 - The Republic of China adopts the Gregorian calendar.
- 1909 - The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is founded.
- 1894 - Anarchist Émile Henry hurls a bomb into Paris's Cafe Terminus, killing one and wounding 20.
- 1879 - The first artificial ice rink in North America opens at Gilmore's Park in New York City.
- 1870 - Women gain the right to vote in the Utah Territory.
- 1855 - Michigan State University is established.
- 1832 - Ecuador annexes the Galápagos Islands.
- 1825 - The Creek cede the last of their lands in Georgia to the United States government, and migrate west.
- 1818 - Bernardo O'Higgins formally approved the Chilean Declaration of Independence near Concepción, Chile.
- 1817 - An Argentine/Chilean patriotic army, after crossing the Andes, defeats Spanish troops on the Battle of Chacabuco.
- 1816 - The Teatro di San Carlo, the oldest working opera house in Europe, is destroyed by fire.
- 1771 - Gustav III becomes the King of Sweden.
- 1733 - Englishman James Oglethorpe founds Georgia, the 13th colony of the Thirteen Colonies, and its first city at Savannah (known as Georgia Day).
- 1719 - The Onderlinge van 1719 u.a., the oldest existing life insurance company in the Netherlands is founded.
- 1700 - The Great Northern War begins in Northern Europe.
- 1689 - The Convention Parliament convenes and declares that the flight to France in by James II, the last Roman Catholic British monarch, constitutes an abdication.
- 1554 - A year after claiming the throne of England for nine days, Lady Jane Grey is beheaded for treason.
- 1541 - Santiago, Chile is founded by Pedro de Valdivia.
- 1502 - Vasco da Gama sets sail from Lisbon, Portugal, on his second voyage to India.
- 1429 - English forces under Sir John Fastolf defend a supply convoy carrying rations to the army besieging Orleans from attack by the Comte de Clermont and Sir John Stewart of Darnley in the Battle of Rouvray (also known as the Battle of the Herrings).
- 881 - Pope John VIII crowns Charles the Fat, the King of Italy: Emperor

February 12th


- 1993 - Jennifer Stone, American actress
- 1991 - Faisal ibn Hamad Al Khalifah, prince of Bahrain (d. 2006)
- 1988 - Nana Eikura, Japanese actress
- 1986 - Diego Ângelo, Brazilian footballer
- 1985 - Saskia Burmeister, Australian actress
- 1984 - Lolly Badcock, English pornographic actress
- 1984 - Brad Keselowski, American racing car driver
- 1984 - Peter Vanderkaay, American swimmer
- 1984 - Aylar Lie, Norwegian model
- 1984 - Alexandra Dahlström, Swedish actress
- 1983 - Carlton Brewster, American football player
- 1982 - Louis Tsatoumas, Greek long jumper
- 1982 - Anthony Tuitavake, New Zealand All Black rugby player
- 1981 - Lisa Hannigan, Irish singer
- 1980 - Juan Carlos Ferrero, Spanish tennis player
- 1980 - Sarah Lancaster, American actress
- 1980 - Christina Ricci, American actress
- 1979 - Richard Barnwell, English footballer
- 1979 - Antonio Chatman, American football player
- 1979 - Matt Mauck, American football player
- 1979 - Jesse Spencer, Australian actor
- 1978 - Brett Hodgson, Australian rugby league footballer
- 1978 - Gethin Jones, Welsh television presenter
- 1978 - Silver Meikar, Estonian politician
- 1977 - Jimmy Conrad, American soccer player
- 1976 - Christian Cullen, New Zealand rugby union footballer
- 1976 - Silvia Saint, Czech pornographic actress
- 1975 - Scot Pollard, American basketball player
- 1975 - Cliff Blezinski, Design Director for Epic Games
- 1974 - Toranosuke Takagi, Japanese race car driver
- 1974 - Fonzworth Bentley, American hip-hop artist
- 1973 - Gianni Romme, Dutch speed skater
- 1973 - Tara Strong, Canadian voice actress
- 1972 - Lance Hill, American football (soccer) player
- 1972 - Ajay Naidu, Indian-American actor
- 1972 - Sophie Zelmani, Swedish singer/songwriter
- 1972 - Owen Nolan, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1970 - Jim Creeggan, Canadian bassist (Barenaked Ladies)
- 1970 - Judd Winick, writer and artist
- 1969 - Darren Aronofsky, American director and writer
- 1969 - Hong Myung-Bo, Korean footballer
- 1969 - Meja, Swedish singer
- 1969 - Brad Werenka, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1968 - Chynna Phillips, American singer
- 1968 - Kyle Vincent, American singer/songwriter
- 1968 - Josh Brolin, American actor
- 1968 - Grégory Charles, French Canadian singer, dancer, pianist, radio and television host
- 1968 - Christopher McCandless, American nomad, subject of biography Into the Wild (d. 1992)
- 1967 - Chris McKinstry, Canadian computer scientist
- 1967 - Chitravina N. Ravikiran, Indian composer and musician
- 1963 - John Michael Higgins, American actor
- 1963 - Ed Lover, American radio personality
- 1962 - Jimmy Kirkwood, Irish-born field hockey player
- 1961 - Jim Harris, Canadian politician
- 1960 - George Gray, American professional wrestler
- 1959 - Larry Nance, American basketball player
- 1959 - Dan Puric, Romanian actor, director and writer
- 1959 - Sigrid Thornton, Australian actress
- 1958 - Grant McLennan, Australian musician (The Go-Betweens) (d. 2006)
- 1958 - Bobby Smith, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1956 - Brian Robertson, Scottish musician (Thin Lizzy and Motörhead)
- 1955 - Arsenio Hall, American actor and talk show host
- 1955 - Bill Laswell, American bassist and record producer
- 1955 - Chet Lemon, American baseball player
- 1954 - Tzimis Panousis, Greek musician and stand-up comedian
- 1954 - Philip Zimmermann, American cryptographer
- 1953 - Joanna Kerns, American actress
- 1953 - Nabil Shaban, British actor
- 1953 - Robin Thomas, American actor
- 1952 - Michael McDonald, American musician
- 1952 - Simon MacCorkindale, British actor
- 1951 - Steven Parent, Manson murder victim (d. 1969)
- 1950 - Michael Ironside, Canadian actor
- 1950 - Steve Hackett, English guitarist (Genesis)
- 1949 - Joaquín Sabina, Spanish singer and songwriter
- 1948 - Raymond Kurzweil, American inventor and author
- 1948 - Mike Robitaille, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1947 - Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, Indian leader of Damdami Taksal (d. 1984)
- 1947 - Jim Durham, American sportscaster
- 1946 - Cliff DeYoung, American actor and musician
- 1946 - Jean Eyeghe Ndong, Prime Minister of Gabon
- 1946 - Ajda Pekkan, Turkish singer
- 1945 - Maud Adams, Swedish actress
- 1945 - David Friedman, American economist
- 1944 - Moe Bandy, American singer
- 1942 - Ehud Barak, Prime Minister of Israel
- 1942 - Pat Dobson, American baseball player (d. 2006)
- 1941 - Naomi Uemura, Japanese adventurer
- 1940 - Ralph Bates, English actor (d. 1991)
- 1940 - Richard Lynch, American actor
- 1939 - Ray Manzarek, American keyboardist (The Doors)
- 1938 - Judy Blume, American author
- 1938 - Peter Temple-Morris, Baron Temple-Morris, British politician
- 1937 - Charles Dumas, American athlete (d. 2004)
- 1936 - Joe Don Baker, American actor
- 1936 - Paul Shenar, American actor
- 1935 - Gene McDaniels, American singer
- 1934 - Anne Krueger, American economist
- 1934 - Bill Russell, American basketball player
- 1934 - Annette Crosbie, Scottish actress
- 1932 - Axel Jensen, Norwegian author (d. 2003)
- 1932 - Julian Lincoln Simon, American economist and author (d. 1998)
- 1931 - Janwillem van de Wetering, Dutch author
- 1930 - John Doyle, Irish hurler
- 1930 - Arlen Specter, U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania
- 1926 - Joe Garagiola, American baseball player and announcer
- 1926 - Charles Van Doren, American quiz show contestant
- 1925 - Sir Anthony Berry, British politician (d. 1984)
- 1923 - Chaskel Besser, Orthodox rabbi (d. 2010)
- 1923 - Franco Zeffirelli, Italian film and opera director and designer
- 1922 - Hussein bin Dato' Onn, Malaysian Prime Minister (d. 1990)
- 1920 - William Roscoe Estep, Baptist historian and professor (d. 2000)
- 1920 - Pran, Indian actor
- 1919 - Forrest Tucker, American actor (d. 1986)
- 1918 - Julian Schwinger, American physicist, Nobel laureate (d. 1994)
- 1917 - Raizo Matsuno, Japanese politician (d. 2006)
- 1916 - Joseph Alioto, Mayor of San Francisco (d. 1998)
- 1915 - Lorne Greene, Canadian actor (d. 1987)
- 1914 - Tex Beneke, American musician and band leader (d. 2000)
- 1914 - Arvid Pardo, Maltese diplomat, a.k.a "Father of the Law of the Sea Conference" (d. 1999)
- 1912 - R. F. Delderfield, English author (d. 1972)
- 1911 - Stephen H. Sholes, American recording executive (d. 1968)
- 1909 - Sigmund Rascher, German SS doctor (d. 1945)
- 1908 - Jacques Herbrand, French logician and mathematician (d. 1931)
- 1908 - Jean Effel, French painter and journalist (d. 1982)
- 1908 - August Neo, Estonian wrestler (d. 1982)
- 1907 - Clifton C. Edom, American photojournalism educator (d. 1991)
- 1904 - Ted Mack, American television host (d. 1976)
- 1903 - Chick Hafey, baseball player (d. 1973)
- 1903 - Joseph F. Biroc, American cinematographer (d. 1996)
- 1902 - William Collier, American stage and film actor (d. 1987)
- 1900 - Roger J. Traynor, American judge (d. 1983)
- 1898 - Wallace Ford, English-born actor (d. 1966)
- 1897 - Vola Vale, American actress (d. 1970)
- 1893 - Omar Bradley, American general, the last surviving five-star general in the United States and the 1st Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. (d. 1981)
- 1889 - Bhante Dharmawara, Cambodian monk and supercentenarian (d. 1999)
- 1885 - Julius Streicher, Nazi German publisher (d. 1946)
- 1884 - Max Beckmann, German artist (d. 1950)
- 1884 - Marie Vassilieff, Russian artist (d. 1957)
- 1884 - Johan Laidoner, Estonian military commander (d. 1953)
- 1884 - Alice Roosevelt Longworth, daughter of Theodore Roosevelt (d. 1980)
- 1881 - Anna Pavlova, Russian ballerina (d. 1931)
- 1880 - John L. Lewis, American labor union leader (d. 1969)
- 1876 - Thubten Gyatso, 13th Dalai Lama (d. 1933)
- 1870 - Marie Lloyd, English music-hall performer (d. 1922)
- 1865 - Kazimierz Tetmajer, Polish poet and writer (d. 1940)
- 1861 - Lou Andreas-Salome, Russian-born author (d. 1937)
- 1857 - Bobby Peel, English cricketer (d. 1943)
- 1843 - John Graham Chambers, English athlete who wrote the Queensberry rules for boxing (d. 1883)
- 1828 - George Meredith, English writer (d. 1909)
- 1809 - Charles Darwin, English naturalist (d. 1882)
- 1809 - Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States (d. 1865)
- 1804 - Heinrich Lenz, German physicist (d. 1865)
- 1794 - Alexander Petrov, Russian chess player (d. 1867)
- 1791 - Peter Cooper, American Industrialist, inventor and philanthropist (d. 1883)
- 1788 - Carl Reichenbach, German chemist and philosopher (d. 1869)
- 1785 - Pierre Louis Dulong, French physicist (d. 1838)
- 1777 - Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué, German poet (d. 1843)
- 1777 - Bernard Courtois, French chemist (d. 1838)
- 1775 - Louisa Adams, First Lady of the United States, wife of John Quincy Adams (d. 1852)
- 1768 - Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1835)
- 1753 - François-Paul Brueys D'Aigalliers, French admiral (d. 1798)
- 1752 - Dorothea Ackermann, German actress (d. 1821)
- 1728 - Étienne-Louis Boullée, French architect (d. 1799)
- 1704 - Charles Pinot Duclos, French writer (d. 1772)
- 1665 - Rudolf Jakob Camerarius, German botanist and physician (d. 1721)
- 1663 - Cotton Mather, New England minister (d. 1728)
- 1637 - Jan Swammerdam, Dutch biologist (d. 1680)
- 1606 - John Winthrop, the Younger, Governor of Connecticut (d. 1676)
- 1567 - Thomas Campion, English composer and poet (d. 1620)
- 1218 - Kujo Yoritsune, Japanese shogun (d. 1256)
- 1074 - Conrad, King of Germany and Italy (d. 1101)