Today in History- 12th February

International Events:

1818 Chile formally proclaimed its independence from Spain.

1912 The last Emperor of China Pu Yi, abdicates.

2002 The war crimes trial of former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic began in The Hague.

Indian Events:

1502 Vasco da Gama sets sail from Lisbon, Portugal, on his second voyage to India.

Births:

1809 Charles Darwin.

1809 Abraham Lincoln.

1824 Dayananda Saraswati.