This Day in History: May 12

1789: William Wilberforce makes his first major speech on abolition in the UK House of Commons

In his speech, Wilberforce argued that the slave trade was morally reprehensible and a matter of natural justice. He dedicated the rest of his life to the abolitionist cause, which eventually led to the passage of the Slave Trade Act in 1807 and the Slavery Abolition Act in 1833.

1940: Nazi blitzkrieg and conquest of France begins with the crossing of the Meuse River

The German invasion of France began with a surprise attack through the Ardennes forest, which was believed to be impenetrable. The French and British forces were quickly overwhelmed, and France surrendered on June 22.

1941: The world's first programmable, fully automatic computer is presented

The Z3 was designed by German inventor Konrad Zuse. Although it was not widely used during the war, it represented a significant step forward in the development of computing technology.

1943: Axis forces in North Africa surrender

The surrender of the German and Italian forces in North Africa was a major turning point in the war in the Mediterranean. It allowed the Allies to gain control of the region and set the stage for the invasion of Sicily later that year.

1982: A Spanish priest attempts to assassinate Pope John Paul II

Juan María Fernández y Krohn opposed the reforms initiated by the Second Vatican Council and believed that the Pope was a Communist agent. John Paul II escaped with minor injuries.

1994: The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict ends

The ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan that went into effect on May 12, 1994, marked the end of six years of fighting over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. However, the conflict itself remains unresolved to this day.

1998: Violent clashes follow the killing of four protesters in Jakarta, Indonesia

The riots that followed the killing of the protesters eventually led to the resignation of President Suharto, who had been in power for over 30 years.

2002: Former US President Jimmy Carter arrives in Cuba for a five-day visit with Fidel Castro

This visit made Carter the first US President, in or out of office, to visit the island since Castro's 1959 revolution. The visit was aimed at improving relations between the two countries, but little progress was made.

2008: A massive earthquake rocks China

The magnitude 7.9 earthquake, also known as the Wenchuan earthquake, left over 87,000 people dead and millions more homeless. It was the deadliest earthquake in China since the Tangshan earthquake in 1976.