Thanksgiving Day in Canada is celebrated on the second Monday in October. The first Canadian Thanksgiving Day was observed on April 15, 1872, to celebrate the recovery of the prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) from a serious illness.
Daily Calendar for Monday, October 12, 2026
Daily Calendar
View daily calendar information including holidays, advice, and daily features.
Monday, October 12, 2026
Indigenous Peoples’ Day, observed in the United States on the second Monday in October, recognizes the culture, contributions, and history of Native Americans. Ways to celebrate include attending community events, supporting indigenous businesses and art, and expanding knowledge via museums and other resources. The holiday is celebrated in certain areas in lieu of Columbus Day (a federal holiday) because of the devastation that European exploration brought to indigenous peoples of the Americas. Learn more about Indigenous Peoples’ Day here.
On October 12, 1492, Christopher Columbus landed on a small island in the Bahamas, convinced that he had reached the East Indies. The anniversary of his landing in the New World was first formally celebrated in 1792, by the Columbian Order (Society of St. Tammany) in New York City. Now, it is celebrated nationally on the second Monday in October.
Born
- King Edward VI of England –
- Elmer Sperry (inventor) –
- Eugenio Montale (poet) –
- Doris Miller (Navy Cross recipient) –
- Luciano Pavarotti (opera singer) –
- Chris Wallace (broadcast journalist) –
- Hugh Jackman (actor) –
- Martie Maguire (musician, member of Dixie Chicks) –
- Kirk Cameron (actor) –
- Marion Jones (athlete) –
Died
- Robert E. Lee (American Confederate general) –
- John Denver (musician) –
- Wilt Chamberlain (basketball player) –
- Ray Conniff (bandleader) –
- Bill Shoemaker (jockey) –
Events
- Christopher Columbus first saw New World –
- Bavarian Crown Price Ludwig married Princess Therese of Hildburghausen in Munich. Their wedding celebration lasted for days, and became a yearly tradition known today as “Oktoberfest.” –
- An iron lung respirator used for the first time in Boston, MA –
- The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show made its television debut. Burns and Allen had been on the radio since 1935 –
- Canadian Prime Minister Lester Pearson won Nobel Peace Prize –
- U.S.S.R.’s Voskhod 1 launched –
- The U.S. Navy concluded its Sealab II program, in which teams of aquanauts lived and worked in a capsule submerged off the California coast –
- 19th Summer Olympic games began, Mexico City, Mexico –
- Jesus Christ Superstar, the Broadway musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, premieres in New York –
- Vice President Al Gore and the U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change won the Nobel Peace Prize –
Weather
- The Columbus Day “Big Blow” in Oregon and Washington brought 100 mph winds, damaging trees and killing 48 people –