On this day: December 12

Referee Mistakenly Ejects Wrong Player, Declines to Reverse Call

During a December 12, 2001 basketball game, an official ejected the wrong player after a confrontation and refused to rescind the decision despite team protests, sparking debate about officiating protocols and accountability.

NASA Confirms Seasonal Liquid Water Flows on Mars

NASA scientists announced evidence that dark streaks on Martian slopes are formed by seasonal flows of briny liquid water, based on recurring slope lineae observations and spectral detection of hydrated salts.

1965 Soviet Nuclear-Weapon Accident Nearly Escalates into Disaster

On December 12, 1965, a Soviet missile-related nuclear-weapon accident during storage and handling at a military site nearly led to a catastrophic release or unintended detonation; details remain disputed in declassified records and memoirs.

Supreme Court Stops Florida Recount, Deciding 2000 Election

On December 12, 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court halted a Florida manual recount in Bush v. Gore, effectively awarding the presidency to George W. Bush by ruling that the recount procedures violated the Constitution and that no constitutionally valid recount could be completed in time.

Enron Executives Testify Before Congress as Scandal Unfolds

Top Enron executives appeared before Congress on December 12, 2001, testifying about the company’s collapse amid investigations into accounting practices and corporate governance failures that led to investigations and criminal probes.

1980 South Korean Military Crackdown Suppresses Mass Protests

In December 1980, South Korea’s ruling military authorities violently suppressed widespread pro-democracy demonstrations, most notably in Gwangju earlier that year and continuing unrest nationwide, resulting in deaths, arrests, and long-term political repercussions.