On this day: January 12

Man Declared Dead Returns Home Days After Funeral

A man who was mistakenly declared dead and buried was found alive and returned to his home several days after his funeral; authorities and family members are investigating how the error occurred and how the deceased declaration was made.

Howard Hughes Withdraws from Public Life

On January 12, 1957, Howard Hughes largely vanished from public view as the billionaire industrialist and film producer retreated from business and social life—beginning a decades-long pattern of increasing seclusion that would fuel speculation about his health and behavior.

First Recorded Cryonic Preservation of a Human Conducted, January 1967

On January 12, 1967, the first documented attempt at cryonic preservation of a human body took place, marking an early and controversial milestone in the history of cryonics and the broader discussion of death, medicine, and emerging life-extension technologies.

First woman executed by electric chair in U.S. is put to death

On January 12, 1928, in Kentucky, 26-year-old Rainey Bethea became the first woman in the United States publicly executed by electric chair after being convicted of rape and murder—a case that prompted national debate about capital punishment and public executions.

The First "Ice Man"

On this day, Dr. James Bedford became the first person to be cryonically preserved after his death.

Joe Namath’s Guarantee and the Upset That Made Super Bowl III Historic

On January 12, 1969, New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath publicly guaranteed a victory over the heavily favored Baltimore Colts; the Jets then won 16–7, a landmark upset that boosted the credibility of the AFL before the NFL–AFL merger.