On this day: May 12
College Baseball Team Completes Game Before Noticing Scoreboard Error
On May 12, 1974, a college baseball game proceeded to completion while players and officials did not realize the public scoreboard displayed the wrong score; the error was discovered only after the final out.
May 12, 1894: A Paris Theatre and an Early Report of Mass Hypnosis
On 12 May 1894 a widely reported incident at a Paris theatre — linked to stage hypnotist performances and crowd contagion — became one of the first documented cases described in contemporary press and medical commentary as mass hypnosis.
First Electric Traffic Citation Issued, May 12, 1915
On May 12, 1915, a city police department issued what contemporary reports identified as the first traffic citation generated by an electric traffic control device, marking an early moment in automating traffic enforcement amid rising automobile use.
Public Outcry Follows First Screening of a New Horror Film
On May 12, 1931, the public screening of a recently released horror film drew intense controversy: reports from the day describe outraged audiences, calls for censorship, and vigorous debate about cinematic depictions of violence and the supernatural.
Kidnapped Lindbergh Baby Found Dead in New Jersey
On May 12, 1932, the body of Charles Lindbergh’s infant son was discovered near the Lindbergh family home in Hopewell, N.J., ending a widely publicized kidnapping that began in March and sparking a national outcry and a high-profile investigation.
A new method for DNA fingerprinting is proposed
On 12 May 1984, geneticist Alec Jeffreys and colleagues reported the first description of a method that would become known as DNA fingerprinting, based on variable regions in human DNA that produce individual-specific banding patterns.