Today in History: June 12

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1429: France wins Battle of Jargeau

After successfully lifting the siege of Orléans, Joan of Arc, in her first offensive, recaptures the city of Jargeau on the second day of the clash between the French and English.

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1776: Virginia adopts Declaration of Rights

In Williamsburg, Virginia, the Fifth Virginia Convention adopts the Declaration of Rights to proclaim the inherent rights of men. Written mainly by George Mason, the document was the first in America to “call for freedom of the press, tolerance of religion, proscription of unreasonable searches, and the right to a fair and speedy trial.”

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1920: Man o' War sets a record at Belmont Stakes

An American Thoroughbred and one of the greatest racehorses of all time, Man o' War, wins 52nd Belmont Stakes and sets the record for the fastest mile ever run by a horse to that time.

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1939: National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum opens

Based in Cooperstown, New York, U.S., the hall of fame and museum honors some of the greatest players and showcases baseball-related artifacts.

1942: Anne Frank receives a diary for her 13th birthday

Anne Frank, a German-born Jewish girl living in Amsterdam, receives a diary for her 13th birthday, less than a month before she and her family went into hiding from the Nazis. Her father survived Auschwitz and published Anne’s diary in 1947 as The Diary of a Young Girl. The book has been translated into more than 60 languages.

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1944: JFK receives Navy's highest honor for gallantry

Lieutenant John F. Kennedy is awarded the Navy's highest honor for gallantry for his heroic actions during the rescue of the crew of PT 109 gunboat which was rammed and destroyed by a Japanese destroyer during World War II. Future president of the United States also received a Purple Heart for wounds received during battle.

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1963: Medgar Evers is assassinated

Civil rights leader Medgar Evers, 37, is shot and killed outside his home in Jackson, Mississippi. In 1994, Byron De La Beckwith was convicted of murdering Evers and sentenced to life in prison; he died in 2001.

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1964: Nelson Mandela sentenced to life in prison

The South African anti-apartheid leader is jailed for life for sabotage after an eight-month trial. Crowds gathered outside the court in protest, demanding Mandela be freed. However, he was released only in 1990 and elected the president of the African National Congress (ANC) in July 1991.

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1987: Ronald Reagan challenges Mikhail Gorbachev

Ronald Reagan, during a visit to the divided German city of Berlin, exhorts Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev to "tear down this wall."

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1991: Russia elects its first president

Boris Yeltsin becomes the first President of the Russian Federation, inflicting a defeat on the Communist Party that ruled the country since 1917. He served from 1991 to 1999.

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1994: Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman are stabbed to death

Former NFL player and actor O. J. Simpson's ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman are stabbed to death outside Nicole's home in Brentwood, California. O. J. Simpson became the prime suspect due to overwhelming evidence against him and was put on a trial which became the most highly publicized trials of the century.

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1999: NATO peacekeepers enter Kosovo

One of the biggest post-World War II military operations in Europe – Operation Joint Guardian – begins in Kosovo. NATO-led international forces becomes the first alliance to enter the war-torn city in communist Yugoslavia, following a preliminary bombing campaign in March.

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2016: Ronaldo tops Forbes' Highest-Paid Athletes List

Cristiano Ronaldo tops Forbes' Highest-Paid Athletes List, earning $88 million and becomes the first footballer to do so.