About the day » Sunday May 12, 1872Calender converter

• Adrian Reijmund von Faber, Gorontalo, Sulawesi, Indonesia († 1933)
• Tolle(Folle), Rotterdam
• Antje Visscher, IJsselmuiden († 1914)
• Francisca Petronella van Deutekom, 's-Hertogenbosch († 1910)
• Kornelis Elzinga, Rauwerderhem
• Adrianus van Neste, Velsen († 1953)
• Anna Maria Catharina MEUBUS, Hasselt, Provincie Limburg, Flanders, Belgie
• Adriaan van Hooijdonk, Oosterhout,Noord-Brabant,Nederland († 1938)
• Aagje van der Burg, Maassluis, Zuid-Holland, Nederland
• Anna Adriana Hamelink, Utrecht, Utrecht, Nederland († 1872)

• Albrecht Fredrik Insinger (83), Amsterdam, Nederland
• Aaltje van der Linden (32), 's-Gravendeel (Zuid-Holland)
• Aafke Karstens Doornbos (68), Grijpskerk
• Adriaan Bruurs (57), Vessem
• Adrianus de Vos (2), Bunnik
• Agatha van der Hoff (0), Gorinchem, Zuid-Holland, Nederland
• Adrianus de Vos (2), Bunnik, UTR, Nederland
• Annetje Koerten (81), Nijkerk, Gelderland, Nederland
• Adriana Kortleven (53), Leerbroek, Nederland
• Albertus van Rosmalen (76), Nistelrode, Noord-Brabant, Nederland

• 1859 » Frank Wilson, English-Australian politician, 9th Premier of Western Australia († 1918)
• 1859 » William Alden Smith, American lawyer and politician († 1932)
• 1863 » Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury, Bengali writer, painter, violin player and composer, technologist and entrepreneur. († 1915)
• 1867 » Hugh Trumble, Australian cricketer and accountant († 1938)
• 1869 » Carl Schuhmann, German gymnast, wrestler, and weightlifter († 1946)
• 1872 » Anton Korošec, Slovenian priest and politician, 10th Prime Minister of Yugoslavia († 1940)
• 1873 » J. E. H. MacDonald, English-Canadian painter († 1932)
• 1874 » Clemens von Pirquet, Austrian pediatrician and immunologist († 1929)
• 1875 » Charles Holden, English architect, designed the Bristol Central Library († 1960)
• 1880 » Lincoln Ellsworth, American explorer († 1951)

• 1842 » Walenty Wańkowicz, Belarusian-Polish painter (b. 1799)
• 1845 » János Batsányi, Hungarian poet and academic (b. 1763)
• 1856 » Jacques Philippe Marie Binet, French mathematician, physicist, and astronomer (b. 1786)
• 1859 » Sergey Aksakov, Russian author and academic (b. 1791)
• 1860 » Charles Barry, English architect, designed Upper Brook Street Chapel and the Palace of Westminster (b. 1795)
• 1864 » J. E. B. Stuart, American general (b. 1833)
• 1867 » Friedrich Wilhelm Eduard Gerhard, German archaeologist and academic (b. 1795)
• 1876 » Georgi Benkovski, Bulgarian activist (b. 1843)
• 1878 » Anselme Payen, French chemist and academic (b. 1795)
• 1884 » Bedřich Smetana, Czech composer and educator (b. 1824)

1. Johannes
2. Jan
3. Cornelis
4. Hendrik
5. Willem
6. Pieter
7. Gerrit
8. Jacob
9. Petrus
10. Jacobus
11. Adrianus
12. Dirk
13. Arie
14. Gerardus
15. Hendrikus
16. Wilhelmus

1. Maria
2. Johanna
3. Anna
4. Cornelia
5. Elisabeth
6. Adriana
7. Hendrika
8. Catharina
9. Wilhelmina
10. Aaltje
11. Grietje
12. Trijntje
13. Neeltje
14. Antje
15. Jacoba
16. Petronella

• Koning Willem III (Huis van Oranje-Nassau) was from 1849 till 1890 sovereign of the Netherlands (also known as Koninkrijk der Nederlanden)
• In The Netherlands , there was from January 4, 1871 to July 6, 1872 the cabinet Thorbecke III, with Mr. J.R. Thorbecke (liberaal) as prime minister.
• From July 6, 1872 till August 27, 1874 the Netherlands had a cabinet De Vries - Fransen van de Putte with the prime ministers Mr. G. de Vries Azn. (liberaal) and I.D. Fransen van de Putte (liberaal).
• The Netherlands had about 4.0 million citizens.
• February 20 » The Metropolitan Museum of Art opens in New York City.
• February 22 » The Prohibition Party holds its first national convention in Columbus, Ohio, nominating James Black as its presidential nominee.
• March 5 » George Westinghouse patents the air brake.
• May 10 » Victoria Woodhull becomes the first woman nominated for President of the United States.
• November 5 » Women's suffrage in the United States: In defiance of the law, suffragist Susan B. Anthony votes for the first time, and is later fined $100.
• December 4 » The crewless American brigantine Mary Celeste, drifting in the Atlantic, is discovered by the Canadian brig Dei Gratia. The ship has been abandoned for nine days but is only slightly damaged. Her master Benjamin Briggs and all nine others known to have been on board are never accounted for.

The temperature on May 12, 1872 was about 12.5 °C. The air pressure was 10 kgf/m² and came mainly from the northeast. The atmospheric humidity was 44%.