Wikipedia says... (and I know this is long, but there's lots of interesting ones!)

October 12th:

1492 - Christopher Columbus's expedition makes landfall in the Caribbean. The explorer believes he has reached East Asia

1582 - Due to the implementation of the Gregorian calendar this day does not exist in this year in Italy, Poland, Portugal and Spain.

1681 - A London woman is publicly flogged for the crime of "involving herself in politics"

1773 - America's first insane asylum opens for 'Persons of Insane and Disordered Minds' in Virginia

1775 - The United States Navy is formed.

1792 - First celebration of Columbus Day in the USA held in New York

1810 - First Oktoberfest: The Bavarian royalty invites the citizens of Munich to join the celebration of the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen.

1823 - Charles Macintosh, of Scotland, sells the first raincoat.

1859 - Self-described "Emperor of the United States" Joshua A. Norton issues a decree dissolving the U.S. Congress

1938 - Filming starts on The Wizard of Oz

2000 - In Aden, Yemen, the USS Cole is badly damaged by two suicide bombers, killing 17 crew members and wounding at least 39

2005 - Apple Computer released the Video iPod


And a famous person born on the same day: 1935 - Luciano Pavarotti, Italian tenor