January 12, 1867 Victor Cousin, French philosopher/minister of Education, dies at 74 January 12, 1865 Union fleet bombs Fort Fisher NC January 12, 1863 Vivekananda, Calcutta, Hindu religious leader/reformer January 12, 1861 FL state troops demand surrender of Ft Pickens January 12, 1861 Vaclav Hanka, Czech author/translator/forger, dies at 69 January 12, 1860 Martinus J Niewindt, bishop on Curaeao (christened slaves), dies at 63 January 12, 1856 John Singer Sargent, U.S., portrait painter (Wyndham Sisters) January 12, 1856 L'udov¡t Stur, Slovaaks author/linguistic (Das Slawentum), dies at 40 January 12, 1853 Gregorio Ricci-Curbastro, Italian mathematician (tensor analysis) January 12, 1852 Joseph J C Joffre, French fieldmarshal (Indo China, Marne) January 12, 1851 Johan Herman Koekkoek, painter, dies at 72 January 12, 1842 Franciscan nuns begin missionary work on Netherland Antilles January 12, 1842 Francois Coppee, French poet January 12, 1839 Anthracite coal 1st used to smelt iron, Mauch Chunk, Penn January 12, 1839 Joseph A Koch, Aust painter/cartoonist/etcher/illustrator, dies at 70 January 12, 1837 Adolf Jensen, composer January 12, 1837 Carlos Troyer, composer January 12, 1836 Battle of Wetumka, Florida January 12, 1836 HMS Beagle/Charles Darwin reach Sydney Australia January 12, 1833 Marie-Antoine CarŠme, author (Pattissier Royal Parisien), dies at 48