On this day: 12/01/475

Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople, and his general, Basiliscus gains control of the empire.

On this day: 12/01/1528

Gustav I of Sweden is crowned King of Sweden, having already reigned since his election in June 1523.

On this day: 12/01/1554

Bayinnaung, who would go on to assemble the largest empire in the history of Southeast Asia, is crowned King of Burma.

On this day: 12/01/1616

The city of Belém, Brazil is founded on the Amazon River delta, by Portuguese captain Francisco Caldeira Castelo Branco.

On this day: 12/01/1792

Federalist Thomas Pinckney appointed first U.S. minister to Britain.

On this day: 12/01/1808

John Rennie's scheme to defend St Mary's Church, Reculver, founded in 669, from coastal erosion is abandoned in favour of demolition, despite the church being an exemplar of Anglo-Saxon architecture and sculpture.

On this day: 12/01/1808

The organizational meeting leading to the creation of the Wernerian Natural History Society, a former Scottish learned society, is held in Edinburgh.

On this day: 12/01/1848

The Palermo rising takes place in Sicily against the Bourbon Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

On this day: 12/01/1866

The Royal Aeronautical Society is formed in London.

On this day: 12/01/1872

Yohannes IV is crowned Emperor of Ethiopia in Axum, the first imperial coronation in that city in over 200 years.