Year 1912 Fun Facts, Trivia, and History
This quick read presents a collection of fun facts, trivia, and history events from the year 1912.
This quick read presents a collection of fun facts, trivia, and history events from the year 1912. Discover the year’s top news stories, most influential people, notable inventions, historic firsts, sports facts, entertainment trivia, and much more.
Take a journey through history in just minutes.
In 1912, William Howard Taft (R-Ohio) was the 27th U.S. president, and James S. Sherman (R-New York) was the nation’s 27th vice president until October 30, when he passed away.
The U.S. unemployment rate was 4.6%, and the nation’s inflation rate was 2.11%.
American companies and brands established in 1912 included the Accident Fund, Farmer Brothers, Liberty Mutual, Paramount Pictures, the San Francisco Municipal Railway, Shell USA, Universal Pictures, and Weis Markets.
On January 6, New Mexico became the 47th U.S. state.
On February 14, Arizona became the 48th U.S. state.
On March 6, Nabisco launched the beloved Oreo cookie. The Sugar Association reports that the very first Oreos were sold to a grocer named S. C. Thuesen of Hoboken, New Jersey. Nine and a quarter pounds of Oreos cost Thuesen $1.85, and the tin they came in cost an additional 50 cents. The cookies were an immediate success, and an American tradition was born. Over time, Oreos became the world’s most popular and biggest-selling cookie and are now sold in more than 100 countries.
On March 12, Juliette Gordon Low founded the Girl Scouts of America in Savannah, Georgia.
On March 27, Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo gave 3,000 cherry blossom trees to the U.S. “to symbolize the friendship between the two countries.” Later in the year, First Lady Helen Herron Taft planted the first cherry blossom tree in Washington, DC.
On April 10, the British ocean liner RMS Titanic left Southampton, England, on her maiden voyage to New York City. At 882 feet long and over 92 feet wide, the Titanic “was the largest man-made moving object in the world when it was built.”
On April 14, the RMS Titanic struck an iceberg in the northern Atlantic Ocean at 23:40 (ship’s time). There were approximately 2,224 people on board the ship when the catastrophe occurred.
On April 15, the RMS Titanic sank at 02:20 (ship’s time) after striking an iceberg on April 14 at 23:40 (ship’s time) in the North Atlantic. Over 1,500 people perished in the wreck, “making it one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in history.” (The Titanic wreck was not discovered until 1985.)
On April 18, the RMS Carpathia arrived in New York City with the Titanic's 706 survivors.
On April 20, Fenway Park, home to the Boston Red Sox MLB team, opened to baseball fans.
On April 20, Tiger Stadium, home to the Detroit Tigers MLB team, welcomed baseball fans for the first time.
On May 11, Alaska became a U.S. territory.
June 18 to 22: The Republican National Convention took place in Chicago, and incumbent United States President William Howard Taft was the party’s nominee for U.S. president.
June 25 to July 2: The Democratic National Convention took place at the Fifth Regiment Armory in Baltimore, and New Jersey Governor Woodrow Wilson was the party’s nominee for U.S. president.
On September 25, the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism was established.
On October 30, U.S. Vice President James S. Sherman died of kidney failure.
On November 5, in the U.S. presidential election, Democratic New Jersey Governor Woodrow Wilson defeated incumbent Republican U.S. President William Howard Taft in a landslide.
In 1912, the remaining residents of Malaga Island, which is located off the coast of Maine, were forcibly evicted. Malaga Island had been an interracial fishing community since the American Civil War. The Bangor (Maine) Daily News, Portland (Maine) Press Herald, and other newspapers in the region often printed stories about Malaga, referring to the island as a “degenerate colony” where illiteracy, promiscuity, stealing, and other criminal activity ran rampant.
The California Fruit Growers Exchange “registered the trademark ‘Sunkist’ for lemons, oranges, and other citrus fruits.”
Candy manufacturer Clarence Crane of Garrettsville, Ohio, invented the Life Saver “as a ‘summer candy’ that could withstand heat better than chocolate.”
Nabisco launched the ever-popular Lorna Doone, ”a golden, square-shaped shortbread cookie.”
The Hawaiian Pineapple Company registered the trademark “JDDole” for canned pineapple.
The Pearson's Candy Company in Minnesota began to manufacture one of their most successful products—the Nut Goodie Bar.
The Standard Candy Company in Nashville, Tennessee, introduced the “Goo Goo Cluster” candy bar. It is made from marshmallows, caramel, and roasted peanuts—and all covered in milk chocolate.
Popular alcohol-based beverages in 1912 included the gin rickey, highball, Mary Pickford, old fashioned, sidecar, and Ward Eight.
Famous birthdays: Danny Thomas (TV actor), Gene Kelly (movie actor), Julia Child (chef), Lady Bird Johnson (First Lady), Pat Nixon (First Lady), Perry Como (pop singer), and Pope John Paul (religious leader)
Famous people who died in 1912 were Clara Barton (founder of the Red Cross), Thomas Andrews (architect), John Jacob Astor IV (businessman and real estate developer), Robert Falcon Scott (explorer), Bram Stoker (novelist), Isidor Straus (entrepreneur), and Wilbur Wright (inventor).
America’s favorite songs were That Haunting Melody (Al Jolson), Moonlight Bay (the American Quartet), and Ragging the Baby to Sleep (Al Jolson).
Popular movies for the year included All for a Girl, At It Again, Cleopatra, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Jack and the Beanstalk.
Best-selling fiction books: The Harvester by Gene Stratton Porter, The Street Called Straight by Basil King, Their Yesterdays by Harold Bell Wright, The Melting of Molly by Maria Thompson Davies, and A Hoosier Chronicle by Meredith Nicholson
Here are some sports facts from 1912: The Boston Red Sox won the World Series, Michael J. Ryan won the Boston Marathon, and Harvard and Penn State were the NCAA football champions.
In 1912 as well, the words "air pocket," "air show," "ambivalent," "automation," "call girl," "cellophane," "false positive," "family values," "geek," "hairdo," "lazy Susan," "pedal pushers," "pizzeria," "split second," "toll call," "traffic light," "up-to-the-minute," "vitamin," "weekends," and "yes-man" all appeared in print for the first time.
Bacon: 16 cents a pound
Bermuda onions: 55 cents for a six-quart basket
Butter: 35 cents a pound
Campbell’s soup: 13 cans for $1.00
Crackers (Nabisco Uneeda): Four cents a package
Cream cheese: 20 cents a pound
Curtains: $1.00 to $3.00 a pair
Eggs: 22 cents a dozen
Granulated sugar: Seven pounds for 37 cents
Haviland china (100-piece set): $46.45
Milk: 12 cents a quart
Potatoes: 59 cents for a 16-quart basket
Rice: Five pounds for 27 cents
Silverware set (100 pieces): $6.45
Sugar-cured ham: 15 cents a pound
References:
https://popculturemadness.com/1912-history-trivia-and-fun-facts/
https://www.foodreference.com/html/html/food-timeline-1911.html
Disclaimer: In writing and editing this article, Gregory DeVictor has made every effort to ensure historical accuracy and not to mislead his audience. In addition, the contents of this article, including text, graphics, and captions, are for general informational purposes only.
© 2026 Gregory DeVictor
About the Creator
Gregory DeVictor
Gregory DeVictor is a trivia enthusiast who likes to write articles about American history and nostalgia. Each of his articles presents a mix of fun facts, trivia, and historic events about a specific calendar year, decade, or century.
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