May 12

in History

Rome, Roman EmpireClassical

254

Pope Stephen I Elected

A new pope confronts an old heresy

In Rome, Stephen I succeeded Lucius I as the twenty-third pope of the Catholic Church and immediately took a firm stand against Novatianism, a rigorist movement that denied reconciliation to Christians who had lapsed during persecution. His three-year pontificate would be marked by heated disputes over the validity of baptisms performed by heretics -- a controversy that pitted him against the formidable Cyprian of Carthage and foreshadowed centuries of theological debate about sacramental authority.

254 AD

Helene Weigel Was Born — Brecht's partner in art and revolution

Vienna, AustriaEarly 20th Century

1900

Helene Weigel Was Born

Brecht's partner in art and revolution

In Vienna, Helene Weigel was born -- the actress who would become the most important interpreter of Bertolt Brecht's theatrical revolution. As Brecht's wife and artistic partner, she brought his epic theater to life with performances of searing emotional truth, most famously as Mother Courage. After Brecht's death, she led the Berliner Ensemble, transforming it into one of the most important theater companies in the world and preserving his radical legacy for future generations.

1900 AD

World War II — World War II: Second Battle of Kharkov: In eastern Ukraine, Red Army forces under Marshal Semyon Timoshenko launch a.

1939–1945 global conflictEarly 20th Century

1942

World War II

World War II: Second Battle of Kharkov: In eastern Ukraine, Red Army forces under Marshal Semyon Timoshenko launch a.

World War II or the Second World War was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated. Tanks and aircraft played major roles, the latter enabling the strategic bombing of cities and delivery of the only nuclear weapons used in war. World War II was the deadliest conflict in history, causing the death of 60 to 75 million people.

1942 AD