On This Day, Feb. 12: Plane crashes into Buffalo, N.Y.-area home, killing 50

UPI Staff
·4 min read
On February 12, 2009, a Continental airlines turboprop commuter plane crashed into a house near Buffalo, N.Y., killing 50 people, including one person in the house. File Photo courtesy of the NTSB
On February 12, 2009, a Continental airlines turboprop commuter plane crashed into a house near Buffalo, N.Y., killing 50 people, including one person in the house. File Photo courtesy of the NTSB
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Feb. 12 (UPI) -- On this date in history:

In 1541, Santiago, Chile, was founded.

In 1733, the American colony of Georgia was founded by James Oglethorpe.

In 1909, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was founded by Moorfield Storey, Mary White Ovington and W.E.B. Du Bois.

In 1912, China's last emperor, Puyi, abdicated the throne after Sun Yat-sen's revolution. The Qing dynasty ruled for 268 years and the country had been under imperial rule for some 2,000 years.

Puyi, formally known as Hsian-T'ung, was the last emperor of China, part of the Qing dynasty. File Photo courtesy of Wikimedia
Puyi, formally known as Hsian-T'ung, was the last emperor of China, part of the Qing dynasty. File Photo courtesy of Wikimedia

In 1914, a dedication ceremony was held and the first stone of the Lincoln Memorial was laid. It took eight years to complete the monument honoring the 16th president.

In 1973, 116 prisoners of war were flown from Hanoi to the Philippines in the first release of U.S. POWs in North Vietnam.

On February 12, 2001, a NASA spacecraft landed on the asteroid Eros. File Photo courtesy of NASA
On February 12, 2001, a NASA spacecraft landed on the asteroid Eros. File Photo courtesy of NASA
File Photo by Pete Marovich/UPI
File Photo by Pete Marovich/UPI

In 1988, two Soviet warships deliberately bumped two U.S. Navy ships in international waters in the Black Sea, indicating continued tensions between the two parties despite the Cold War nearing its end.

On February 12, 2002, former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic went on trial at The Hague, Netherlands, on charges of genocide and war crimes in Bosnia, Croatia and Kosovo. UPI File Photo
On February 12, 2002, former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic went on trial at The Hague, Netherlands, on charges of genocide and war crimes in Bosnia, Croatia and Kosovo. UPI File Photo

In 1993, about 5,000 demonstrators marched on Atlanta's Capitol to protest the Confederate symbol on the Georgia state flag.

In 1999, the U.S. Senate acquitted U.S. President Bill Clinton of impeachment charges.

Acting Superintendent National Mall and Memorial Parks Karen Cururullo (R) stands at attention after presenting a wreath on February 12, 2018. On February 12, 1914, a dedication ceremony was held and the first stone of the Lincoln Memorial was laid. It took eight years to complete the monument. Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI
Acting Superintendent National Mall and Memorial Parks Karen Cururullo (R) stands at attention after presenting a wreath on February 12, 2018. On February 12, 1914, a dedication ceremony was held and the first stone of the Lincoln Memorial was laid. It took eight years to complete the monument. Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI

In 2001, NASA's NEAR Shoemaker landed on the asteroid Eros, the first time a near Earth asteroid was visited by a spacecraft.

In 2002, a Russian-built Tupelov-154 aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff near the western city of Khorramabad, Iran, killing all 117 people aboard.

NAACP President Cornell William Brooks speaks during a press conference at the Charleston Branch of the NAACP on June 19, 2015. The organization was founded February 12, 1909. File Photo by Kevin Liles/UPI
NAACP President Cornell William Brooks speaks during a press conference at the Charleston Branch of the NAACP on June 19, 2015. The organization was founded February 12, 1909. File Photo by Kevin Liles/UPI

In 2002, former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic went on trial at The Hague, Netherlands, on charges of genocide and war crimes in Bosnia, Croatia and Kosovo. He died four years later before the conclusion of the trial.

In 2008, General Motors, which offered buyouts to its 74,000 unionized employees, reported a loss of $38.7 billion for 2007, the largest ever for an automaker.

President Bill Clinton makes a point during a press conference at the State Department in Washington, D.C., on December 8, 1999. The U.S. Senate acquitted Clinton of impeachment charges on February 12, 1999. File Photo by Joel Rennich/UPI
President Bill Clinton makes a point during a press conference at the State Department in Washington, D.C., on December 8, 1999. The U.S. Senate acquitted Clinton of impeachment charges on February 12, 1999. File Photo by Joel Rennich/UPI
File Photo by John F. Martin/UPI
File Photo by John F. Martin/UPI

In 2008, U.S. military officials announced capital charges against six al-Qaida members for their roles in the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. The admitted mastermind, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and the others were detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Pope Francis celebrates Christmas Eve Mass at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City on December 24, 2015. Francis met Patriarch Kirill on February 12, 2016, in the first meeting between the pontiff of the Catholic Church and the primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, in Cuba. File Photo by Stefano Spaziani/UPI
Pope Francis celebrates Christmas Eve Mass at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City on December 24, 2015. Francis met Patriarch Kirill on February 12, 2016, in the first meeting between the pontiff of the Catholic Church and the primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, in Cuba. File Photo by Stefano Spaziani/UPI

In 2009, a Continental airlines turboprop commuter plane crashed into a house near Buffalo, N.Y., killing 50 people, including one person in the house.

In 2016, Pope Francis met Patriarch Kirill, the first meeting between the pontiff of the Catholic Church and the primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, in Cuba.

In 2023, Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs overcame a 10-point deficit and slipped by the Philadelphia Eagles with a game-winning field goal to win Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Ariz. Pop star Rihanna performed during half time.

File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI